Rosemary Gallegos Martinez was 14 when she had her first son, Luis. Two years later, her second son, Daniel, was born. At the time, the Mission Hills, Los Angeles-area resident struggled to juggle high school with two jobs. She and her then boyfriend, now husband, Juan, were determined to be self-sufficient, to support themselves independently, not relying on welfare or their family members to care for their young family. Her husband also worked as many jobs as he could to support themselves and their two sons.
Times were tough and unfortunately, juggling two part-time jobs, — at a clothing store and a warehouse — and a new baby, Rosemary had to let something go: She ended up dropping out of high school.
Fast forward 27 years. This June, Rosemary, and her husband who have been together for almost three decades, celebrated the high school graduation of their youngest child, Alexander, 17, from John F. Kennedy High School in Granada Hills, Los Angeles.
At the same time, Rosemary, 41, is working her own way through high school at Five Keys Pacoima, located in the northern San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. A full-time student, currently in the unusual year of the COVID pandemic, Rosemary attends classes remotely through the independent study program and Zoom. She is also taking care of her mother who is undergoing cancer treatment.
Rosemary’s goal: to become a registered nurse. She plans to keep up the educational momentum and is exploring nursing school options for when she graduates high school.
“It was hard raising a child and also still being a child,” says Rosemary. “I tried to go to school at first, but it just didn’t work out for me. I went to work part-time at a clothing store and a few warehouses to support my son.
“We didn’t want to have to raise our children in our families’ homes, it just felt like it was more complicated so we both worked and cared for our kids. So, going to school was not really an option even though I did try to go back a couple times, but it just became too much,” she adds.
Thanks to Five Keys and her own determination and hard work, the dream Rosemary has longed for since was a young teenager is coming to fruition. She is especially grateful to teachers like “Ms. Nicole,” who are walking the journey at her side cheering her along.
“Ms. Nicole has shown me that I can do it,” says Rosemary. “Five Keys has made education and learning fun for me. If you do not understand something, all the teachers are there to help you.”
Most significantly, she says the teachers at Five Keys and her determination to graduate from high school, even if she had to wait until her three sons got their diplomas and have set their own course, have bolstered her confidence.
Ten years from now she hopes to have graduated from the College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, CA with a nursing degree and working for the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles.
“Going back to high school has given me the ability to dream and see that I will soon be able to live out my wish to be a nurse,” says Rosemary.