Success — Lives Transformed

Roxana Villeda — A GED and an Office Skills Certificate changes lives...

Roxana Villeda, Graduate from CET Alexandria's Automated Office Skills class, expresses her thanks:

"I cannot express how important it was for me, a single parent, to have a program like CET. When I lost my job, I felt lost, abandoned and I didn't know what to do. I wanted my kids to be proud of me and to see me in a good job; I didn't want to clean toilets or work in fast food, but I had no hope because I was a school drop-out and had no skills. CET helped me get my GED, and the skills I needed to succeed in the working world. The financial assistance I received from State of Virginia was a blessing; thanks to this program, I was able to attend CET even though I had no money to pay for training."

Roxana came to CET in December, 2001, after being laid off from her job at a local graphics company where she had worked for 5 years, progressing to a role as a graphics technician, with good pay and benefits. When the company shut down, she knew as a mother of two, that she would need something to improve her resume—she needed job training. She enrolled in Alexandria's CET Automated Office Skills program. Determined to succeed, she also volunteered in the CET office to enhance what she was learning in the classroom. After completing the GED exam, she graduated from the Automated Office Skills program in July, 2002 and was employed even before she graduated, working on a 6-month contract with Verizon. When the Verizon contract finished, she leveraged her advanced office skills, bilingual abilities (Spanish/English) and strong work ethic, to land another job as a receptionist at a local health clinic. Recently, when CET had an opening in their admissions office, Roxana sent her resume, and is now working at CET Alexandria as an Admissions Advisor. Her special understanding of issues students face enables her to meet with prospective students and make them feel welcomeS.being a single parent who overcame difficult times, helps them know that they can succeed as well.

Roxana is very thankful for her experience at CET; "Now, I feel like I did something for myself and my children. I can encourage them to finish school and they won't say "Mommy, you didn't finish school." CET helped me succeed because I graduated from my class and I passed my GED test, thanks to Mr. Randall, my instructor. At CET, people always believed in me and in what I was able to accomplish. Now, I have my GED, office skills certificate and a good job, and I can help other people discover that they can succeed too."

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