Today, Lilian Unger is a registered nurse working with cancer patients at Winchester Medical Center. But, when she came to the U.S. two decades ago, she spoke no English beyond the alphabet, some numbers and basic phrases like “How are you?” and “Good morning.”
In 2019, while looking for ESL classes, Unger discovered Laurel Ridge Community College’s Adult Education program, which provides free English, GED and civics classes.
“I knew that English was the first step I had to do to get my career started,” she said.
After completing her ESL classes, Unger, who is from Guatemala, went on to take GED classes, earning her GED six months later in May 2022.
“I loved my ESL and GED classes, especially the teachers,” Unger said. “They’re very supportive. I wanted to learn English because I wanted to be able to communicate with people here in the United States.”
She cited Sasha Dawson and Kelsey Torres as great instructors.
“They both were amazing teachers and mentors and I did enjoy every class I did with them,” said Unger. “I love to learn things. Being able to learn the language that I wanted to learn was the most exciting thing.”
She said some people give up on their English classes because they are expecting immediate results.
“But, learning a new language doesn’t happen overnight,” Unger said. “It takes time, commitment, patience and consistent practice.”
Adult Education Director Sharon Hetland described Unger, 45, as a model student.
“We’re very proud of you and we’re sure you will inspire other people to stick with it,” she said.
Unger studied business in college for two years in Guatemala. Before coming to Laurel Ridge she worked as a housekeeper for a long time. She also worked at Trex Co. for a year, but left to dedicate her time to studying for her GED classes. Unger, who became a U.S. citizen in 2022, also knew she wanted to earn a college degree.
“I did work in a nursing home, which is kind of when I got the idea to become a nurse,” Unger said.
She spent a year taking prerequisite courses and enrolled in the Registered Nursing program in 2024, earning her degree in May 2026. Unger received the GED Scholarship, and the Elsie B. Tracy Endowed Scholarship to assist with her tuition costs. Remaining tuition costs were picked up by G3 funding.
“I ended up paying nothing for my nursing degree,” Unger said. “Laurel Ridge has a lot of opportunities and a lot of scholarships that we can use.”
Recently retired Professor Jan McLaughlin, who she had for a couple of Anatomy and Physiology classes, was a favorite.
“She’s an amazing professor,” said Unger. “I love her. During nursing school, I always looked for her upstairs [in the Science and Health Professions Building] to go say hi. She’s so calm and she was really proud of me.”
Nursing professors Kathryn Regula, Kellie Anderson and Elizabeth Marshall also stood out to Unger.
“They’re great professors, great nurses,” she said.
While at Laurel Ridge, Unger was in the TRiO program, which provides additional service and support to students who are first-generation college students, have a documented disability or are low income.
“It was helpful because I was able to make free copies for homework or study guides for exams, and if I needed any help from them, I could ask,” she said.
She described her nursing classes as really hard, but the outcome as very fulfilling. She is in the midst of three months of training in oncology at Winchester Medical Center.
“I think being a nurse is great,” Unger said. “Being able to help patients when they need us the most is such a rewarding experience. I love hands-on care and being able to make a difference for my patients. I also bring compassion, kindness, and my heart to everything I do.”
She wants to get her chemotherapy certification and has plans to earn her bachelor’s degree, but wants to take about a year off of classes to spend more time with her husband and her two children. Her son, Miguel Padilla, is a Laurel Ridge student studying engineering.
“My husband and children were very supportive,” Unger said. “When I was stressed out about classes or tests or anything, they were my rock. I’m very proud of them, too.”
She said she shares the many opportunities Laurel Ridge has to offer, especially with other members of the Hispanic community and non-English speakers.
“I always talk about the classes with my community, especially that they need to learn English and this is a great opportunity that Laurel Ridge and Adult Education give to us,” Unger said. “We can do it. We can do everything if we work hard. I think the college is helpful for us if we want to have a career, if we want to grow a life, if we want to learn English, if we have to have a certificate in something. The college has great opportunities for us.”