At 43, Laura Moncada has realized a dream that she put aside for more than 26 years — she received her high school diploma at Santiago Canyon College.
Selected to be the Continuing Education Exemplary High School Graduate speaker at this year’s commencement, Moncada says the diploma symbolizes her determination to rewrite her story.
She was born and raised in Santa Ana, and because her parents were deaf, the whole family learned American Sign Language. “It was the primary language in our household,” Moncada said. She and her two siblings became translators for their parents at an early age.
With no required accommodations for deaf people at that time, such as sign language interpreters in public services, life was difficult for Moncada’s parents. “We experienced a lot of discrimination, and back then there weren’t ADA laws to protect my parents,” she said, referring to the Americans with Disabilities Act which made discrimination against those with disabilities, including the deaf, illegal. “I remember seeing the discrimination and having to become not just a voice for them, but their advocate.”
Then her father lost his job. Though he was a skilled machinist, no one would hire him because he was deaf, and the family struggled to keep a roof over their head.
“At the age of 16, I had to make a decision to help my family financially because my dad had gotten laid off,” Moncada said. “I decided to drop out of high school and go to work. And that’s what I did for my family.”
She got jobs at pizza restaurants in Santa Ana and was trained to work at Wells Fargo.
But throughout two decades, she never forgot about her desire to finish high school.
“For 26 years, I carried the thought of what it would have been like,” Moncada said. “There was the lingering question — is it too late for me? Did that chapter pass me by?”
Moncada married and had three daughters, the youngest of whom, now 10, was born with complex medical conditions, including epilepsy, and required surgery when she was just 1 year old.
“I became a parent of a special needs daughter,” Moncada said. At almost the same time, Moncada’s mother had a stroke and required constant care. Though Moncada had worked hard to achieve a high-level administrative job at a local hospital, she made a difficult decision. “I decided to leave my career and take care of my mother and my daughter.”
The caregiving clarified Moncada’s life passion: She wanted to be a nurse. She attempted to get her high school diploma several times, but “life just pulled me away,” she said.
Then, last summer, she signed up for online classes at SCC’s Division of Continuing Education. “I knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but I told myself, you know, I am not getting any younger, and I know the time’s going to pass anyway. So, with the support of my husband, my dad and my kids, I locked in and I completed two years of high school in two semesters.”
Her teachers appreciated having Moncada as a student. “She is bright and very capable,” said science instructor Samara Silva. “I admire her for all she has done and sacrificed to help her family — for her parents and her children.”
“Laura was wonderful to work with,” said math instructor Berenice Diaz-Escoto. “In our first class discussion, students reflect on strengths that can support their success. Laura mentioned having patience and a positive mindset, and she consistently drew on these strengths during the semester. She embraced each week’s lessons, ready to put in time and effort, even when she encountered challenges.”
Moncada received scholarships from the Irvine-based Waltmar Foundation and the SCC Continuing Education Scholarship Foundation. She is grateful for the support at SCC, particularly continuing education counselor Rosalba Hernandez, who helped guide Moncada every step of the way.
SCC’s Continuing Education program offers a wide variety of classes for adults to help them reach their goals, such as attaining a high school diploma or gaining workforce or technical skills.
“I am proud of where I’m at right now,” Moncada said. “I just knew that I wanted to rewrite my story, that I wasn’t finished yet.” She is on track to begin working toward her AA degree with the goal of becoming a registered nurse.
“I have this passion of wanting to help those in need, especially those who are special needs or in the deaf community,” she said. “I would really like to come full circle and give back in a clinical role as a nurse and save people’s lives.”