吃瓜头条 sees everything right with 74-year-old retiree Eligio Garcia Villarreal Jr. taking a noncredit computer class en route to becoming a trained photographer.
The college wants others to replicate the journey of 57-year-old Reza Aliakbar, a longtime restaurant manager, who aced noncredit medical assistant training before completing coursework to become an emergency medical technician (EMT).
Both men wanted more education after years away from school. Both started with free noncredit courses at 吃瓜头条 to improve their skills. Both eventually began taking credit classes and pursuing certificates and degrees.
Easing more students onto the same path is a goal written into the college鈥檚 Educational Master Plan.
鈥湷怨贤诽�, which is also a member of the , is strengthening pathways from noncredit to credit programs to better serve adults seeking career changes or lifelong learning,鈥� said John Albano, Dean of Business, Adult Education & Noncredit.
鈥淏y aligning educational offerings with regional workforce needs, expanding bridge and transition programs, and collaborating with local employers, the college is ensuring that adult education directly supports job readiness and economic mobility.鈥�
It also moves real people toward academic fulfillment.
鈥淚 used to dream I was in college, and I was worried I鈥檇 be so far behind,鈥� Villarreal said. 鈥淚 would dream about finishing. Now I鈥檓 the only one of my siblings to graduate from high school and from 吃瓜头条.鈥�
Yes, You Can
Villarreal now has an AA in Art with an Emphasis in Photography. He鈥檒l complete a second AA, and graduate with his eldest daughter Madalena Villarreal, next spring. What a joy it has been for him to finally have time to study, and see his three daughters do the same.
It鈥檚 quite an evolution for the Texas native who began working in the fields at age 5, missing half of each school year to help support his family.
鈥淢y education was always put on hold until the crops were picked,鈥� Villarreal said. 鈥淚鈥檇 start school late, and the teachers never had time to help me catch up. I did my best to keep up by giving 100% effort in everything.鈥�
When his family moved to Firebaugh when he was 11, he could finally attend school fulltime, then work the fields each summer.
Villarreal graduated from Le Grand High School in 1971 and enrolled at 吃瓜头条, but a motorcycle accident forced him to withdraw. Other medical challenges and raising a family pushed college further from his reach.
Still, Villarreal bided his time for nearly 50 years, while his adult daughters thrived. Madalena is a double major at 吃瓜头条, Moniqua is the lead pharmacy technician with Golden Valley Health Centers, and Melinda is a CSU Stanislaus graduate with three degrees. Villarreal says they challenged him: 鈥淕o back, Dad. Go!鈥�
During the pandemic, he reenrolled in a computer class. He struggled to learn how to attend class remotely via Zoom, but noncredit instructor Olga Murillo reviewed each step until he could manage it easily. Then he began mentoring others.
After taking several classes, Villarreal was eager to study his first love鈥攑hotography鈥攊n for-credit classes.
鈥淚 love taking pictures,鈥� Villarreal said. 鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to learn how to do it well.鈥�
Villarreal is being humble. Self-taught, he has photographed weddings, quincea帽eras and other events, for years. He even develops his own film in his home dark room.
Learning the technical aspects of photography in college has changed his life.
鈥淪earching for the right image is pure happiness for me,鈥� Villareal said. 鈥淚 have all of this free time, but I can keep my mind busy. And I am making something of myself. Like Cesar Chavez always said, 鈥楽铆, se puede!鈥欌��
Don鈥檛 Stop Me Now
Reza Aliakbar was self-motivated when he returned to school. He started the noncredit medical assistant pathway at the BRC to change careers and almost immediately knew it wouldn鈥檛 be enough.
Aliakbar had worked in restaurants for over 15 years. While rebooting his career, he spent 12 months learning front office and then interior medical office operations. He loved it, but realized that medical assistants have a limited scope of care. He wanted more responsibility. He studied his options.
鈥淚t seemed like the medical assistant and EMT programs would go hand-in-hand in terms of learning,鈥� Aliakbar said. 鈥淪o I have been working to become an EMT. But when I was finishing my training, my instructors were so impressed they pushed me to try the paramedic program here. I鈥檓 working to get into that right now.鈥�
The Merced native is working just as hard to hone the compassion and professionalism needed to thrive in health care.
鈥淒ealing with people in situations when they鈥檙e hurt or sick or suffering some stress, people can get so upset,鈥� Aliakbar said. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 a child, a parent, or anyone else, you have to learn how to adjust to that.鈥�
He encourages anyone, younger or older, wanting to enter the medical field to start with the free medical assisting courses to gain a base of knowledge, and then keep going.
鈥淭he instructors on both sides, medical assisting and EMT, are just fantastic,鈥� Aliakbar said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e extremely knowledgeable and extremely encouraging and accommodating if you have any issues. They really help you overcome your obstacles to achieve your certification.鈥�
Don鈥檛 Stop Believing
According to Karla Narvaez-Flores, Manager of Adult Education & Noncredit Programs, 吃瓜头条 is doing even more this semester to help students.
The college revamped its basic computer class, now known as Essential Computing and Digital Technology, for 2025-26. The class now focuses on the basics of the internet, websites, email, artificial intelligence tools, applications like Zoom, and cloud file storage, that can help people succeed in daily life and in remote work.
This fall, the college also began giving guided tours for students at the BRC. For example, medical assisting students are taken by bus to the Allied Health Building at the Main Campus, where they have lunch and are given all the information they need to go from medical assisting to the certified nursing assistant (CNA) program.
Narvaez-Flores said the college will also bring departmental experts to the BRC to discuss different majors. Industry experts will visit to talk about local job prospects. Academic counselors will share how students can earn credit for job skills they may already have.
Adult ed and noncredit courses are the great equalizer. They鈥檙e free. Enrollment is open and ongoing. You can attend classes to learn truck driving, medical assisting, English, office technology and more. Students only need to be 18 years old to start.
鈥淪ometimes we get people who come to ask about classes,鈥� Narvaez-Flores said, 鈥渁nd we ask them, 鈥楥an you stay? We have a class starting right now!鈥欌��
Most adult learners who come in are trying to clear an emotional hurdle.
鈥淢aybe they鈥檝e listened too much to bad comments saying it would be a waste of time,鈥� Narvaez-Flores said. 鈥淲e have to be louder than those comments. We have to remind them, 鈥楾here are no grades. You can鈥檛 fail.鈥� We have to be very approachable and as flexible as possible.鈥�
Lean On Me
Murillo, who has taught at the college for five years, said most of her noncredit students are elderly. Her oldest student drove to classes in Atwater at the age of 100.
鈥淭he man just passed away at 103, but he was so eager to learn,鈥� Murillo said. 鈥淚 say, 鈥業f he can do it, so can you.鈥�
鈥淭here are no excuses. So many come in afraid of doing homework and earning grades. Eligio was, too. When I mentioned taking for-credit classes, I told him, 鈥榊ou don鈥檛 have to stop here.鈥� Now he shares with me the photography projects he鈥檚 working on. I am so proud of him.鈥�
Murillo now witnesses that transition more and more.
鈥湷怨贤诽� offers so many classes that are stepping stones,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 always tell my students, 鈥榊ou don鈥檛 have to stay with me forever. You鈥檙e a bird. You have to fly!鈥欌��