Student Success Story

by Olga L. Serrano

I am an adult learning at The Harris County Department of Education’s Irvington Learning Center. I’m so glad and proud to be a student here, because it has been very helpful, not only for me but for my family as well.

Before I enrolled in these classes I had many problems with my daughter’s homework. I can still remember those days back then when I wanted to help my older daughter and I just couldn’t do it, it was very difficult for me. I tried very hard to help her, yet even though we had a small dictionary; it was really hard to translate everything word by word without knowing the English word structure. It was very frustrating not only for me but for all my family members, who tried to help us sometimes.

Right now my older daughter is a teenager. She is in middle school, and most of the time she has to do tons of homework, exercises, projects, investigations and other things like that. Now I feel better, I can help my daughter with her homework, and I like to do that, because everyday we can learn something new, besides we can spend more time together. She is so smart, but I like that she always asks me for help and opinions, the truth of the story is that I always end up learning from her. Now not only do I ask her questions about her school, but also she asks me about the new things that I learn each day at the Harris County Department of Education too.

This school also teaches me to use the computer, I love those classes, and they taught me how to search for things in the internet, how to do investigational works and how to do different PowerPoint presentations. All of those things have been helpful to me, so that I can help my daughter even better.

Most of the time the school meeting was completely in English so I couldn’t understand a thing, I felt uncomfortable with that situation, these classes helped to me in that area too. I always had trouble reading the letters the school would send, so I had to look for someone to translate the letter into Spanish so that I could finally understand it. Right now when the teachers call or mail letters to my house trying to communicate with me to talk about my daughters’ schools, I can understand and read everything they tell me.

I am so happy that I chose the right decision, one day a friend told me about the Harris County Department of Education’s classes. She said, “There is a very good school for adults that want to learn, the school is really close to your house, it is right next to Irvington. Many other people have gone there and they say that the classes have been very helpful towards their life, then and their family. They told me they felt much better knowing that not only did they know how to speak but they knew how to read and write English well”.

At first I didn’t want to go, I used to tell her that I was too busy driving my daughters to and from school and that I just didn’t have time to go to school at that time, I thought that I had so much work in my house so I could not attend the school and I thought that I wouldn’t learn a thing.

Finally, I took my chances; I made time in my schedule to go to the Harris County Department of Education. I am very happy now, the classes are so interesting, not only do they teach you how to read and to write, but they also teach you math, social studies and everthing in between. It is very beautiful and interesting to learn and know everything about the History of Texas.

Taking those classes has really made a difference in my life; I can divide my life in two parts, before and after I began to attend this school. The decision of going to school was the best decision that I have taken in my life.

I am happy to be taking those classes, during those years I met many people that like me, wanted to know more not only about English, but about the other subjects too. I began to study here in the first level with Ms. Kirtland, she is a very good teacher, and her classes are so interesting and funny. I learned a lot with her, she always gave us examples that we could never imagine, unexpected and unimaginable. She goes an extra mile in her teaching all the time, so thank you Ms. Kirtland for spending your time with us.

Right now, I am in A.B.E. with Ms. Phillips, I love her class, Ms. Philips always gives her best effort to help us, her classes are very interesting and she always talks about the events of the season. I am learning so much in her class, all the students feel happy with her knowledge and experience, thank you Ms. Phillips, thank you so much.

I am so grateful with the Harris County Department of Education and its teachers that have always had the availability and patience with everyone. Thank you teachers, and thank you to the whole staff…and God Bless you!

May 8, 2006
Olga L. Serrano, ESL learner who transitioned to ABE
Instructor: Barbara Phillips, Irvington Learning Center
Harris County Department of Education, Adult Education Division
Houston, Texas