Rio Salado College Avondale

Robin Ashley - HSE

Robin Ashley is a student in Rio Salado’s AACE Program (Adults Achieving a College Education).

“I am a recovering addict," said Ashley. "I spent a lot of years wasting my life. I got clean five years ago and decided then that I wanted to live life, not just exist. I learned to live life on life’s term and after a few years I decided to get my GED at Rio Salado.  My kids know the old me and now they know the new mom. I just want to set a better example than I used to be.

"Once I got my GED…I got excited about my future. I started dreaming bigger and knew that only I can be the creator of my life  I am going back to school to earn my college degree and I am - for the first time in my life - proud of myself. I learned the hard way that life is what you make of it. You can only get out of it what you put in.”

Ashley has progressed in her personal life and her professional life. Since graduating with her GED, she has been accepted in AACE classes, which she is working on completing. She is also working her dream job at a Real Estate Investment Company and hopes to advance with the company after earning a degree.

Reynaldo Tellez - HSE

Reynaldo Tellez received his GED after attending classes at Rio Salado College. “I would someday like to be a counselor and to assist adults who have lost confidence in themselves as I did once," said Tellez. "My goal would be to instill in them all the dreams and potential they have to offer.

"I am now in my late 40s and have come to the realization that I want more out of life. I have begun to dream again and I realize that I am not too old to go back to school.”

Tellez finds strength from his own experiences and from the hope that he plans to pass onto others who may have also lost their way. He is actively involved in church, attends college through the AACE Program and has been working in his field for over 20 years. He is looking forward to what lies ahead.

Tellz has made quite the impression on his classmates and his instructors. When he was in GED® classes, he was known for his persistence and for his positivity. He helped others to see that change is possible and continues to work towards these goals in his AACE classes.

Ines Calva - ELAA

Ines Calva came to the United States from Puebla, Mexico, in 1999. At 17 years old, she wanted to go to school, but was told that she could not because of her age. Calva eventually learned about an ELAA program in California, which she started, but did not complete.

She became depressed, negative and angry, she said. She thought about ending her life. One day, however, her mother helped soothe her emotional pain, and not long after that, while attending church, she was asked attend a weekend church retreat. She did not know what to expect from it, but decided to attend the retreat where she began to explore new things. She became intent on looking for happiness and a new approach to her life.

The retreat had a huge impact on her life and her Christian belief increased. The experience opened her mind and heart to what was really important to her. She learned about Rio Salado College in Avondale while reading the newspaper one day. She decided to go there and enroll in classes.

“I want to better myself and increase my vocabulary skills,” Calva said.

Neptaly Zelaya – ELAA

Neptaly Zelaya came to the United States from Honduras in 1994 when he was 16 years old. His first job was at a discount dollar store where, at one point, he earned $20 a day working 12 hours.

Zelaya recalled his first day on the job when his boss asked him to go and buy water. Since he was new to the English language, he didn’t understand what his boss was asking. Zelaya mistakenly thought his boss was sending him to buy alcohol. In his country another word for alcohol is "guaro." This situation caused him to think hard about improving his English language skills and education level.

He  heard about Rio Salado College and decided he wanted to attend. A year later, he was enrolled at the school. After working a few years, Zelaya married, received his citizenship and started working as a truck driver. A few years after that, he and his family started a trucking company, United Express Transport Inc. Today, he has a second business. However, one thing he says he learned is that “No matter how many jobs you can get or how good the jobs are, everyone needs an education.“ He has five children and knows it takes hard work going back to school. His goals include finishing his ELAA studies, obtaining his GED, and taking college courses to become a computer technician.