For Jennifer Clark, school this fall feels like the 19th mile in a marathon. She is so close to the 26-mile finish line, but algebra, physical science and her own fears are threatening to trip her.
“This is really, really hard,” says the Novato resident. “But I’ve got to do it, I’ve got to show my kids that I can be more than just someone who had a lot of babies.”
There is no doubt that training/studying for her high school diploma has been beyond challenging at times.
Now 45, Clark dropped out high school her freshman year when she became pregnant with her first of eight children. The next few decades were not that kind. She’s struggled with debilitating depression and fought to survive through abusive relationships with one of her two husbands, and several of her children’s fathers. Clark was sent to jail for a week for fighting back during a domestic violence dispute — an incident that cost her her job as a certified nursing assistant at a home for the elderly and marred her record, making finding employment difficult.
But on June 10, 2019 exactly, a Five Keys Schools and Programs graduate told Clark about the program and she enrolled right away. Now, just 36.75 credits from achieving her high school graduation, she is determined to “hold my head high and skip across the stage,” to receive her high school diploma.
She attributes that feat to the compassion and coaching of her teacher, Mrs. Carla, at the Vallejo Five Keys location and the school’s principal, Ms. Rachel.
“My speech is going to be about one true teacher that has held it down and helped me and never ever given up on me,” says Clark. “And believe me, I’m a pain in the butt.”
She also is grateful for the patience and flexibility Mrs. Carla gave her in the classroom.
“Many times, I was so depressed and just wanted to give up, but she stood by my side and kept saying, ‘you can do this. You can’t let your dreams die.”
During her Five Keys schooling, Jennifer was given a certificate of graduation in 2017 by the Novato police department as a peer support substance abuse counselor, a role she says falls near and dear to her heart because her sister struggled with substance abuse and she is eager to help others.
These days, Clark says she hunkers down all day long every day studying for her degree online.
Throughout it all, she says she always kept her eye on the prize, her eight children — Anna Maria, 29, Rafael, 27, Rolando, 25, Miguel, 22, Rudy, 20, Samuel, 12, Hannah, 11, Jennifer, 9, and grandson, Gordo. Two of her youngest children are special needs, so she says she is a full-time mom and student. Any time she feels like quitting, she thinks of her family.
Clark says she knows how happy she will feel when she finishes. “I’m already thinking ahead to taking some college classes,” she says. “I want to do something in law enforcement. I really like helping people, especially when they are in trouble and need help. I still can’t believe I’ll be 45 when I finish high school. But hey, I finally am going to do it.”
