Today we will register a group of adult refugees for school. I am excited. They are excited. I am already receiving phone calls this morning from students who want to be sure they don’t miss the sign up opportunity this evening. We all know what a great opportunity they have here in America to go back and get their basic education. It’s a reminder to me of how some people take for granted their education.

Messick Adult School has an accredited adult ESL and education program that offers uneducated or partially educated adults a second chance. They offer a pathway for adults to obtain their GED which will be accepted in colleges and in the business world. Good English skills and a High School Diploma or GED is imperative to have in order to have a lot easier time finding work here in America. Finding work is a must for refugees to successfully resettle and to help them provide for their families. And “work” is exactly what refugees want to do. The refugees I have met are eager to give back to America as they are grateful to our country for bringing them into what feels to them like a safer place to live.

The registration process for non English speaking and non educated adults can be complicated. This is where Asha’s Refuge tries to help out. We transport refugees to the school in our personal vehicles because many refugees do not drive or have vehicles. It’d really be helpful if we had our own bus because we are making multiple trips and driving more than one vehicle. Once a group of refugees begin school they work well together to ride the city bus or figure out their own carpool. We sit with them as they complete the registration forms for the school. Our guidance is important today. We will help them through the processes of getting them into their school, tested for their appropriate level of classes, understanding of their test scores and then set up for a time frame and location of class that works best for their family. The whole process takes a few weeks of back and forth trips to the adult school. The Messick Adult School does the hard part though. We just help our refugee friends follow their lead. I think the Messick teachers are appreciative of our help because we are often more familiar with the refugee families and the dynamics of working with refugees.

We are very thankful for The Messick Adult ESL, Basic Education and GED program, supporters, staff and teachers. They have been truly a blessing to us.