Outstanding Senior Award
Annette Estrada graduated in May 2006 with her BA in Social Work and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Social Work at UNCG. She was awarded several scholarships and also was received the “Outstanding Senior Award” from the her department. She is the first member of her family to attend college and her success is a testament to her ability to overcome obstacles that for many other people would have been insurmountable.
Annette Estrada’s mother moved her family from Guatemala to Boston, MA, where she raised her five children by herself on a domestic’s income. The family lived in Dorchester, a predominantly black Boston neighborhood with a small Hispanic population. Listening to Annette speak, you hear echoes of all these different cultures.
Spanish was the language of Annette’s home though her elementary school education was bilingual. This worked well for her but when she entered middle school the bilingual education ended. “That is when I began to have problems. It was hard to participate; I wouldn’t read out loud.” There was not only the language barrier but Annette also had a speech impediment. “I have always stuttered and my school did not have a speech therapist; nothing was done. I didn’t like school at all.”
Started Skipping School
Her unhappiness led eventually to her skipping school. ”It increased over time until in the 10th grade I was skipping all the time. I did so poorly that I couldn’t graduate with my friends. I had to go to summer school to make up for all the cut classes. I remember the day I finally got my diploma, my mother and I cried. It wasn’t because of happiness; it was because of what had been missed.”
Annette followed the same path as her friends after graduation and began working full time for a caterer in a decent paying but essentially dead end job. The culture she grew up in expected graduation from high school but not the pursuit of higher education. However, her sister began to encourage her to take courses at the community college and after a year in the work force the idea appealed to her.
“I really shouldn’t have graduated from high school. There was so much I didn’t learn. I wasn’t prepared at all to go to college but I decided to give it a try. My sister thought I should major in Computer Science because of the good paying jobs. Math, however, is not a strength of mine.”
Does Well at Community College
After a shaky start and a change in major, things slowly improved. In 1999 she met her boyfriend Desmond, who was planning on a teaching career. “He encouraged me and motivated me to focus on my education. He challenged me to do well.”
It wasn’t easy working fulltime and going to school at night. “I could only take one or two classes a semester but in a way that was good. Taking fewer classes helped. I was able to concentrate on each class and make good grades.”
After six years, Annette graduated in May of 2002 with her AA in Liberal Arts.. “Graduation really pumped me up, it made me feel like I could actually be a student.
It was quite a celebration. Everyone was at the ceremony, all my sisters, my nieces and nephews, and my Mom.”
After graduation, Annette made the difficult choice to leave Boston. “I needed some independence - I was still living at home and I felt a little stuck.” Desmond had moved to Greensboro to teach high school and she decided to join him. “The move was a good idea. It kept me focused, but it wasn’t easy. I missed my family, especially my Mom. I had no friends here, and it took a long time to find a job.”
Majors in Social Work
Annette thought about attending NC A&T but decided on UNCG. “UNCG has such a pretty campus and the people were incredibly friendly and helpful.” She also committed to a major in Social Work, a profession that resonated with her own experience.
“My mother raised five kids by herself. We were helped by the Department of Social Services and I can remember being impressed by how helpful and kind the social workers were.”
Even more important to Annette was the help she received from a school social worker who counseled her about her school problems. “She worked with me and tried to help. She encouraged me to share my problems with her and she made me realize how much of an impact just listening could have. The experience stayed with me.”
“I have done well in college mainly because Social Work is so important to me. It makes sense to me, it clicks, it is what I want to do. And because I want to succeed at Social Work, I have the determination to succeed at the required courses outside the major.
“My weak background from high school still makes things difficult for me but I have developed a system that helps me succeed. I arrange my schedule so that I only have one or two tough courses during a semester. A calendar is a great way to manage time. And I take advantage of the resources available at UNCG – especially the tutoring, and the Writing Center.”
“Study groups are a big help for me. The sharing of opinions, active discussion – it all helps makes sense of the subject. Because I was so lost in middle and high school, I know very little of the history of much of what we talk about. The group discussions help fill in this background for me.”
“One other thing that helps is to take a break. Even when things are very busy, I still find time to lollygag. I may kick myself later but it is important to have a breather. I’ll talk to friends on the phone, watch Oprah – anything to relax a little.”
She also takes advantage services provided outside of UNCG. Vocational Rehabilitation Services here in Greensboro arranged for a therapist to help her with her speech impediment. “They helped me realize that I am always going to stutter, accept it and resolve not to let it prevent me from speaking out.”
With additional support from Davis Lee, her UNCG Disability Services counselor, she was able to put her new resolve into action and was a featured speaker at her departmental graduation ceremony. “That was a really big moment for me.”
Annette is focused now on completing her master’s. “ I think my background and my speech impediment will be assets in my profession; it will help clients relate to me. And I hope my success will show people the possibilities that exist for them.
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Page updated: 06-May-2009
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