OTAN invites nominations of California adult education learners who are successful as a result of the education received at adult education agencies for the California Adult Education Students Succeed program. The program honors outstanding students who are adults with significant life responsibilities, who have made positive contributions to the community, established and met life goals by attending an adult education program, improved the life situations of self and others, and overcome difficult circumstances in order to pursue adult learning experiences. The program recognizes the hard work that outstanding adult education students have completed in the pursuit of their personal, academic, and professional goals and aspirations.
You can read stories and watch videos from previous years by clicking on the Students tab. You can also explore stories from specific adult education agencies and programs by clicking on the Schools and Programs tabs. To learn how to nominate a student for the program and to submit an online nomination form, click on the Nomination tab.
Students Succeed Honoree: Rocio Flores Cadena
Rocio Flores Cadena immigrated from Mexico to the United States with her family at the age of 11. This time in her life was tumultuous as she and her family went back and forth from the US to Mexico while her father and the family were processed through an amnesty program that was a pathway to US citizenship that took about 10 years to complete. Rocio's father worked in the strawberry fields in North San Diego to support the family and Rocio ended up taking care of the entire family life at home as her father battled alcoholism and her mother battled cancer. Because of the hardship of her homelife, Rocio dropped out of both middle and high school; she eventually left her family and became a mom for the first time at age 14. After enduring a mentally and physically abusive relationship, Rocio took her two young sons and escaped to a women's shelter.