Every day I am inspired by my students. Let me share some fantastic success stories from the High School Diploma program. A student who completed her diploma after working with us for two years and overcoming transportation barriers inspired me and those around her. At the age of 20, she had not experienced success in school and was hesitant to re-engage. After a few weeks of working with her teacher, seeing that she could work independently and at a comfortable rate, she started completing the credits she was missing.
During this process, there were gaps of days or weeks that we wouldn’t see her in class. After a simple phone call, we learned that she was walking from the south end of town about 5 miles to work and had a hard time staying motivated to come to class. At that point, we purchased Mendocino Transit Authority (MTA) bus passes and were able to support the student with what was a significant barrier for her to go to class. After persistence and support, we celebrated this student last year in our on-campus graduation ceremony. Because she earned her diploma, she makes a higher wage and takes classes at Mendocino College in the Culinary Arts program.
When life gets in the way, Ukiah Adult School is here for you. We recently had a student who didn’t complete a high school equivalency in his country of origin. When he came to us, he was working as a custodian and wanted to be promoted to a higher position within his company, but could not without a high school diploma or equivalency. His English language skills were assessed, and we recommended he study and prepare for the General Education Development (GED) tests to earn his high school equivalency certificate. After six months of studying and receiving support from our GED teacher, the student passed all four exams and received his GED certificate. Currently, he is working as a lead custodian and is taking classes to learn HVAC systems and general maintenance skills.
While incarcerated in the Mendocino County Jail, adults can earn credits towards a high school diploma as part of the Ukiah Adult School instructional offerings. Upon release from the jail, we had a student come over to our office at the Ukiah Adult School and inquire about finishing his diploma. He was not sure how he could do it because he had to find a job, meet his terms of probation and attend weekly meetings for his sobriety. Our Student Success Coordinator (SSC) helped him develop a plan that incorporated all his goals within a realistic timeline while meeting his obligations. The SSC connected him with Careerpoint for employment and training assistance, resume writing, and job interview preparation. He had a family to support, so his plan included support services from CalWorks for living expenses, NCO for childcare, and HUD for housing. We helped get him connected to these services, and he was able to complete his diploma! He is now working with a local construction company and attending Mendocino College’s Construction & Trades Certificate program.
Ukiah Adult School offers much more than our High School Diploma and GED programs. We have many students who participate in our English Learner program and take our Citizenship class concurrently. While learning English, these students also work through the complicated process of applying for Citizenship. They receive instruction and preparation from us for their interview with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services agency.
Other programs we offer include vocational nursing, home care aide, and services to adults with disabilities in partnership with the Ukiah Valley Association of Habilitation. Every Tuesday, we are a Pearson VUE Testing center for various certifications and offer childcare for our students taking night classes on campus. If you are interested or know someone interested in the programs we offer, please check our website at https://adultschool.uusd.net/. Online registration is available. You can also come to see us at 1056 N. Bush St. in Ukiah Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. or call our office at 707-463-5217 option 0.