Meet Jessica: From EnGen Learner to Program Administrator
“Your mind doesn’t process things quickly in a different language, especially when you first arrive [in a new place]. I would go silent for a few seconds, thinking about how to put my sentences together. I know that everyone goes through that. EnGen has helped me feel more confident.”
Jessica Castro found herself in Ohio in the middle of a long Midwestern winter, displaced with her husband and parents from their home in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in 2017. Jessica’s family was fortunate in many ways – they had relatives in Ohio who had offered an incredible welcome, helping them find housing and even stocking the refrigerator with groceries upon their arrival. But the adjustment was still difficult.
“There was culture shock. It's summer all the time in Puerto Rico, but we arrived in Ohio in December which was crazy for us. The language was a barrier, also. Here you need English to do everything, to work and study,” Jessica recalls.
Jessica had earned a college degree in Puerto Rico and spoke an intermediate level of English, but knew that she needed to hone her proficiency. Her husband was also an English learner, a beginner. Together, they enrolled in Aspire – a program that supports adult learners in earning a high school equivalency (or HSE, usually through passing four GED tests), connecting with academic and technical training skills, and advancing in English proficiency – at Eastern Gateway Community College (EGCC).
Soon, Jessica’s status as an Aspire student evolved into an Aspire employee when she was hired as an administrative assistant for the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program. With 13 percent of the program’s students identifying as immigrants, refugees, or speakers of other languages, Jessica’s bilingual skills were an asset – and she was promoted to the roles of instructor and, more recently, assistant director.
In 2020, Jessica connected with EnGen, using the platform both as a learner and a program administrator. The language upskilling platform was offered to students enrolled in the Aspire program, allowing them to practice English with personalized, on-demand, career-aligned instruction.
“I started playing with EnGen, and I loved it – it was easy for me [to use] as an English learner. You can see everything in Spanish and understand the next steps and what you need to do,” she said, recalling the 50 languages available to support EnGen platform navigation. “EnGen really helped me with my writing skills too. I used to use a lot of Google Translate to check if I was using the right words, but EnGen has helped me get up to speed.”
Jessica has seen Aspire students have similar success with the program. EnGen will soon feature prominently in a career pathway for learners interested in the restaurant and hospitality industry. Career-aligned courses like “English for Food Safety” and “English for the Food & Beverage Industry” are among the 125-plus pathways offered in the platform, equipping learners with both language and career skills to access opportunities in high-demand industries.
Five-plus years after leaving Puerto Rico, Jessica feels like she is living her career goals – and wants to continue to open those pathways for others, offering support to newcomers just like she received when she first arrived in Ohio.
“I never thought I was going to be an assistant director – I thought I’d always be support staff. My goal, five years ago, was this,” Jessica says. “Moving forward, I want to grow this program to help more people with English and their jobs and their overall well-being – mental health, childcare, housing, etc. I’d like to build a network where I can send our students and know that they can connect with opportunity.”
EnGen partners with Fortune 500 companies, regional employers, educational institutions and government agencies to serve tens of thousands of adult English learners like Jessica. Learn how it can work for your organization: https://getengen.com/demo