Perseverance leads Yolanda to success

Yolanda Espinoza arrived in the U.S. in 1998, seeking a better life for herself and her family. She had completed 9 years of school in Chiapas, Mexico. She entered the Even Start family literacy program in Milwaukie so that she could learn English while her daughter attended preschool. After that, she started taking night ESL classes at Clackamas Community College’s Harmony campus. She entered in the beginning level in Life Skills. At the same time, she worked two shifts as a dishwasher at Pastas in West Linn. A year later, because her English got better, she became a line cook in the restaurant.

When Yolanda’s daughter started elementary school, she started taking day classes in Oregon City. She was now in the intermediate level, but it took her three terms to pass Intermediate Reading and Writing. At times she felt very discouraged and wanted to give up, but she kept on trying. Eventually, she progressed to the advanced level and entered the college. At first, she took Computer for New Users in Spanish to upgrade her computer skills. Then, in winter 2004 she took her first English class, Writing 95. Even though her ESL instructor told her she could take Writing 121, she chose 95 because she wanted to be sure that she could succeed. Now she has taken many other college classes, such as math, psychology, human relations, and mental health. Her goal is to get a degree in nursing or computer science.

Yolanda credits her success to perseverance. She realized that learning a new language wouldn’t be easy, but her husband told her, “If you want to do something, you have to suffer a little bit.” In addition, she is fortunate to have a supportive employer who allows her to do her homework at work when business is slow.