All the hard work is paying off for Rosa Rodriguez, a single mother in San Diego who, for far too long, was barely making ends meet. Thanks to San Diego College of Continuing Education, Rodriguez now has the skills that have been critical to thrive while working with the San Diego County Probation Department.

“I’m very grateful for all the support I had at San Diego College of Continuing Education. It has inspired me to make a positive impact,” said Rodriguez, 32.

It’s quite a turnaround for the San Diegan with a troubled youth who dropped out of high school and says she’s made more than one bad decision in life. Her fortunes turned after securing a GED and finding San Diego College of Continuing Education through a simple internet search. “I was just looking for ‘free typing classes,’ and learned about an office skills program at the Mid-City Campus,” she said. “I took a computer basics class and went from there.”

A single mom, Rodriguez utilized city buses to drop her children off at preschool, work part-time as a caregiver, and take classes at the Mid-City Campus. Her perseverance drove her to complete a series of courses that included word processing, spreadsheets, database systems and computer presentations, all of which were needed to earn an Administrative Assistant Certificate. 

Along the way, Rodriguez completed her Administrative Assistant Certificate, and found the confidence to apply for a job position with SDCCD to become acclimated to working in an office environment. That’s when she met Maureen Rubalcaba, the college’s Dean of Enrollment Services. 

“Rosa is amazing,” Rubalcaba said. “She has faced so many barriers and has always moved forward.”

During her journey, Rodriguez worked part-time as a Project Assistant for the college’s CalWORKs Department, Outreach Services, Rising to Success, and SDCEats! During her tenure with Outreach, Rodriguez coordinated tours at Continuing Education campuses for clients of Second Chance and the San Diego Rescue Mission, in addition to students at local high schools, all while serving as a part-time parent volunteer coordinator at a local elementary school. In 2022, her career continued its upward trajectory when she left the College of Continuing Education and accepted a position with the County of San Diego. 

Rodriguez is far from rich, but she and her sons are no longer cramped in a small studio apartment and can enjoy each other in a space of freedom and togetherness as they grow as a family. She’s now contemplating a longer-term career as either a probation officer or a correctional counselor.

“There are no words to thank the people who helped me change the course of my life,” Rodriguez said. “At the College of Continuing Education, I found not only the skills, but the motivation to keep on pushing forward no matter how hard life gets. I also met people who were facing the same struggles as I was. Continuing Education gave me the support through my unknown journey at the time. I didn’t know I was capable of learning and growing as much as I have. Don’t ever let inexperience stop you.”