Working on your high school diploma is hard, and sometimes it can feel like you'll never reach the end. In the beginning, the day when you walk across the graduation stage can seem very far away. Even if you're in the middle of your academic coursework, facing several more months of tough classes can be daunting.
For those of you who feel this way, never fear! Your goals are reachable! And to prove it, we thought you might like to hear from one of our Career Online High School graduates. Meet Kelly Chavez!
Hi, my name is Kelly Chavez. I am a 2018 COHS graduate. For me, reaching this goal was impossible and I am so thankful for the Los Angeles Public Library giving me the opportunity to earn my high school diploma.
The story of how I graduated is so long, but I really want to share it. I became a mother when I was 17. I was living in El Salvador and there were not as many opportunities to graduate from high school as there are here. It was so hard for me to leave school because I was pregnant. When my daughter was 8 months old, I returned to school but I didn’t finish, because when she was 13 months she got pneumonia and I quit one more time. I gave up; it was so hard for me, but I was a mother and a wife, and family is always first.
When I was 20 and my daughter almost 3 years old, my resident card petition was ready. Unfortunately, due to the violence and poverty in my country, I left my daughter and my husband to come to the United States. I worked so hard to bring them after. I spent 5 years without them but finally, after a long wait and suffering so much, we reunited in March 2014 and since then we are together forever.
Once my family was here, I knew that I needed to do something else besides my nanny job. I felt the need to study and finish high school, but because of work and family responsibilities, it was impossible for me until I found this program. Online classes were like a miracle happening in my life—I was shocked and happy for this opportunity. I remember so vividly the day I went to my interview to see if I could enroll. The lady who helped me showed me all the pictures from past graduation ceremonies and I started to cry and I said, “This will be me.”
When I started in 2016, my other kid—my son—was only a year old. Now, my daughter is 12 years old and my son 3. With my children, my husband, and my mom who I help all the time, we are a family of five. I was scared to study, but I didn’t let that fear control my dreams. I kept going. It was hard because I quit so many times due to problems with anxiety, my grandmother in El Salvador getting sick, and my mother also getting very sick and having to take her to the hospital and doctor visits. I am who I am because of my grandmother, Rosa Monterrosa. But I decided to keep going and on July 3rd, 2018 I finished. My goal was to finish high school before 30 and I am 29 years old. Now, I am celebrating this accomplishment with all my family. I just started college at Los Angeles Pierce College to become a social worker, because I really enjoy helping others and I am sure I will reach this goal, too.
Nothing can stop me!