Emmanuella Garcia has supported her daughter through high school, ensuring she was on the right path to graduate. But she wanted to take her position as a role model to her children even further.
Lacking a high school diploma, Garcia enrolled into Career Online High School at the Redwood City Library. Now, she and her daughter can both call themselves 2019 graduates.
Garcia is one of three of the newest graduates of the program that offers adults the chance to earn an accredited high school diploma and career certificate online. The three graduates were honored at the Redwood City Council meeting on Monday.
Tuition for the Career Online High School (COHS) program, which normally costs over $1,000, are offered free to adult community members in the form of scholarships. The scholarships are funded by the California State Library and Redwood City Library Foundation, with the Foundation’s major funders being Cargill and Atkinson Foundation, according to Derek Wolfgram, Director of Redwood City Library.
Once enrolled in the program, each student is paired with an online academic coach who assists with their career path and offers ongoing guidance and connections to resources. Students have up to 18 months to complete the program, and with existing high school credits the process to graduate can take as little as six months.
So far, six adults have completed the program and earned their diplomas. Another six scholarships are being offered to interested residents.
Graduates at Monday’s council meeting expressed gratitude to the staff at Project READ, including Cassandra Levy, for assisting them in achieving their dream.
” You really make us proud here in Redwood City,” Mayor Ian Bain told the graduates. “I know that each one of you are going to go on to do some great things, so congratulations.”
For more information on the program, including how to enroll, go here.
