Manuela Muñoz Jaramillo came to this country from Colombia in 2013. She got married when she was very young and had a daughter shortly after coming to the United States. She didn’t know a single word of English but started taking English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at Eastside Learning Center, a branch of East Los Angeles Skills Center (an LA Unified Division of Adult and Career Education school). In 2016 she completed the ESL program.
Manuela, a single mother, tells us that moving to a place where she didn’t have any family or know anyone has been a challenge. But her daughter, now seven years old, is her inspiration to continue working and going to school. Every day she takes her daughter to school and picks her up, all while working two cashier jobs to support them both.
Currently Manuela is balancing work with school by taking math and HiSET preparation classes. To that end, her plan is to get her HiSET certificate first and continue with her high school diploma after.
Congratulations on becoming a U.S. Citizen Manuela! Keep up the great work!