Linda Landeros had a comfortable life that was, by any measure, a success when Linda and her family relocated to Virginia from Texas for her husband’s job in 2021. She brought with her an item she wanted to check off of her “to do” list; completing her high school education. She searched online for local GED© classes and that’s how she connected with SVCC’s Adult Education program.
Linda had taken GED© classes in Texas. She didn’t find them very supportive or motivating. Her first phone call with Buffy Allgood, Regional Adult Education Program Manager, made her feel this time would be different. “From the moment I met her, she really made me feel I could do this quickly, like I could be a success. She made me feel I needed to do it for me,” Linda recalled. And that was the spark Linda needed.
She joined the program in May of 2022 and completed all four subject exams of the GED© within just ten months. “I was still traveling a lot and going back to Texas, so sometimes I had to miss classes.” Linda’s teachers say she always jumped back in with enthusiasm and was dedicated to her schoolwork. That, as it turns out, was Linda’s secret weapon. “I did some school work each day. Maybe it was only 30 minutes some days, but I always spent time on it.” She credits her supportive family, enthusiastic instructors, and Buffy for encouraging her. But it was her own commitment to achieve this milestone that made the difference.
Since completing her GED, Linda also finished the Entrepreneurship course with the Adult Education program and passed the U.S. Entrepreneurship Certification Examination recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia. She is contemplating her next steps and is considering bookkeeping and computer applications. She may be in a SVCC classroom very soon. Linda will bring her positive attitude and commitment into her next stage. Her advice, “Do the work. Apply yourself. It won’t be as hard as you think if you work on it.”
Linda Landeros takes a victorious selfie at SVCC after passing her final subject exam.