In our monthly newsletter, we often share stories about Literacyworks Center students, their challenges, their hopes, and their achievements. These stories reflect the resilience, courage, and kindness of the people we are privileged to work with.
Our community is currently confronted with a pandemic, economic inequality, and social injustice. Our students are living in a time of fear, loneliness, and lack of trust in their future.
With that said, we want to share how our students are coping and sprinkle in some good news. Our students are overcoming huge barriers to stay in school and move forward toward achieving their goals. This Spring Semester, they had to learn how to take all their SRJC classes by distance. We helped with technology and resources where we could. We are delighted to report that all but a few completed their course work and are now zooming ahead toward the next semester. Some even completed their certificates/associate degrees. And some are transferring to four years colleges.
Here are a few abbreviated stories that we took from the SRJC Oak Leaf online newspaper written by two of our students. We are calling this new section ‘In Their Own Words.’ We are also including some student comments from our survey that we conducted with each of our 110 students.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
Pregnant and alone in quarantine
Posted: 05 Jun 2020 in the SRJC Oak Leaf online newspaper
My name is Laura. I am an ESL student at Santa Rosa Junior college. And this is how COVID-19 has been affecting me during this quarantine. On Dec. 31, 2019, I felt very enthusiastic because we were going to start a new year in a couple of hours. Then, I remember spending all day thinking about the goals and wishes I wanted to accomplish during the new year, such as losing weight, saving more money to get a new car, and more dreams that I wanted to achieve this year.
However, destiny had other plans for me and the rest of the world. In the last two weeks of December, I heard about a new virus discovered in China, but I never thought that this situation would go out of control. Also, I was going to face this situation here in Santa Rosa, far away from my family. Nevertheless, as any person in this country, COVID-19 has been affecting me emotionally and financially.
First of all, this virus has changed our lifestyle radically for everybody in many ways because it forces us to stay in quarantine at home and leave our jobs and our daily routines. In my experience, I got affected emotionally due to this situation because I don’t have my family close to me; they live in Texas so far away from me, and that made me feel alone in the middle of this situation.
In the first week of the new year, I found out that I was pregnant, and hearing about how harmful this virus could be, I got scared and nervous not just for me but for my baby. Moreover, my doctor’s appointments have changed from regular visits to phone calls. In that way, the consequences of that are that I can’t see or hear my baby progress by ultrasound, which affected me more emotionally.
Nevertheless, this situation is very frustrating for me because this is my first baby, and I’m feeling that I’m missing those beautiful stages that most of the women live during their pregnancy. Every time I go out, I feel scared to get infected by this virus because I know I can’t take any prescriptions during pregnancy, so I prefer to stay safely at home. However, I feel sad, scared, depressed, and I never thought I was going to live my first pregnancy in this way with all these complications.
COVID-19 has also affected me financially since California’s government took action to stop the pandemic in our state. They decided to close all unnecessary stores in the whole country, which have included the store where I used to work. I stopped working on March 15, and since then, I haven’t worked. I’m stressed about money.
For example, I couldn’t pay my April’s rent, and little by little, I have been spending the money I was saving for my baby to pay some of my bills. Honestly, this situation makes me feel sad and worried. I don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. Perhaps, this situation brought me more complications, but thank God, my family has been supporting me financially, which gives me a little comfort for my baby and me. Finally, I hope that this situation ends soon so I can have my baby and enjoy the beautiful things that used to be.
Quarantine through the eyes of a blind person
Posted: 04 Jun 2020 in the SRJC Oak Leaf online newspaper
I am a 45-year old blind student at SRJC since 2012. I was very excited taking the ESL 10 course when the classes were halted, and we had to be in quarantine as a result of the coronavirus. As a blind person, I could see this situation differently from the people who can see. Many people are in fear by the things they see or hear on the street and in the media. I have disconnected from all this, and I only know what my family, my friends or my son tell me about it. For this reason, I keep positive.
Moreover, I do not go out to the street. The only time that I almost went out was with my friend to buy my food. She was afraid because she thought that going with me, she could catch the virus and become unable to care for me or for herself at the same time. I decided that my friend should go alone to buy my food to feel more trusting. I can imagine the people’s faces under a mask full of fears.
