Category: Adult Education
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Dr. Lautauscha Davis
When Dean Lautauscha Davis, EdD, speaks to students who have enrolled in courses at Olive-Harvey College in order to finish high school, her advice comes from many years in the field… and from personal experience. The Dean of Adult Education at OHC has been in their shoes, leaving Englewood’s Lindblom High School after her sophomore…
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Stefany Cardenas
If you ask Stefany Cardenas, a native Chicagoan of Ecuadorian descent, about her educational journey, she might tell you “the opportunity of my dreams landed on my lap.” But that shorthand version of her story doesn’t mention the incredible work that Stefany put in for nearly a decade to overcome homelessness and become a computer…
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Aziza Mohammadi
Before Aziza Mohammadi arrived in Chicago as a 17-year-old refugee from Sri Lanka, she didn’t have the chance to complete her high school education, but she was determined to go to college. Knowing she would first need to get her high school diploma, the refugee agency that helped Aziza’s family of six resettle in Chicago…
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Alexander Hernandez
In less than ten years, Alexander Hernandez went from not speaking English, to his dream job at Google. When Alexander Hernandez came to the U.S. from Guatemala in 2011, he knew he wanted to learn English first – so he started taking free English as a Second Language classes at Truman College. Once he had…
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Joann Sirles
When Joann Sirles retired after a successful career at Amtrak, she hadn’t planned on finding a whole new career – but that is just what happened at Olive-Harvey College. Originally from Philadelphia, Joann left high school before she was able to graduate because she had to go to work. After a job in retail and…
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Lydia Bellil
When Lydia Bellil moved to the U.S. from France when her husband got a new job, she knew she would finish her college education. Her first hurdle was to improve her English, so she headed to Truman College. Her husband had taken English classes there and it was close to their home, so it was…
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Umara Zetino
Umara Zetino’s advice to anyone who has been out of the classroom for a while is pretty straightforward: “It doesn’t matter what age you are, as long as you have the will and the drive. If you want to earn your degree, you can do it.” And she should know. After leaving high school at…
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Fatima Asadi
By the time Fatima Asadi moved to the United States, she had already lived in Indonesia, and before that Iran, where she was born to parents from Afghanistan. When she moved to Chicago with her parents and one of her older brothers, her first priority was to practice her English and earn her GED –…
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Tamba Torniwa
When Tamba Torniwa lost his parents at a young age due to lack of medical care in his home country of Sierra Leone, he knew that someday he would work to help improve the lives of others. Now, he is well on his way to becoming a nurse practitioner. Tamba arrived in the U.S. a…
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Tunde Oderinde
Tunde Oderinde is setting an example for his two children by not only earning his GED, but by pursuing a career in nursing so that he can help others and provide a good future for his family. When Tunde moved to Chicago from Nigeria twelve years ago, he had already been to college, where he…