Eufemia Castro works a tough full-time job in the hospitality industry, attends community college, volunteers at Puente’s parent co-op, and raises two teenaged children with her husband. She’s a little busy. But when you ask her how she’s doing, she’ll smile and say, “I’m having the time of my life!”
Half a lifetime ago, Castro was a 17-year-old mother with a newborn, living in her home village in Guanajuato, Mexico. The life she’s living now – speaking fluent English, pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education as a committed student on the campus of Cañada College – would have been inconceivable to her then.
Sure, there have been many hardships. But her one abiding passion in life, outside of her family, is pursuing an education, learning for its own sake, and for the sake of her own potential future career.
“I’m never going to stop learning because I like it. I told my son, don’t be surprised if I graduate from college at the same time as you… because I deserve it!” laughs Castro, an earnest and confident woman in her mid-30s with an easy laugh and a quick wit.
That would be easy to believe about Castro, who was one of the first two students to earn a GED through Puente’s adult education program in 2014. She and Liliana Villalobos doggedly worked toward their GED for four years. Now they are students together at Cañada College in Redwood City, pursuing their Associates degrees.
In honor of International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8, Puente recognizes women like Castro. Her ambition, persistence, curiosity and vision for herself and her family are a powerful reminder for us all that anything is possible.
“She’s an example of a woman furthering her own education, working full time, taking care of her family, and pursuing a career. She has learned English. She’s a woman who’s doing it all,” says Rita Mancera, Puente’s Executive Director.
Castro has been advocating for herself from the earliest days.
“When I finished elementary school, I asked my dad if I could go further, because my teachers told me I was smart. But he wouldn’t let me. That’s why I only got the elementary school education,” recalls Castro.
In Mexico, she says, a girl like her was expected to eventually get married, have children and settle into raising them – not pursue higher education or a career. “He told me, ‘My boys didn’t go to school – why should you?’”
Castro has answered that question many times over. Even at 19, as a newly arrived immigrant, living in Salinas and picking lettuce for a living, Castro took English classes at night. She continued studying English after moving to Pescadero with her husband and kids. In 2002, she graduated from Puente’s ESL program and made the transition to a more advanced English language curriculum at Cañada College.
“Being in college was a completely different experience! And I liked it, because I felt like I was a real student,” she laughs.
When she outgrew her ESL classes at Cañada, she promptly started taking computer classes. Then she heard that Puente was offering students a path to obtain a GED. This was her chance to pick up where her elementary school years ended. Four years later, GED in hand, her study buddy Liliana suggested they both pursue classes in Early Childhood Education.
“As soon as I took my first ECE class at Cañada, I fell in love with it,” enthuses Castro. Her husband was supportive, and together, they arranged their family schedules to make it possible for her to find childcare on evenings when she comes home from work, preps dinner for the kids and runs off to school. Castro works full-time cleaning hotel rooms in Pescadero. Her husband is a cook at the same hotel. He often works a late shift, until 10:30 p.m.
Another “first” for Castro: At the suggestion of Arlae Alston, Puente’s Family Engagement Project Manager, Castro enrolled in a program to become an accredited in-house trainer within PITC, the Program for Infant-Toddler Care. To learn the curriculum, Castro accompanied Alston to a training conference in San Diego: her very first time on an airplane.
“The second time down to San Diego for the training, I took the bus,” she laughs.
Castro is simultaneously getting real-life work experience in her future field. She volunteers as a teacher’s aide at Puente’s parent co-op. She loves working with the children, watching them learn and grow from week to week.
And true to form, Castro is already thinking about a four-year university degree after she finishes her Associate degree. She warns her kids – now aged 15 and 17 – that they have to do even better than her in their academic careers.
“I always tell my kids, look at how I am now. You have the opportunity to be somebody bigger than me. If I get a degree from a four-year college, you have to get a master’s degree!” she says.
Castro has also advocated for her son to follow a 4-year university path. I have told him, ‘Mijo, you’ve always told me you wanted to go to a university.’
Then they met with Lizeth Hernandez, Puente’s Education Director. She agreed that Isaac had a good chance of being admitted to several universities. Ultimately, Isaac applied to eight California State Universities. As of this writing, he has gotten into at least two – San Francisco State and Cal State Monterey Bay.
