ALMA MINGER Age 31 Alma was born in El Salvador and came to the U.S. in
1985. Having missed several years of elementary education, she entered
school, speaking no English and behind in her studies. Alma worked very
hard, graduated from Franklin High School and was accepted to Sonoma State
University. Delighted by this prospect, she additionally found a job,
arranged housing, and was even assigned a roommate. The dream stopped
however, when Alma found that she did not quality for Financial Aid because
she was an illegal immigrant. She could not afford the fees and, therefore,
could not attend the university.
Several teachers and community members from Franklin
High School got together and presented Alma with a small scholarship. She
used the money to enroll in two classes at Glendale Community College in
1992, and she paid non-resident tuition fees. Her education became sporadic,
but she has since become a citizen and returned to college full-time. She
was accepted into GCC’s T4 program (Tutors Today Teachers Tomorrow), and is
working toward becoming an elementary school teacher. She also spent ten
hours per week as a T4 AmeriCorps member tutoring Glendale Unified School
District children in literacy. She transferred to Cal Sate Los Angeles in
summer ’03 and is participating in a blended liberal studies program in
order to complete her teaching credential. As a single mother, Alma juggles
her time raising her eight-year-old daughter and taking 18 units. She really
appreciated the T4 program as being personal, caring, and helpful, and cites
Andra Verstraete, the T4 Coordinator, and counselor Ramona Barrio-Sotillo
with being her mentors and advisors. |
