Adriana Najera

Adriana Najera is a Cañada College alumna and aspiring social worker. Adriana is working towards a leadership position in which she can promote and encourage long-term stability for all families. Adriana shares, “I aspire to be an advocate of change for the disadvantaged and marginalized communities that I myself have grown up in.” 

 

 

Adriana has achieved her career goals through her personal motivation, work ethic and passion for her chosen career where she plans on making an impactful difference. Adriana recalls, “There were many times where I felt extremely overwhelmed with the demands of my education, employment and personal obligations. However, I feel that accomplishing my goals in my own time and disregarding the pressures of a specific timeline have helped me tremendously.” Adriana’s devotion to making a positive shift in her community can be seen through her current job where she works as a case manager at a homeless shelter. Because of this unique employment, Adriana assuredly feels she has and will continue achieving her career goals.
  
One of the biggest challenges Adriana faced during her scholastic journey has been learning how to navigate a college education. As a first-generation college student, Adriana had to decipher a foreign college language as seen through applications, financial assistance, and coursework. That said, Adriana expresses her appreciation for Cañada, as they have supported her when sought aid.
 
Cañada College supported Adriana during her college transfer through various career opportunities and the construction of a solid framework for her vocational goals. Adriana says, “Cañada is where I originally discovered my enthusiasm for encouraging children which then led me to realize my destined career path of helping families.” Adriana expresses gratitude, for the counselors as well as the teachers in the Early Childhood Education Department (ECE) who have been supportive through reassuring information about pursuing a higher education degree. The ECE program is designed to meet the needs of people planning a career working with young children and/or those who are already employed. The primary focus is caring for children from birth through school-age in professional settings. Adriana exclaims, “I am thankful for my initial educational upbringings and I am proud to say that I will be pursuing my Masters of Social Work (MSW) degree this fall!”
 
Adriana attributes her success to her parents, as her mom has always pushed her to pursue a solid education despite any obstacles in the way. Adriana shares, “My parents are my inner-voice that tell me to keep trying! I strive to make my parents proud because of the opportunities they have provided for me.” Adriana advises students with similar goals to herself to take advantage of all the opportunities presented. Also, get involved and create positive experiences within your community. Finally, expose yourself to a variety of perspectives and learn from unique people, for the best thing you can do is become a life-long learner!