Now the mother really will be able to graduate from university at the same time as the son.
“This country has a lot of opportunities. They are there. And you need to search for them. My father grew to be proud and supportive of me and the expectations for my daughter are so much different from when I was a little girl,” says Castro.
“I hope my story inspires other moms who may think they have only one choice, to be a mom. They can also become teachers or nurses, or anything they want. Anything is possible. It takes time, it takes a lot of support. But it’s possible.”
With your support, more women like Eufemia can pursue their education and advocate for their families. Please donate now.
La historia de una mujer desde México hasta el autodescubrimiento
Eufemia Castro trabaja duro en la industria de la hospitalidad, asiste a un colegio comunitario, es voluntaria en la cooperativa de cuidado infantil de Puente y cría a dos hijos adolescentes con su esposo. Ella está un poco ocupada. Pero cuando le preguntas cómo está, sonríe y dice: “¡Estoy pasando el mejor momento de mi vida!”
Hace media vida, Castro era una madre de 17 años con un recién nacido, que vivía en su pueblo natal en Guanajuato, México. La vida que está viviendo ahora- hablando inglés con fluidez, tomando cursos de Educación Infantil como una estudiante dedicada en Cañada College, hubiera sido algo inconcebible para ella en ese momento.
Claro, ha habido muchas dificultades. Pero su única pasión en la vida, fuera de su familia, es seguir su educación, aprender por sí misma y por el bien de su propia futura carrera.
“Nunca voy a dejar de aprender porque me gusta. Le dije a mi hijo, no te sorprendas si me gradúo de la universidad al mismo tiempo que tú … ¡porque me lo merezco!” Se ríe Castro, una mujer sincera y confiada de unos 30 años con una sonrisa fácil y un ingenio rápido.
Eso sería fácil de creer acerca de Castro, quien fue una de las primeras dos estudiantes en obtener un GED a través del programa de educación para adultos de Puente en 2014. Ella y Liliana Villalobos trabajaron obstinadamente para obtener su GED durante cuatro años. Ahora las dos son estudiantes en Cañada College en Redwood City, persiguiendo sus títulos de asociado.
En honor al Día Internacional de la Mujer, celebrado el 8 de marzo, Puente reconoce a mujeres como Castro. Su ambición, persistencia, curiosidad y visión para ella y su familia son un poderoso recordatorio para todos nosotros de que todo es posible.
“Ella es un ejemplo de una mujer que promueve su propia educación, trabaja de tiempo completo, cuida de su familia y sigue una carrera. Ella aprendió inglés. Ella es una mujer que lo hace todo,” dice Rita Mancera, Directora Ejecutiva de Puente.
Castro ha estado defendiéndose por sí misma desde los primeros días.
“Cuando terminé la escuela primaria, le pregunté a mi padre si podía ir más allá, porque mis maestros me dijeron que era inteligente. Pero él no me lo permitió. Es por eso que solo recibí la educación primaria,” recuerda Castro.
Castro también ha abogado por su hijo para ir a una universidad. Yo le digo, ‘Mijo, siempre me has dicho que querías ir a la universidad.’ Luego se reunieron con Lizeth Hernández, Directora de Educación de Puente, quien estuvo de acuerdo en que Isaac tenía buenas posibilidades de ser admitido en varias universidades. Finalmente, Isaac presentó una solicitud a ocho Universidades Estatales de California. Al escribir estas líneas, ha sido aceptado al menos a dos: San Francisco State y Cal State Monterey Bay.
Ahora la madre realmente podrá graduarse de la universidad al mismo tiempo que el hijo. “Este país tiene muchas oportunidades. Están allí. Y debe buscarlos. Mi propio padre con el tiempo me ha apoyado y se siente orgulloso de mi. Las expectativas para mi hija ahora son diferentes a cuando yo era chica,” dice Castro. “Espero que mi historia inspire a otras mamás que puedan pensar que tienen una sola opción, ser madre. También pueden convertirse en maestros o enfermeras, o lo que quieran. Todo es posible. Lleva tiempo, requiere mucho apoyo. Pero es posible.”
Con su apoyo, más mujeres como Eufemia pueden continuar su educación y abogar por sus familias. Por favor done ahora.
