After 20 years, San Jose mother pursues high school diploma alongside son

For Carmen Hernandez, the bustling sounds of the hallway are a constant reminder of a dream she had to put on hold two decades ago.
At 16, Hernandez moved from Mexico to San Jose, where she dropped out of high school after becoming pregnant. Now, 20 years later, she’s back, determined to finally earn her high school diploma.
“It’s been crazy… not easy, but after 20 years in this country, I found the courage to pursue higher education for myself and show my kids that we can do anything,” she told CBS News Bay Area.
This time, Hernandez isn’t just attending school for herself. She’s walking the same halls and sharing the same breaks as her youngest son, Daniel, at Escuela Popular in East San Jose.
The two are not only family but also schoolmates, supporting each other through their educational journeys.
“You can be with your kids. You could be in your class and go if something happens to your kid,” she added.
Escuela Popular, a school offering bilingual education in both English and Spanish, has become a lifeline for immigrant parents like Hernandez. The school’s public relations advocate, Karen Martinez, emphasized the importance of the program in supporting immigrant families.
“It really helps to boost themselves, why they came here…because the process of migration is so overwhelming. There’s hopes and dreams, and we work to ask them what those hopes and dreams are and help them reach those academic goals so they can achieve financial freedom,” Martinez explained.
At least 50 adults are currently taking classes for free at Escuela Popular. Many, like Hernandez, juggle full-time jobs while attending school. Some are even single heads of households.
The program, supported by the San Jose Evergreen Community College District, also provides parents the opportunity to continue onto higher education.
“It’s impactful because research that demonstrates that earning a college degree versus not having one can make a difference of tens of thousands of dollars in income annually,” said Beatriz S. Chaidez, Ed.D., Chancellor of the San Jose Evergreen Community College District.
According to a 2022 study by the Migration Policy Institute, adult immigrants who return to school have a 40% higher chance of securing better-paying jobs.
For Hernandez, returning to school is about more than earning a diploma—it’s about breaking the cycle of poverty and setting an example for her children.
“I’m very happy and excited because I never thought I would be able to do it. But this school has encouraged me to think that I can do whatever I want,” she said.
Carmen, along with dozens of other parents at Escuela Popular, is rewriting her future—one lesson at a time.