New graduates of Brookdale Community College’s Adult Basic Education program share in the excitement of earning diplomas and the promise of a brighter future at a commencement exercise on June 12. KRISTEN DALTON LONG BRANCH — A quiet restlessness buzzed about the room of graduates who exchanged anxious glances, smiles and small talk while waiting for the commencement ceremony to begin.
This was it. This was the moment when second chances and new beginnings shook hands and sighed at the satisfaction of a crisp diploma and promise of a brighter future.
“Something happens when the students start telling their story of how they got to this point and how important this has been in their life,” said Carl DeJura, director of theAdult Basic Education (ABE) program at Brookdale Community College’s Long Branch Higher Education Center.
“It’s a second chance, you know? We don’t know what brought them to this point tonight or what their life was like, but I’m sure in many cases it wasn’t nice.”
A speaker addresses the more than 100 graduates of the ABE program at graduation held at the Portuguese Center in Long Branch. PHOTOS BY KRISTEN DALTON More than 100 students graduated from Brookdale’s ABE program on June 12 at the Portuguese Center in Long Branch. The 20-year-old program provides approximately 800 students with GED preparation and English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction.
One of those students was Carmen Pereira, whose goal was to raise her ESL skill sets in order to pursue her passion for teaching.
“I’m from Bolivia. In my country I’m a teacher, but here I need to speak English to be a teacher, and now I teach elementary students in the Long Branch public school,” said Pereira.
“I love my kids, I love my profession. My goal is to work here and teach, especially the Spanish kids. I want to help the kids and teach more English.”
Carmen Pereira worked to upgrade her language skills to help reach her goal of teaching in Long Branch public schools. Pereira admitted that the ABE program had its share of challenges and difficulties, but the new graduate stressed the importance of having the courage to show up to every class despite making mistakes along the learning curve.
Colombian classmate Yorlenis Meneses shared an equal determination to push through the hardships with the hope and faith of a brighter future in a new country.
“I studied with Carmen, and it’s the same for me. I was a nurse in my country but I have to learn English to pass all the tests. I want to be a registered nurse here,” said Meneses.
“To learn another language is hard for us because everything is different for us. Sometimes you know nothing, and when you try to do something and somebody says they don’t understand you …” she sighed, “it’s like, what do I have to do?”
Meneses said her next step is likely to attend a two-year nursing program somewhere, perhaps Brookdale, where she can continue her education while having a flexible schedule that allows time to take care of her two children.
Meneses was adamant about pursuing her passion, rather than being concerned about what school she should attend. As long as she loves what she is doing, she said, she would be happy.
“You can go to the best college and be the best student but not learn anything. It doesn’t depend on what college you go to, it depends on what you want to be. Every day you have to study and be better for you, for yourself.”
Thirty-six countries and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico were represented in this year’s enrollment. The ABE program is grant funded and offers classes at the Brookdale locations in Long Branch, Neptune, Hazlet and Freehold.
“About two-thirds of our population is ESL. There’s a very large immigrant community in Monmouth County. Others are working on their GED, or if they come in and their skill set is not what it should be, we do a pre-GED course to get their skills up and the focus is reading and math,” explained DeJura.
“It’s all about survival. It’s all about being committed to bettering your life. A high school diploma will open many doors for individuals that don’t have it. It’s like the jumping-off point.”
DeJura said that after graduating from the ABE program, many people choose to continue their education through certificate programs at Brookdale’s main campus in Lincroft.
“There might be some jobs out there that are available, but you have to have the skills that business owners, corporations, even a mom-and-pop operation want. You have to have the skill set that they’re looking for,” said the director.
“The more you prepare, the more you get those certificates. Beyond that, it’s on you how far you want to go.”
The commencement ceremony reflected the fabric of each student’s story while sharing the common thread of wanting to better their lives in their new country.
This determination was cultivated through hard work and the gentle encouragement of instructors like Nancy Lynn D’Averso, who has been an ABE teacher for 32 years.
Retiring on July 1, D’Averso realized that, this is the last graduating class she would see handed their diplomas.
“It’s a wonderful feeling. I feel very fulfilled and honored for them. This is just the beginning of another stage in their academic, financial and social development,” D’Averso said.
“They are the hardest-working students I have ever known. They come from many countries with many different backgrounds and different languages, but together we are one voice and one people. We are united in our efforts to make better lives for ourselves and for our fellow citizens.”