EnGen Learner Stories: Carolina Salgado
Carolina Salgado is from Peru, the South American nation known for its dramatic landscapes including the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu. Before immigrating to the U.S., Carolina was a System Engineer who taught at a local university in her hometown. As part of a Queens Public Library program that offers EnGen courses, she was able to strengthen her language skills and advance her career. We sat down with Carolina to hear her story:
1) Can you tell us a bit about your life in the U.S. and what factors made you want to learn English?
“I have been here for around 10 years and in the last three years I’ve finally had the chance to study and focus on my personal goals. My husband and I have three kids and it was really hard. There was no time.” Now Carolina says she is able to take the time she needs to focus on her. In Peru, Carolina was studying to get her Master’s. After arriving in the U.S., she learned her international credits were not transferable. She had to start from scratch.
2) Have you had experience learning English in the past?
In the six months before Carolina came to the U.S., she started taking English courses in Peru. Like many STEM careers, the most innovative training and informational resources are offered in English. Carolina recalls, “It’s one thing to be able to read in English, but then to have to be able to communicate to another person is a different story.” Fast forward to three years ago, Carolina had the chance to resume her English studies at Queens Public Library (QPL). However, as life sometimes gets in the way, she was only able to study in short chunks of time. In the fall of 2020, program managers at QPL offered her the chance to participate in a EnGen powered program. Carolina would now be able to choose from a wide range of courses, including the technology classes she craved to advance her career.
3) What was your first job(s) in the U.S?
Carolina says her first jobs were all part-time. She remembers working a series of retail positions from Marshalls to Macys. In these roles, she would straighten clothes, tidy shelves and interact with customers. “It was hard for me because I remember the positions I had back home, but I had to start from zero. I sometimes used to ask what is the reason for me being here? But the reason is my family,” Carolina says. After her work in retail jobs, Carolina eventually moved up to a teaching assistant role in a school for children with special needs. The teaching assistant role eventually led to an opportunity to work in the billing department.
4) While your English was limited, did you encounter any challenging situations?
During her time working at the school for children with special needs, a more senior coworker, also an immigrant, went out of her way to bully Carolina. The taunter went as far as saying in front of Carolina’s boss, “How come Carolina doesn’t speak English the way I do? It’s impossible to work with someone like her.” Carolina recalls, “After that, I felt so down, so depressed.”
Another negative experience Carolina remembers is having to make phone calls, but people had difficulty understanding her. She mentions how relentless this work-bully was when overhearing Carolina’s calls. One of the most hurtful things the bully said, “Why are you working here if you don’t know English?” Although this situation was a hit to her confidence, Carolina refused to be knocked down. This only made her want to improve her English more.
5) What are your career goals? (As you continue to get more English practice.)
“I want to [reclaim] my career. This is my dream, really, but it’s hard for me because I don’t speak [English] very well yet. Technology is also changing fast.” Carolina is also considering entering the medical field and can see herself working in a hospital one day.
6) How was your experience with the Queens Public Library program and the EnGen courses offered?
“EnGen was really good because when I started working with this platform they started to personalize all the courses I wanted. For example, I picked technology and business courses, and I love it because everything [I studied] was related to that.” The other thing Carolina likes about EnGen is the opportunity to connect with another person and have conversations with native English speakers on the platform.
One of Carolina’s favorite activities while using EnGen is the word bank where learners can review all of the English words they’ve learned in their courses, and practice pronouncing them. The end-of-unit exam is another thing Carolina likes, learners can see if they improved or remained at the same level. “This is really good because if I practice more and use this tool, I can improve my English skills, in listening, in writing, and in conversation. This is the thing I love about EnGen.”
7) Did any of the EnGen courses help you find a job or with your career?
“Definitely, because, if I didn’t learn how to communicate better and improve my English speaking skills, I couldn’t get a job.” Carolina was recently promoted to a supervisor position in which she manages an entire department.
Today, her English skills are better. She no longer has trouble initiating conversations, and feels thankful for the EnGen program at Queens Public library.
EnGen career pathways have a positive impact on learners and the organizations that run them. Carolina’s story is one of the many examples illustrating how personalized language instruction can advance a learner’s economic outcomes.
Thinking of building a career pathway program for your organization? See how EnGen works with a customized demo.