AVANCE Graduates Moving Towards Higher Education

AVANCE graduated 150 participants from its Parent & Child and GED programs on May 31, 2011 at the Sam Houston Area Council Boy Scouts in Northwest. 

Keynote Speaker, Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia congratulated the graduates and especially commended all men present, for their accomplishments, and for supporting their spouses’ educational goals.

Among certificates, recognitions and performances, there were also testimonials about their journeys such as the one shared by Sandra Medrano, a 27 year old GED graduate and single mother of three children, who was awarded a scholarship during the ceremony.

Sandra dropped out of high school years ago, and dedicated her time to raise her three children.  After enrolling her youngest daughter in AVANCE’s Head Start program in Fall 2010, Sandra knew she would now have free time during the day to pick up where she had left off  with her education. She learned about AVANCE’s GED program and immediately enrolled and began classes in September,  “from that moment on, I felt this was a new beginning for my future” says Sandra.

She would arrive to class an hour early and sometimes stay after class studying to make sure she was well prepared to pass the test.  After months of  preparation, she finally took the test at HCC Northline in February this year, “I was a bit nervous during the test” she admits, “but my children were always my motivation, and I knew that passing the test would represent a future of opportunities for us” says Sandra.

She received her test results a few days later:  “I passed my test!”  she recalls telling her children, “they started hugging and kissing me” she says, “ It was the most exciting day in my life!”

Upon completing her GED, Sandra enrolled in Everest Institute and is now studying to become a Medical Assistant and keeping a GPA of 4.0. 

Thanks to support from the Macy’s Foundation, AVANCE awarded Sandra a scholarship for $500 dollars during the ceremony to use towards her education.  “I owe all this to AVANCE for helping me reach this goal, and to my teacher Mr. John LaGrone  for motivating me” said Sandra. 

“AVANCE awards scholarships to its GED graduates who enroll in higher education institution. ”  said Jose Villarreal, AVANCE’s Executive Director. “Education does not stop here and we want our students to further their education and provide a better future for their families” he added.

At the end of the celebration, the graduates walked out proudly with certificates in hand and ready to continue moving forward with their education.