SUCCESS STORIES

Evelyn Luis
Gabriel Anguiano
Connie Guerrero
Juan Ibarra
Pulido Family
Isaiah Vi

Evelyn Luis

Just 21, mother to a 2-year-old son, and headed for divorce, East Palo Alto resident Evelyn L was anxious about her future. She didn’t know how she was going to make it. It was so hard being a single parent. It was so hard facing a lifetime of responsibilities and work with very few job skills. There were times when only her son’s smile could help her get her hopes back up.

Then she came to OICW and started her new career. Evelyn enrolled in the Office Skills program where she got the support she never thought a school would give. “All the teachers and staff gave me the courage and strength to make the best out of myself,” says Evelyn. When she finished training, she had the choice of three jobs offers –even in this job market – and for the first time she got to ask herself “Hmmm, which one should I take?” She chose to join East Palo Alto’s only insurance agency. She loves her job and they love her. She is starting out as a receptionist and in a few months the agency will put her through training to receive an insurance license.

“I wouldn’t have been able to make it out there by myself if it wasn’t for you,” Evelyn thanked the staff of OICW. “Thank you from me and my son.”

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Gabriel Anguiano

Gabriel had made a promising start in high tech – even took advantage of an employer’s tuition reimbursement program to earn his A.A. in Computer Science. But on February 15, 2001, (he still remembers the exact day), he was downsized from his technical support job at Excite@Home. He and his wife had just bought their first home. They were never able to move in; they had to rent it out to help make ends meet. When their savings were almost gone, Gabriel realized that he needed to increase his skills set to be competitive in this job market. He entered OICW’s Cisco Academy and graduated in April of 2003. Throughout his training, he learned so quickly that he was able to help his classmates get through the difficult course. His excellent performance and his team spirit earned him the Trainee of the Month Award.

One week after graduating from the Cisco Academy, Gabriel was hired as a Resource Navigator for the Technology Access Point (TAP) located in OICW. TAPs give East Palo Alto residents access to the web and other resources that help bridge the digital divide. Gabriel teaches English- and Spanish-speaking local residents basic computer skills and assists them in job searching, applying for jobs online, and creating and printing resumes using Microsoft Word. Often the local high school kids come in to do their homework after they finish attending OICW’s after school program as well.

But Gabriel didn’t stop there. A few months later, he landed a teaching job at the Computer Lab at Willow Oaks School, the elementary school he attended as a child. His days are long: full time at the elementary school teaching basic computer skills and applications to grades 2 through 8 and providing tech support to the faculty and staff, and part-time in the evenings at the OICW TAP center. Says Gabriel, “I’ve been eager to work. I’m ready.” What’s more, he’s found a new career he never knew he wanted: next year he will go for his teaching credential and continue on his career path in teaching. And if all goes well, he and his wife will be able to move into that house.

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Connie Guerrero

“OICW is the greatest place; there is always something here to challenge you, day or night,” says Connie Guerrero and she really knows what she is talking about. A resident of East Palo Alto for 27 years, Connie first came to OICW in 1978 to take a citizenship class and went to work after that in a wafer fabrication company. She worked for 14 years in that job, helping to support her two children. As her demanding work and family schedule allowed, she kept coming to OICW’s evening program. Over the course of several years, she completed English as a Second Language (ESL) Levels II and III, and she also completed a course in Microsoft Windows.

Turns out it was a good thing that she had been steadily preparing for a career change, because two years ago she became disabled and had to leave her job. So many years of the repetitive motions of her manufacturing job culminated in a back injury. She decided to pursue a career in healthcare and started by attending OICW’s Academic Skills for Employment class and increasing her attendance at OICW’s advanced ESL classes to become more comfortable with reading and writing in English. Then Connie’s ESL teacher asked her if she had heard of the new Medical Billing and Coding class at OICW. Connie wondered if she was ready to handle the intensive English reading and writing and medical terminology. Her ESL teacher had no doubts and encouraged her to go for it, and she did! She says even a year ago, she couldn’t have handled the course because of the English proficiency required to comprehend the course content and participate in class discussions.

Recently, her OICW vocational counselor encouraged her to take the GED (high school equivalency) pre-test, one of the many assessments offered right here at OICW. Connie could have taken it in Spanish, but took it in English and scored so highly that her counselors believe she’s ready to pass the test without further preparation. But Connie likes to be prepared, so she will attend our GED preparation class to improve her math. So when she graduates from Medical Billing she will also have earned her GED certificate.

“I know it’s going to be hard but I will do it. I won’t give up!” Connie says. And after all these years of working with Connie and watching her succeed, we believe her.

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Juan Ibarra

Before I came to OICW I had no idea what I wanted to do in the future. I would cut school almost everyday with my friends, and we would go smoke and drink. There were other things that I did back in high school that I regret. I tried to keep my parents from knowing, but parents are not so dumb. My parents found out when I got caught at school smoking marijuana in the bathroom. I have never seen my mom cry so much. I wanted to get my parents' trust back. This made me change and think about school. My counselor told me I could go to OICW after-school classes. I would get ten high school credits for each semester. So that is when my future began.

I took electronics there at OICW. I got enough credits and graduated from high school. Then OICW helped me get a summer internship at NASA as a Student Administrator Assistant. I began going to college. I paid OICW a visit and was told about a position testing software at Homestead.com. They sent in my resume and I got the job. I now work at Homestead.com as a QA tester testing Internet Software. Homestead also pays for my classes that I take in college. I am learning so much here and studying at the same time.

I want to thank my parents for believing in me after everything that I've made them go through in the past. I look back and think about where I would be if I had never gone to OICW. I will not go back to how I was before and I plan to graduate from college. I owe it to OICW for helping me get this far.

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Pulido Family

I have six children and they all went to the OICW preschool starting in 1979. I think it really helped them get ready to start school because they learned a lot, like how to count and paint.

It helped my husband and me too because we couldn't both work unless OICW was taking care of the kids. Now my oldest son Mario is working in construction, he went to college and he also went to OICW for construction training. Manuel is the next oldest and he is in college at San Francisco University studying political science. My oldest daughter Elizabeth is at Santa Clara University getting ready to be a doctor. Carlos and Ann Maria are in high school and my little one Daniel is in his last year of junior high. My husband and I go to night school at OICW too. He is taking ESL classes and I am taking classes to get my G.E.D. I want to thank God for all the blessing he is giving us, like OICW!

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Isaiah Vi

I first came to OICW I really had no clear direction in my life. I had just finished high school, but did not know what my next step would be. I heard about OICWs' free training from a relative who got a great job through OICW

After about four months of training, they sent me out on an interview for a temporary (one week) job with the County of San Mateo Human Services Agency. I didn't feel that I was ready for office work, but never-the less they encouraged me to just go out and "do my best." That's exactly what I did. That one week turned into 13 years and counting.

I slowly worked my way up from an office assistant to Management Information Systems Administrator. I produce statistical reports from the county database so we can keep track of which programs are doing well and areas that need improvement. Every time I look at the numbers I always remember that I was once part of those same statistics. In 1994, I fulfilled my "American Dream " of purchasing a home. Now I'm able to do what I've always wanted to do, and that is to take care of my parents. I can never repay them for what they done, but it's a start.

It was not easy getting to where I am now. I attribute my success to all of my Great co-workers and supervisors thoughout the years, who helped mold and shape me into what I am today -- and especially to OICW for giving me the training and guidance to start on this path!

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