Excerpted from a letter to a Board member:

...I am a recent alumni of the Conejo Valley Adult School , I graduated in December 2009.

I was laid off in March 2009 from Pleasant Holiday's in Westlake Village due to the decline in the travel industry.  I was a computer operator and had been working there almost two years.... 

I signed up in the WIA program with EDD and was allowed to go back to school to increase my job skills.  I am very thankful to all involved with my continued education.  I have been working with computers for all my work life and it has been a dying out profession.  I was blessed to find the job above and my co-worker from 2nd shift was also let go (she had over 8 years with the company).  She was also in school with me.  We completed the Computerized Accounting Technician II program, which gave us experience in MS Office Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint, Accounting and Quickbooks. 

I now have the opportunity to find work in other fields and have more confidence in my abilities. 
I write this letter to you in behalf of my wonderful teachers and staff. 

This school has provided so much training and opportunities for so many, it is important to keep this institution running.  The community needs this school to stay open and to continue to provide training and support. 

The other special gift the school has provided is the blessing to have met wonderful people and develop close relationships with them. I am blessed that I made the choice to go to this school above all the others I interviewed with.

Excerpted from a letter to a Board member:

...The students [in my Computer Training Center program] are bright and eager to learn. There is no good reason why these individuals are not fully employed and realizing their professional potential. Retraining is, of course, a natural process. Done in an orderly fashion, it is often a very rewarding experience....[W]e feel very fortunate that our department and program does indeed supply us with a dedicated staff of educators and the most nurturing learning environment I have ever had the pleasure of participating in. I feel empowered by the experience and despite these difficult economic times, I now feel that I have acquired a skill-set, an expertise, that gives me a fighting chance to reclaim and even improve my position in the workforce.

...Anyone who joins this institution is well served. You, the Board Members of Conejo Valley Unified School District, have the ability to promote and facilitate the worthwhile goals of this institution and in particular the Computer Training Center at Conejo Valley Adult Education...

...The program at Conejo Valley Adult School is fabulous and a cut above all the others that were presented to me. I have recently been on two interview after a prolonged period of unemployment. I credit the new found interest to my upgraded skill set provided the program. Actually, the whole experience has brought me full circle; My mother, who recently passed away, attended ‘Blake Business School’ while she was unemployed in the 1970’s and trying to raise 4 children. She could not afford a sitter, so there were times that I was placed at a back table with crayons while she learned to type and take shorthand. I remember that the graduation music was Helen Reddy’s ‘I am Woman’, which was very apropos. I am so proud of her life’s accomplishments and her resolute spirit inspires me through these difficult times. It was the skills that she learned, in a very similar economic environment, that turned our family’s fortune from desperate to manageable. There are so many students in my class that reflect my childhood experience...."

Interviewed by B. Kane

Derek Diaz, who teaches classes in Adobe and Microsoft applications, enjoys every aspect of teaching, imparting his wealth of experience and knowledge to his students through practical lessons, which include teacher-created handouts, all of which students can use on a daily basis. Alleviating any intimidation or frustration that students might experience in using the computer is important to Mr. Diaz. In all of his daytime, evening and Saturday classes, he always strives to create a cutting-edge approach to his curriculum.

As a certified computer graphics applications technician, Derek possesses a diverse background, having worked for many different advertising agencies and the entertainment industry. He created graphics, signage and logos for commercial businesses, such as 31 Flavors Ice Cream, Washington Mutual and Vons. After being a graphic artist for 15 years, he found a rewarding job of teaching a Photoshop class in a trade school. He realized he loved teaching, then started teaching classes in Microsoft and Adobe applications at the college level and has done many corporate and civil service training seminars.

Mr. Diaz' interests and hobbies are as diverse as his work experiences. He enjoys taking pictures and editing them in Photoshop, hiking, snow skiing, and going to spinning, yoga and weight-training classes at the gym.

His father and two brothers live in the area and he enjoys spending time with them.