By NCI
Education is the key to success, say community leaders in North County San Diego. Whether you are a fulltime worker, a single mom, someone who dreams of going back to school, a high school dropout who failed all your classes, or a first-generation immigrant with no family members in college, it is possible to get an education and reach your goals.
Dr. Beatriz Villarreal tells the story of how she got her doctorate, “because I think we sometimes don’t do that with our kids. We don’t teach them to dream big.”
But it is never wrong to “dream big,” whatever the obstacles may be.
After failing all his classes in high school, Jimmy Figueroa, the executive director of Operation HOPE-North County, went back to school at MiraCosta Community Learning Center to get his GED, later enrolling at the main campus. “There wasn’t anyone in my family that had gone to college. … Keep dreaming, but also make sure that you’re investing in your dreams with effort and time. … It’s never too late,” he says.
Dr. Sunita Cooke, the President/Superintendent of MiraCosta College who immigrated from India, says her family believed in a culture where all people could have more opportunity. “They knew education was a key to that opportunity.”
As the 2023–2024 school year begins, the following pages offer information to help you and your children make education the key to your success.
The importance of education:
“Everyone has the ability to learn…Learning and education is a life-long process.” — Arcela Núñez, a codirector of Universidad Popular
“Reading is the key to success in school, and school is the key to success in life.” — Edward Becerra, the founder of Education Begins in the Home
“The only difference between that moment in time [when she struggled financially] and this is that I went to school…We see education as a path out of poverty that opens up opportunities.” — Dr. Star Rivera-Lacey, the Superintendent/President of Palomar College.
“I haven’t stopped studying. I have done certifications in clean energy, social media, leadership, you name it, because I believe in always educating myself.” — Adriana Brunner, Business Development Manager for MyPoint Credit Union in San Diego County
“Education helps people understand their identity and history without rejecting it or leaving their community behind.” Beatriz (Bea) Palmer, the program manager at MiraCosta College’s Service Learning & Volunteer Center
