My name is Maria V. I was born in a village named El Esterito, on one of the eastern shores of playa El Cuco in the department of San Miguel, El Salvador. I grew up in poverty, but was always positive, dreaming, and happy. When I was a child, I always dreamed about studying, going to college, and being able to help my family and other people. People from my village are hardworking and are always willing to help each other, and that is why I learned to be the same. They helped me to build my character. I left my village after making the hard decision to migrate to the United States in 2004. It was hard but I wanted to look for a better life for me and my family. I miss my village a lot, my friends, my people, and even more my Mom and family.
In 2005, joining Carlos Rosario, my second family, has helped lessen some of this pain and loneliness. I am now studying IT Fundamentals. I am learning a lot about computers in this class. I am learning about how computers work, about the different operating systems and how they work. I am learning about the different components inside of the computer and how each component is essential to make computers work. I am also learning about different computing devices and the Internet., I am learning about different types of software applications we can use nowadays. I am learning a lot and very excited to gain more knowledge as a base for my future career. I am very thankful to my teacher Mr. Eddy Ceballos and his assistant Pissote Namassou for being so patient and explaining in different ways so I can better understand when I am confused. That has helped me a lot. I am very thankful to everyone in Carlos Rosario school who has helped me in different ways and has contributed to my success.
This semester, I was selected to give a speech at the school’ s Welcome Assembly, which I am very happy and proud to have given. Below is the speech that I gave at the assembly:“ I am a mother of two kids, a hard-worker, and a proud Carlos Rosario student. Carlos Rosario has been an essential part of my life, and like most of you, I started by taking English at the school. The year was 2005. I started in Orientation B and made it all the way up to ESL 6 but had to stop in 2008 because of the birth of my son. I came back in 2021, when both my kids were in school, to work on my GED. As a GED student, I had the opportunity to take a class at Catholic University of America, through the Dual Enrollment Program. I took and passed Introduction to IT. COLLEGE COURSES ARE HARD! However, it was great, because it gave me an inside look at how college works.
In 2023, I was able to earn my GED certificate. Soon after, I realized that I wanted my own business and that I would need a better understanding of computers and their programs. So, I did what any person would, and took Computer Basics 1 and 2, IC3 and the Small Business classes offered at the school.
I am now taking IT Fundamentals and my goal is to continue my college education. I want to study Computer Science, for which I have thankfully won the support of the Carlos Rosario Scholarship.
During this journey and still now, I have faced many challenges. It has been difficult to divide my time between being a mom, working, and studying. I know that everyone here is facing the same or similar challenges, but I am here to let you know that you can overcome them with hardwork and dedication. It will not be easy, but we all can achieve our goals.
Without the support that I have received from my teachers and Students Services, especially the Student Success Team, I might not be here today talking about my achievements. So, my suggestion to you is that no matter what your challenges are, do not give up and do not forget that you are not alone in this journey. We need to help each other out. Take advantage of all the support we have at Carlos Rosario and NEVER GIVE UP!”
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