Oakland Nuns Help Young Adults Take Next Step In Education
OAKLAND (CBS 5) - The latest statistics show 40 percent of Oakland's high school students don't graduate. For those who try to get their GED later in life, there's help. Sharon Chin introduces us to this week's Jefferson Award winners; two women who've helped hundreds of adults take the "next step" in education.
When the Sisters of the Holy Names started a new ministry in 1994, their West Oakland neighbors were thrilled. Sister Cynthia Canning and Sister Rosemary Delaney made it their mission to help students 17 years and older improve their reading skills for GED programs and college applications. Today they are the co-founder of the Next Step Learning Center where they match about 100 students with 60 volunteers for free one-on-one tutoring.
"I didn't like school. I didn't go to school. I was a cut-up," said 19-year-old Nick Adams before stumbling upon the Next Step Learning Center. Thanks to Sister Cynthia and Sister Rosemary, Nick has a new outlook as a Laney College freshman.
Michole Edwards also came to the center as a 17-year-old high school drop out, but now three years later, she's not only studying for the GED, she plans on going to law school.
"Anything I want to do is possible," Michole says. "I can achieve my goals and dreams."
Sister Cynthia and Sister Rosemary raised more than two million dollars in grants and donations to buy their West Oakland center. Together as a team they are helping students step into success, which is indeed priceless. This week's Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Rosemary Delaney and Cynthia Canning.
For more information, visit nextsteplc.org.
