FRIO County Youth Success Story

Alejandra Perez was born in Mexico and came to the United States about 2 years ago. She was a struggling youth, as you could imagine and struggled with learning the English language. She attended Pearsall High School and barely passes her classes since she struggled with fully understanding the assignments. When I first met her, she could barely speak any English and she could not understand most conversations. Although she faced these obstacles, Alejandra was able to graduate from Pearsall High School and is wishing to pursue a career as an educator for the elementary grade level.

Upon graduation, we knew that she was going to need as much help as she could get in order to really learn and comprehend the English language which is imperative for success in college. We searched throughout the area for programs that offered English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction. We were able to find PARTNERS IN PROGRESS and enrolled her immediately after graduation. Alejandra has been attending ESL classes for several weeks now and she is prospering at exceeding levels! Her instructor has praised her for the hard work, dedication and her promptness with logging in and attending all the scheduled virtual classes on a weekly. I also knew that Alejandra was going to need help with TSI as they had not tested her in high school. I then registered her for a Basic Education Course, which prepared her for the TSI entrance exams that are required by most colleges and universities.

In addition, she was placed at Sunshine Daycare for a work experience opportunity, and her specific job title would be that of a teacher/caregiver. This would allow her to gain the experience and transferrable skills she needs to move forward with her desired career. She has now completed almost 100 hours of work experience at Sunshine Daycare, where she has received her CPR certification and is learning the hands-on tasks and responsibilities of being a teacher/caregiver.

Alejandra’s family is going through a rough time with a family member who is sick, and they only have one vehicle to be able to get her mother and father both to work. When we first decided to place Alejandra to work, I worried about how she would get there but she was determined to succeed. Alejandra reminded me that if someone really wants something, they will find a way. She got herself a bike (that may need repairs soon), but she gets on that bike every morning (rain or shine), and rides to work and rides home in enough time to log on for her weekly classes Monday through Friday. She is a prime example of someone who may have obstacles but never allows them to defeat her.

Alejandra will be finishing her ESL classes in October and we will work together to get her registered for college courses to embark on her desired career. GO ALEJANDRA we are proud of you!