The quarantine changed some plans that I had for my future. For example, I was planning travel to Atlanta, Georgia in May after finishing the semester. And then I was to travel in June to Mexico to meet with my younger son, but now I don’t know if this date will be possible for travel. I only know that the quarantine destroyed all my plans. It also is affecting me a great deal because I am not working. I prefer to go to school or remain at home. And now I am especially isolated due to quarantine.
Moreover, I must take my classes online and on Zoom, a program that I didn’t know and that now I have to learn to use. Although, it is not easy for blind people to understand the classes and to complete the assignments in this way, I have had to work hard to adjust. Sometimes I stay up until 1 or 2 a.m. doing the homework because it is too much and I must read and reread to understand it. I really appreciate my tutors who help me because together we make a good team. I think social interaction is very important for the humanity. And with the quarantine, we can’t interact with other people. However, my older son visits me five days a week. And my friend comes over one day a week. They do it with their protective gear. And thanks to this care, they are not sick, and up to this moment I do not know anyone who has the virus.
Sheltering at home has not only brought bad experiences into my life. It is helping me to learn more about the technology to be more independent to do my homework for myself. And I am enjoying the time that my son doesn’t work to cook with him and eat together. Facing a pandemic has not been easy for people who can see and more for me who cannot see.
Despite everything, I keep a positive mind trying to have peace in my soul and live without fear of what might happen or come into my life. I advise the people that mainly they should not feel afraid about what is happening. They have to keep the calm and peace in their heart and if they want to feel surer, they can avoid contagion by practicing distancing of 6 feet away from other people, using their mask all the time and washing their hands every time that they touch something. Mainly they need a positive mentality for all the changes that may come. For example, it is a benefit that Mother Earth can rest from so much contamination that human beings cause to the planet.
REPORTS FROM OUR STUDENTS
We are ever vigilant contacting our students to keep up-to-date with their progress. Here is the email we sent in May to collect information and two of the responses we received.
Dear Literacyworks Students
Today marks the last day of finals and the last day of spring semester 2020. What a semester it has been. Rita, Paul, and I want to express our sincere appreciation to all of you for the hard work in completing school in these difficult times. You made the transition from face to face learning to online learning. You sheltered in place to stay safe, and for many, you became teachers to your children.
We are so proud of what you accomplished in the face of a pandemic. We really want to hear from you and want to celebrate your accomplishments remotely.
Please tell us by email if you are:
1. Graduating with an Associate’s Degree
2. Transferring to a 4-year school
3. Receiving a Certificate
4. Going to summer school
5. How pleased you are with the progress you made
6. Problems you may have enrolling for Fall classes (or Summer classes)
This information is important so we can help you be successful this year.
Vicente replied:
1. I am graduating with 4 associates, Physics AS-T, Physics AS, Math AS, and Natural Science AS
2. I was also accepted to UCSC.
3. And, I am taking summer classes at the JC, and at UCSC.
4. Finally, I feel really grateful for all your help, and the motivation that you guys inculcated on me. I feel ready for the next challenges. Thank you so much for all your help.
Respectfully,
Vicente
Esmeralda replied:
It is a pleasure to able to tell you how my semester was. In the beginning, when everything changes to remotely class was difficult, but little by little, I could continue with my class despite all the adversities at the time. I was talking ESL 371, and my grade in my class was very high, so my teacher advised me to skip class ESL 372 and instead take the class ESL 373 to the next semester. Also, I am planning to take the class ESL 732 for the summer because that class will help me to improve my computer skills and since the other semester, the classes would be remotely that class help me a lot. I take this opportunity to thank the entire Literacyworks team for all the help they have given me.
Esmeralda
SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS!
Our low-income students are among the most vulnerable in our community when it comes to suffering during a disaster. Because of the COVID-19 epidemic, many of our students are suffering a loss of income and housing. Also, SRJC has been closed since the first of April when online classes began.
Our staff is offering additional support services to ensure our students stay in school and complete their course of study. We are proud that most have persisted and remained.
Thank you for supporting our students with your donation during this difficult time. You are making a difference in their lives with your gift.
