ONLINE CLASS REGISTRATION

REGISTRATION IN THREE STEPS

Step 1. Fill out registration form online
Click below to fill out the registration form.
It will take 20 minutes to fill out the form. 
The registration form requires demographic information as per the NM Department of Education. 

​Step 2. Pay fee 
At the end of the form, you will find a link to pay the annual fee by credit or debit card. You can also pay via money order and send the receipt.
New students: $15 one time annual fee  

Step 3. Orientation and Assessment test
Test of Adult Basic Education will be conducted by instructors. 

​ACADEMIC CALENDAR

ONLINE COURSES
​SUMMER 2020 

May 4-7                      Early Bird/
                                    Returning Student Registration in class only
May 11-24                 Open Registration online 
May 27 and May 28  First day of classes
August 10-13             Last Week of Instruction
                                      Early Bird
                                      Returning Student Fall Registration in class
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FALL 2020
 
August 10- 14                   Early Bird/Returning Student                                                                 Registration in class
August 17, 18                    Regular Registration 
August 19                           Regular Registration
September 7, 8                  Labor Day NO CLASSES
September 9, 10                First day of classes/Onboarding 1
September 14, 15             Onboarding 2 in class
November 23 - 27             Thanksgiving week NO CLASSES
December 7 – 11               Last Week of Instruction
Plaza Comunitaria Literacy in Spanish

Literacy, primary and secondary education
DIgital Literacy

Computer skills
Carrer Pathways

AE Justice Grant
​Burlington English

THE TEAM

We are so proud of the dedication and professionalism of our team

Kris Degenhardt
Director

Kris grew up on the east coast and has spent over thirty years in adult education.  He has taught in many diverse classrooms and worked with immigrant and refugee students as well as students in corrections and returning citizens. 
Kris came to the Center for Educational Opportunity at Catholic Charities from the University of Vermont. Kris loves working with teachers and students in adult education.  When not working, he enjoys cooking, the works of James Baldwin and his five amazingly special small rescue dogs.

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Paulette Atencio
ESL and Citizenship instructor

Paulette Atencio was born in Penasco, NM and also lived in Chama, NM for 39 years.  She is married and has two grown children and one grandson. Paulette has obtained an Associate of Arts, Bachelors and Masters in Curriculum Instruction with an emphasis in TESOL. She is a storyteller and published author of three books.
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Jackie Jones
ESL instructor

Jackie grew up in Colorado and made Albuquerque her home in 2013. She completed her undergraduate degree at Metropolitan State University of Denver and her master’s degree at New Mexico State University. She has taught every age from 1st grade to adults and was previously an elementary educator with Albuquerque Public Schools. Currently as an ESL instructor, she enjoys helping students explore their interests, furthering their skills with technology, and supporting them in their learning objectives. When Jackie is not working, she enjoys exploring the woods with her two young children and husband.

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 Maria Bustamante
ESL and Citizenship instructor

María T. Herrera Bustamante is currently an English As A Second Language, Citizenship, and Digital Literacy educator at Catholic Charities in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Maria is from Albuquerque's South Valley, the fifth of seven children born to Mexican parents.  She holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of New Mexico in Journalism and Mass Communication with a concentration in Advertising along with a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish.  Her energy and love for the arts has guided her to express herself through music, dance and theatre. Maria currently serves as a Board Member with the Albuquerque Theatre Guild.  When she is not teaching you might find her crafting a song, dancing to salsa, planning for a theatre production, or learning to cook Ghanaian cuisine from her partner as well as spending time with family.

 Dania Ammar
ESL and ACCUPLACER prep Instructor

Dania Ammar is a PhD student at UNM’s Rhetoric and Writing Program. She is passionate about helping underrepresented ESL students transition to and flourish at higher education, so that the journey of growth may never end. Dania supports students with academic reading and writing skills, passing the ACCUPLACER, and navigating CNM’s as well as UNM’s registration processes and resources. 

Tara Armijo-Prewitt
Program Assistant

Tara grew up in Albuquerque, graduated from Albuquerque High School, and later from the University of New Mexico before attending graduate school at the University of California Davis. Tara has worked in various roles in education since 2011 and is the current Program Assistant for the Center for Educational Opportunity. When not working, Tara enjoys bug hunting and exploring the outdoors with her husband and two sons.​




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Laura Nunez
ESL instructor

Laura grew up in Albuquerque. She received her Bachelor’s degree from UNM and her Master’s degree from San Diego State. Laura has been a Bilingual teacher and a Spanish teacher. She feels that her mission to teach immigrants is still being fulfilled. She is in a church choir and she enjoys Afro-Cuban dancing and the theater.

