Perseverance Pays Off for Local Teacher

In 1984, at the age of 21 I arrived in San Jose as a Cambodian refugee from the Philippines Refugee Processing Center. Five months later I moved to Modesto as a migrant worker picking fruits and vegetables. I realized that I could not live my life this way. There was no future for me. I needed to go to school even if I did not understand what the teacher might say. I decided to learn English to become an auto mechanic. When I tried to enroll at MJC, I had to pay a non-resident fee since I had been in CA less than a year. I could not afford it but this did not stop me. I had friends who were taking ESL classes at MJC so I went with them. I sat in in the back of the class every day as an observer, to learn English. When I was finally able to enroll I took general education and vocational classes to complete my GE and transfer requirements at the same time. I spent seven years at MJC and my effort paid off. I passed my GED test and received a diploma in 1987, graduated with an associate degree in auto mechanics in 1990, and transferred to Cal State Stanislaus in 1992. I received my bachelor’s in 1995, completed a teaching credential program in 1996, and started working for Modesto City Schools as a teacher in 1997. My two MJC instructors were not just teachers but counselors and listeners. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank Mr. Martin and Mr. Christopherson for helping me. Modesto Junior College provided me the opportunity to find who I am through the values of hard work and honesty. My wife and I have three wonderful children and our oldest son attends MJC. I tell my sixth grade students “you can find success before work only in a dictionary and if you graduate from high school and cannot afford to go to a four-year college MJC is the best place for you.” That is where I began my new life journey in America, the land of opportunity.

- Ry Kea, Class of 1992