Names of Note: Eight tenacious students win awards at Literacy Network of Stanislaus
Eight adult students and two educators were honored with the 22nd annual awards from the Literacy Network of Stanislaus County. The were presented March 19 via Zoom.
The organizers provided these details on the honorees:
Alondra Ibarra-Torres and Sandra Rodriguez, both students at Modesto Junior College, were winners in the English as a Second Language category.
Ibarra-Torres went from speaking no English to completing all of her English classes with a 3.5 grade point average. She now tutors other students in the MJC Writing Center and plans to become a teacher.
Rodriguez completed the English Language Learner program, passed the General Educational Development tests and is now taking classes toward an associate degree. She, too, hopes to be a teacher.
Abdul Darwe and Otoniel (Tony) Muñoz were honored in the Literacy category. Both are students at LearningQuest/Stanislaus Literacy Centers.
Darwe, a native of Afghanistan, overcame physical injuries and the constant threat of bombing in his war-ravaged homeland. He moved his mother and sisters to Pakistan, where they then obtained visas to come to the United States. He hopes to obtain a GED and eventually go into teaching or nursing.
Muñoz suffered from physical problems resulting in speech and movement difficulties. He has improved his reading from fourth-grade to ninth-grade level and has learned technology skills. He hopes to attain a High School Equivalency certificate to boost his job skills.
Eliud Enrique Vega Garcia and Angelique Lee won in the High School Equivalency category. Both are students at LearningQuest.
Garcia earned a Spanish HSE certificate in four months, achieving the highest scores, and was valedictorian at the graduation. Lee overcame many life challenges and earned her HSE in only one month, with college-ready scores. She plans to pursue a medical degree.
Turlock Adult School students Maria Luisa Avina and Nancy Contreras won scholarships of $500 each. Both are bilingual, bicultural, first-generation students.
Avina had an unstable family situation, moved frequently and dropped out of high school. She now works full-time at Foster Farms, volunteers feeding homeless people, and plans to study welding at MJC.
Contreras, the 11th of 12 children in her family, is a divorced mother of three sons who is caregiver for a handicapped brother and sister. She plans to earn her high school diploma and Certified Nurse Assistant certification at Turlock Adult School and study nursing at MJC.
Two other awards are for people who help the students:
The Betty Mulnix Service Award went to Virginia Barr, an English teacher at both Turlock Adult School and Turlock High School. She was cited for encouraging students “who may have felt deeply intimidated by their rudimentary literacy skills” and for helping with technology amid the pandemic.
Aracele Villapudua, a counselor at Turlock Adult School, received the Jean and Clyde Dunlap Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Cause of Literacy. Before COVID-19, she organized events such as job fairs and meetings to help students complete college applications. During the pandemic, Villapudua has set up online presentations and trainings and a virtual counseling office for students and teachers.
Names of Note recognizes people and organizations for their contribution to their communities. Submit items to jholland@modbee.com.