Aaron Cowan
ESL, Computer and Citizenship instructor

Aaron is a doctoral student in Learning Sciences, researching augmented and virtual reality teaching methods.  He has master’s degrees in Organizational Learning and Public Administration, as well as undergraduate degrees in mathematics, computer science.  He started teaching in math and science at West Mesa and Manzano High Schools.  He teaches in the School of Adult Basic Education and the Business Information Technology department at Central New Mexico Community College, where he served as a faculty senator and a union representative.  In his spare time he has acted in approximately 50 movies, TV shows, and commercials.  He has published several eBooks in the science fiction and humor genres.  He enjoys volunteering with the Animal Welfare Department, where he has adopted several cats and dogs, and has raised money for animal advocacy groups like the ASPCA.  He hopes to be able to enjoy travel again soon, and is working hard to improve his knowledge of Spanish, French, and Esperanto.  He is also politically active and has served as a precinct chair, primary delegate, and voter registration agent.  He teaches computing, HSE, and citizenship classes for Catholic Charities.​​

Philip Boese
HSE instructor

Philip is a retired high school chemistry teacher now working to serve students in less advantaged communities.  He attended Vanderbilt University and U of Alabama graduate school before teaching in public schools in California for many years.  He enjoys helping students bring their math and language arts skills up to high school equivalency level.  Away from work, he enjoys his family, wife, children and grandchildren, and practicing his Catholic faith.  
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Samantha Haas
Program Coordinator

Samantha came to Catholic Charities’ Center for Educational Opportunity from Wisconsin, where she was a high school science teacher and school administrator. She completed her undergraduate studies at Drake University in Des Moines, IA and masters degrees at Marquette and MSOE Universities in Milwaukee, WI. In her role at Catholic Charities, she coordinates a grant from the New Mexico Dept. of Higher Education’s Adult Education Division that seeks to provide job training and high school equivalency education to returning citizens.  When she is not working, Samantha loves exploring the outdoors with her husband. ​
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Juan Sanchez
HSE instructor

Juan Sánchez grew up in Cuba and migrated to the U.S. when he was 22 years old. He earned a B.A. in Philosophy and an M.A. in Religious Studies at Florida International University, in Miami. He joined Catholic Charities in January of 2018, where he currently teaches High School Equivalency. He enjoys road trips, movies, and books.   

Carlos Vasquez
HSE and NMRCA instructor

Un Catracho (hondureño) Graduado como ingeniero electromecánico en 1994 en la Universidad de Honduras y el 2008 como ingeniero Industrial y finanzas en la universidad tecnológica Centroamericana. En el 2009 decidí impartir clases para adultos hasta la actualidad en la ciudad de Albuquerque. En el 2017 inicie como instructor de NMRCA (New Mexico Roofing Association) educando aprendices  camino a certificación de Roofer Journeyman. He tenido el privilegio impartir clases de GED(General Education Development), HSE (High School Equivalency) e informática. Sirviendo a  inmigrantes de diferentes naciones y ciudadanos americanos, además, imparto clases  en inglés y español.  Me encanta dar clases de soccer, bailar y en mis ratos libre disfruto con mi  con mi esposa e hijos además,  hacer viajes  terrestres e internacionales y poder conocer otras culturas 






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Yumey Lavacude
Plaza Program instructor

Yumey is from Venezuela and graduated in 2005 as an Accounting Technician at the University College of Administration and Marketing located in San Felipe, Yaracuy State in Venezuela. Yumey came to Catholic Charities as a volunteer to help in the adult class program called Plaza Comunitaria, a program aimed at adults who were unable to study and achieve their primary and secondary certificates. Yumey helps her students learn to read, write and then prepares them to continue their studies, if they so choose.
 
Yumey now coordinates the Albuquerque Community Plaza program, which is a collaborative effort between the Mexican Consulate and Catholic Charities. Her favorite pastime is planting plants and enjoying them in the summer, she also likes to travel and discover new places.​
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The mission of Catholic Charities is to put faith in action to improve the lives of those in need. We provide services to promote self-sufficiency, strengthen families, fight poverty, and build community. As the local 501(c)(3) affiliate of Catholic Charities USA, we remain dedicated to finding solutions to some of the most pressing social challenges individuals, children and families face regardless of race, religion, color, country of origin, disabilities, gender, age, or sexual orientation.