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News from |
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Michael
D. Chason Director
of Public Relations ABAC
30, 2802 Moore Hwy |
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For IMMEDIATE Release August 3, 2010
Gonzalez Took Long Road
to Education
TIFTON – Standing in the middle of a Georgia vegetable field with
the hot sun baking his very soul, Javier Gonzalez decided there had to be a
better life out there somewhere. Education opened the door.
“The biggest influence that
motivated me was hard work,” Gonzalez, the son of
migrant farm workers from Mexico, said. “Working in the heat in the summer and
below freezing temperatures in the winter changed my mind about receiving my
education.”
Now the director of the
High School Equivalency Program (HEP) and the College Assistance Migrant
Program (CAMP) at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Gonzalez didn’t even
have a high school education when he came to Georgia.
In fact, it was the work
ethic of his parents, Juan and Eustolia Gonzalez, that gave him the
impetus to pursue his General Educational Development Diploma.
“I try to emulate my
parents’ work ethic,” said Gonzalez. “They were always dedicated to any work
that they did and always encouraged us to do better.”
The decision by Gonzalez to get an education came with more
than one bump in the road.
“The greatest obstacle was
breaking away from the norm,” said Gonzalez. “I was the first of nine children to
attempt higher education. In the Hispanic culture, the family
is the
main focus of the group with little regard for the individuality of each
member. It was difficult for my parents to accept at first, because
of the loss of income, but when they realized that getting my GED was best for
me and the family in the long term, they were very supportive.”
After Gonzalez received his GED, four of his brothers
followed suit and three more graduated from high school. His siblings are now
spread out across the world, working in a number of different fields.
Gonzalez is also reaching to others in his position as President of the National HEP/CAMP Association, working closely with the Office of Migrant Education and spending time in Washington, D.C., lobbying on behalf of the Association to increase funding for HEP and CAMP programs nationwide.
After receiving his GED, Gonzalez turned to the University System of Georgia, receiving a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Georgia Southern University and a master’s degree in Education Leadership from Columbus State University. He also earned English as a Second Language certification from the University of West Georgia and an education certification in Spanish Education K-12 from Georgia Southwestern State University.
Gonzalez worked as an adolescent outreach-resource specialist for the Marion County Board of Education and as an adolescent outreach specialist at the Chattahoochee-Flint Regional Educational office, both a part of the Georgia Department of Education’s Office of Migrant Education. He then joined the ABAC staff in 2003 as Director of HEP and CAMP.
“The College Assistance Migrant Program
assists migrant first-year college undergraduates,” Gonzalez said. “The
program provides funds for tutoring, counseling, assistance with special
admissions, and some financial assistance to enable migrant youth to
successfully complete their first year of post-secondary education.
“Students also receive
assistance with securing financial aid resources to help with the remainder of
their undergraduate academic careers.”
Gonzalez said the High School Equivalency Program meets the special needs of migrant and seasonal farm workers and their dependent children by helping them to obtain the equivalent of a high school diploma and subsequently to gain employment or be placed at an institution of higher education or vocational training. It also helps them in the preparation and successful completion of the GED diploma exam.
The efforts of Gonzalez to assist migrant workers and their children have not gone unnoticed.
In 2009, he was selected by the U.S. Department of Education to serve as a team member of the Federal Negotiated Rulemaking Committee for Discretionary Grants as a non-federal negotiator. He was also chosen to participate in the 2010 University System of Georgia Executive Leadership Institute, which addresses the need for succession planning by identifying and developing high potential employees to equip them to become the next generation of exemplary leaders.
“I learned a lot about my leadership style, as well as the other participants’ styles,” Gonzalez said. “I can now better acclimate my leadership style to reflect others’ styles if the situation calls for it.”
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