Vanessa Smith’s journey to success has been rough. At the age of two, Vanessa was abandoned by her birth parents. As a result, she grew up in different foster homes. By middle school, Veassa was heading down a precarious path. During high school, Veassa’s grades plummeted and she had to repeat the 10th grade twice. In the 11th grade, she dropped out of school completely. As she states, “My mind frame wasn’t where it should have been. I was so into pleasing the world that I forgot about me.” Shortly after dropping out of school, Veassa gave birth to a child. Without even a high school education, Veassa could not find any jobs that paid enough to provide for her and her son, so she enrolled in the CalWORKs program.
Through CalWORKs, Veassa had the chance to pursue the education she had once left behind. CalWORKs referred her to CACE, where Veassa enrolled in the GED program, American Office class and Career Center. With help from her teachers and counselors, Veassa determined the career pathway she wanted to follow and received the support she needed to achieve her academic and career goals. In November 2010, Veassa earned her GED certificate. With a clear understanding of what she needed to do next, Veassa enrolled at DeAnza Community College and is currently pursuing her AA degree in Child Development. Veassa’s dream is to own her own daycare center when she graduates.
Through CalWORKs, Veassa had the chance to pursue the education she had once left behind. CalWORKs referred her to CACE, where Veassa enrolled in the GED program, American Office class and Career Center. With help from her teachers and counselors, Veassa determined the career pathway she wanted to follow and received the support she needed to achieve her academic and career goals. In November 2010, Veassa earned her GED certificate. With a clear understanding of what she needed to do next, Veassa enrolled at DeAnza Community College and is currently pursuing her AA degree in Child Development. Veassa’s dream is to own her own daycare center when she graduates.