ABOVE: Riverland Community College presenter Miguel Garate, right, talks about student’s future options in Spanish while Translator Leticia Cordova, left, repeats Garate’s statements in English at a listening breakfast for multilingual learners Friday morning at Fairmont High School.

FAIRMONT – Every week since March, a bilingual learning breakfast has given Spanish and English-speaking students a chance to learn about life after high school.

Principal for grades 7 and 8 and Associate for grades 9 to 12, Brooke Schultz said there are currently around 80 English Language Learner (ELL) students at Fairmont High School. After four weeks of programs, she said word has spread and around 35 of the students attended Friday’s session.

“They’re getting an understanding of access to resources and what’s available to them,” Schultz said. “To feel that they’re supported and have a place where they can ask questions and hear about different opportunities.”

ELL teacher Abram Sepulveda said this program was created as a response to a pattern he and other school officials had recognized.

“We have many events and opportunities for all the students to learn,” Sepulveda said. “We realized a lot of the multilingual learners were not present at these events and were disengaged. We wondered ‘Why did this happen?’ All of these events were in English. They didn’t know what was going on. Now we’re including them in the activities and the information.”

Previous topics have included resources for medical care and the importance of graduating college. Already, Sepulveda said he has seen the benefits of this bilingual program.

“We had more students asking questions and pursuing different paths for their life,” he said. “We had someone sharing opportunities in Martin County, information about jobs and careers. After that, some students started thinking about, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t drop out, maybe I should continue and graduate from high school because there are chances for me to get a better job if I graduate.'”

This Friday, students heard from Riverland Community College representative Miguel Garate, whose message was translated into English by Leticia Cordova and Cristina Gonzalez.

Garate said having a good GPA is very important for getting into the college of your choice. At Riverland, Garate said they can help students who have lower GPA’s showcase their abilities.

“We can do an assessment test,” Cordova translated. “Sometimes kids, when they come in from high school, their grades weren’t the best toward the end of their school years. We do like an assessment and see where you’re at. They are good students, just their GPA was a little bit lower.”

Electrical, engineering and trucking are three programs Garate said have attracted attention. He said those who complete their CDL program can make around $75,000 a year.

While money can be an issue for many prospective students, Garate said students should apply because there is support funding out there.

“Right now we have the FAFSA,” Cordova translated. “That’s based on your parent’s current income. We also have programs for Dreamers and the North Star Promise.

PSEO courses were also encouraged. These classes can translate into college credits and turn two-year programs into one-and-a-half or one-year programs. Garate said there are even programs like their nursing assistant track where they can get a certificate in four weeks.

To finish the presentation, Garate mentioned that the Riverland College President is looking to make it a Hispanic Service Institute school.

“We’re seeing the job market right now for kids that are bilingual,” Cordova translated. “It is a high market right now. If you have a second language, then you get the opportunity [for] more money, because you have bilingual skills. You’re open to national and international communities.”