When his previous credentials weren’t recognized in the United States, Andres found another way forward through his GED, professional certification, and a new career path.
“I needed a new path to continue my education and move forward.”
— Andres
Andres already had an academic background when he arrived in the United States. What he didn't have was a way to use it.
He discovered that the credentials he had earned in his home country weren't accepted, leaving him unsure how he could continue his education.
“It was difficult to find a place where I could continue my studies,” Andres said. “Without recognized educational credentials, many opportunities were out of reach.”
The answer he eventually found wasn't to abandon his education.
It was to take a different route.
That route brought Andres to Project Learn, where he began working toward his GED.
He moved through the process quickly, but that didn't make it effortless.
“It required dedication and hard work, but completing my GED gave me confidence and showed me that I could achieve my goals when given the right opportunity and support.”
— Andres
For Andres, earning the credential mattered because of what it allowed him to do next.
He could continue his education.
And he did.
After earning his GED, Andres enrolled in a course to become a certified medical interpreter.
He completed the certification and found work as an interpreter.
One step had created access to another.
“Education has opened many doors for me.”
— Andres
Andres continued working as an interpreter while pursuing other opportunities for professional growth. More recently, he shared that he is in training and balancing the demands of his current job responsibilities.
Looking back, the progression is clear to him: GED, professional certification, employment, and continued career development.
“I am most proud of earning my GED and using it as a foundation to become a certified interpreter and build a successful career path in the United States,” he said.
His GED wasn't where his education ended.
It gave him a way to keep going.
There is another part of Andres's experience that has stayed with him.
It isn't about a class, test, or certification.
It's about how he remembers being treated.
“Throughout my career, I have had many jobs, but I have never been treated with as much respect, kindness, and support as I was at Project Learn.”
— Andres
Andres remembers the people behind that experience by name: Marquita Mitchell, Paul Crosby, Edna Moore, Jackie, and Myra Walker.
“They all helped me so much and made my life much better,” he said.
For someone who had struggled to find a place where he could continue his education, that support mattered.
Andres now has his GED, a professional certification, experience working as an interpreter, and a career that continues to develop.
The path wasn't the one he originally expected.
But it gave him somewhere to go next.
Andres knows there are other adults wondering what to do when the path they expected doesn't work out.
His advice is straightforward.
“Take the first step and don't give up.”
— Andres
Education, he says, can create opportunities that once seemed out of reach.
His own story started with needing another way forward.
He found one.
