About a year ago, Maria Herrera de Rodriguez took that first step towards becoming a U.S. citizen.

She enrolled in English as a Second Language classes at the Manteca Adult School.

“Getting my (U.S.) citizenship was very important to me,” Herrera de Rodriguez said Thursday at El Concilio office in Manteca. “I now have (better) opportunities for me and my family.”

An example of that includes her right to vote in time for the upcoming elections and possibly continuing her education.

Herrera de Rodriguez – she’s lived in Manteca for 14 years, having moved here from Jalisco, Mexico – along with Laura Raygoza, Loc Ly, Maria Hernandez, Ana Perez, Hanan Ezzvoual and Felicidad Aviles were honored for their new status as U.S. citizens during a small potluck gathering put together by the Manteca Adult School at El Concilio.

Jose Rodriguez, who is the president of El Concilio, was on hand for the distribution of the recognition plaques.

They all took that first step towards accomplishing their goal, according to Manteca Adult School ESL instructor Anna Lopez.

She indicated taking that first step can sometimes be toughest.

Ezzvoual was from Morocco, a northern African country, before moving to Lathrop about four years ago. Aviles is from the Philippines. She found a new life in Manteca some seven years earlier after living in Rizal, located just outside the capital city of Manila.

The Manteca Adult School services those from Manteca, Lathrop, Escalon and south Stockton.

Registration for the new semester begins Monday, Jan. 6, at the MUSD site at 2271 W. Louise Ave.

The classes are free.

“You just have to register and take a test,” Lopez said of the ESL classes – some will be held at the centrally located El Concilio office at 1215 W. Center St. #105.

Included are English Language Learners classes designed to improve listening, speaking, reading and writing comprehension and communication. EL CIVICS instructions are also provided to help learners better understand civic agencies.

The US Citizenship Preparation course can help adults become citizens through the naturalization process.

The new school year begins on Jan. 27.

For more information, log on to www.mantecausd.net/mantecaadultschool.