Throughout her life, many people discouraged Magdalena from pursuing her goals, but she refused to listen. Last month, after years of hard work and countless hours of studying, the Guatemalan-American mother of two overcame tremendous barriers and passed the final exam to earn her GED certification.
From a young age, Magdalena dreamed of getting an education. Growing up in a remote village in Guatemala, she was never allowed to attend school. The long route to school required students to walk through rugged terrain filled with dangerous wild animals – a trip deemed unsafe for girls.
Despite school being off-limits, Magdalena loved learning.
“When my brother was studying, I was always curious. I would look at his homework. That’s how I learned the ABCs by myself. And learned to read and as I saw his books, I could hear him reading and that’s how I learned Spanish,” said Magdalena.
Tragedy struck Magdalena in her mid-teens. While visiting Guatemala City with some friends, civil war broke out throughout the country. She received word that her village had been destroyed. Magdalena was unable to reunite with her family, who – she found out later – were forced to flee to Mexico for safety.
Authorities placed Magdalena in an orphanage in Guatemala City, where she worked long hours for food and no schooling was provided. When she was offered a chance to immigrate to the United States, she jumped at the chance.
“I heard that life in the US was much easier, that I would get an education,” said Magdalena.
When she arrived in the United States, she was eager to learn English. She signed up for volunteer-led English classes and began watching English shows on TV to increase her vocabulary.
Magdalena dreamed of earning a high school diploma and training to become a nurse, but she quickly realized the challenges she faced. As a youth immigrant, authorities had placed her under the care of guardians upon her arrival. The family was unsupportive of her desire for education. They discouraged her and refused to help her with the necessary paperwork to enter high school.
Once she passed the age for high school, she set her sights on earning a GED and signed up for a preparation class. After a few sessions, her teacher pulled her aside to tell her that she was slowing down the lessons for other students and would have to drop out. Her teacher suggested enrolling in math class at the community college. Again, Magdalena found the class was too advanced for her skill level.
“I tried to explain that I needed more assistance – that I’d never had any schooling,” said Magdalena. She spent her limited funds on the class and wasn’t any closer to a GED. She didn’t know where to go from here. “But I kept reading and trying to learn,” says Magdalena.
Though her GED class left her disappointed and frustrated, it led her to her husband. Through a fellow classmate she befriended, Magdalena met a man – she describes him as a typical blue-eyed American – and eventually the two married and moved to the Roswell area.
With a household of her own, Magdalena needed to bring in income. Once again, she put her GED dreams on hold. Over the next few years, she and her husband added two children to their family, and her time and resources became more limited.
“I saw the roadblocks that I didn’t know if I could surpass,” says Magdalena.
When her children reached their teens and became more independent, Magdalena began to reconsider earning her GED.
With her background, she needed a high level of support, so group classes had proved too challenging. Private tutoring, however, was out of her budget.
Then Magdalena learned about NFCC’s free GED tutoring program and signed up for the program. Then, her real challenges began. She struggled significantly with the English and Science material. Though her conversational English skills were good, her vocabulary was still limited, and she was unfamiliar with many of the academic terms. Also, without formal schooling, she had never learned the basics of reading comprehension, which comprised a large portion of the English exam. Magdalena studied hard to pass each exam. Though it took her several years to learn the material, she never gave up. With the help of NFCC tutors, Magdalena gained skills and the confidence to pass.
“Many of the tutors have given me the encouragement and the patience in whatever I’m working on. They find a way to help you understand. It feels like team work,” says Magdalena.
After facing countless barriers, Magdalena’s dream became a reality: she earned her GED. Her perseverance and determination are an inspiration to our staff and volunteers.
“I like learning because it’s something that was kept from me… I wanted to prove to myself that I was capable. People said you will never reach that. Someone told me ‘don’t look too high’,” she said. “I said God is the only one who will decide my future…Seeing my family coming from no education and how they suffered – I didn’t want that. Also, I wanted to show my kids to that it’s achievable if you work hard.”
