Our Biggest Enemy is Fear....

-





Jose Martin, 46, will be graduating this June from EPIC High School, a FIELD Institute program which provides adult learners an opportunity to receive their high school diplomas. He was nervous about taking on the combined demands of school, work, and family, but his friend in the FIELD ESL program inspired him. 

"I would encourage everyone, no matter the age, to get their high school diploma. Our biggest enemy is fear, fear that we can't do it. We need to believe in ourselves. It's difficult, but not impossible, and so well worth it. Si Se Puede!" said Jose as he shared his excitement approaching his graduation day. 

He has worked in construction for the past 21 years and has dreams of working for the city as an inspector and foundation specialist.

Jose is from Jiquilpan, Michoacan, Mexico. However, he lived in both the US and Mexico while his father worked in the fields. He is the oldest of three siblings, and the family struggled with finances and his father's struggle with addiction. His parents never attended school, and although his father did learn to read and write, his mother did not. Two of his siblings completed high school, while his third only completed 5th grade. 

His wife takes care of the home and family, including their five kids. Their youngest twins are 14-years-old, they have an 18-year-old who just finished her freshman year at Cal State University, and a 20-year-old and 23-year-old who are both attending Antelope Valley College. 

Despite the financial challenges of his younger years, FIELD has enabled Jose to complete the ESL program and go on to now graduate from EPIC to pursue his dreams. Jose states that his teacher, Mr. Richard Murino, played a big part in helping him get through high school. "Mr. Murino was very encouraging. He knew my schedule changed frequently, but he always made time to help me and make sure I didn't miss anything. Mr. Murino has so much knowledge that I made every effort to be in his class every day to learn from him. I couldn't do it without him." 

Jose, who is a Permanent Resident, knew getting his high school diploma would not only help him immensely in preparing for his upcoming Citizenship test, but it would also open doors for a better life for him and his family. "My children are so proud of me and have become my biggest cheerleaders." 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sonia Maria Sotomayor

-
Image
Sonia Maria Sotomayor born June 25, 1954, is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.  Sotomayor was born in the Bronx, New York City, to Puerto Rican-born parents. Her father died when she was nine, and she was subsequently raised by her mother.  Sotomayor graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University in 1976 and received her Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1979, where she was an editor at the Yale Law Journal. She worked as an assistant district attorney in New York for four and half years before entering private practice in 1984. She played an active role on the boards of directors for the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund, the State of Neew York Mortgage Agency, and the New York Citu Campaign Finance Board. She was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and has served since August 8, 2009. She is the third woman to hold the position. Sotomayor is the first woman of color, first Hispanic, and first Latina member of the cour
Read more

Media Advisory

-
Image
  Media Advisory: Date: November 6, 2021 Farmworkers Institute of Education and Leadership Development (FIELD Institute) David Villarino, President / CEO Contact: Andres Lopez: alopez@fieldinstitute.org 661.822.4381 FIELD Recycle Grand Opening Cesar Chavez Environmental Corps - FIELD Recycling is celebrating the Grand Opening of their recycling center in Tehachapi, CA Tehachapi, Calif. -- The Cesar Chavez Environmental Corps (CCEC) Recycling program led by the Farmworkers Institute of Education & Leadership Development (FIELD) will be celebrating its grand opening of their FIELD Recycling center on Monday, November 8, 2021. FIELD staff and members of the community will be on site to share a few words about the center, benefits of recycling, and benefits to the community at large. Tehachapi Councilmember Susan Wiggins, Mari Goodman who is President of the Tehachapi Mountain Democratic Club, and representatives of The Tehachapi Community Church-UCC will be in attendance. Members of t
Read more

Priorities

-
Image
As our students continue to strive to be the best, we want to feature Jose Mata Rosas.  His teacher Ms. Ruby Torres says he is deserving of being one of many of September's students of the month. Jose is an EPIC de Cesar Chavez high school student in Riverside. Jose works more than 40 hours a week and makes sure to attend a class every day, even if it's just for a couple of hours.  His job often asks him to work overtime, but he still makes school a priority. During class, Jose is actively engaged in all class activities and goes above and beyond to help others in the classroom. His desire to learn is infectious to the other students in class.  Jose perfectly models FIELD's core values. Congratulations Jose, keep up the good work.
Read more