German Pugo is a June 2014 graduate of the East Shore Region Adult & Continuing Education (ERACE) program in Branford, Connecticut, and the first graduate to start in the ESL program and successfully transition to and complete NEDP to earn a diploma.
German and his brother arrived in the United States from Ecuador when German was seventeen. He wanted to enroll in high school but a language barrier and the need to support himself prevented him from enrolling at that time. He had left Ecuador and a college-educated family to come to this country. Because his family members all held college degrees, he relayed that he wanted to feel “equal to them.” He heard about ESL classes and decided to enroll to improve his English skills. After one-and-a-half years, German married and had a daughter, so he found that he needed to halt his education for the next four years. Following the birth of his daughter and then learning of a second child on the way, German realized his most intense motivation was his children. He knew that he could not encourage his children to do well in school if he did not have a high school diploma himself. In 2013 he heard about another program and found his way to NEDP.
German’s dedication and perseverance were particularly impressive and inspirational. He was determined to reach his goal of receiving his high school diploma, and he then set a new goal of a college education like the rest of his family. Congratulations German!