Today we’d like to introduce you to Angela Moreno.
Hi Angela, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am originally from Medellin, Colombia. I graduated from college there and worked in the accounting field. I am married and have two children. My family relocated to the United States in late 2013 and settled in St. Augustine, Florida. My husband and I worked hard to become assimilated and independent members of a new culture, economy, and life! All of that time, I wanted to learn and master conversational English because I had two children in school, and our life was now in the United States. I wanted to help provide my family a better life and future. Learning English and getting a more professional job were essential to achieving my goal. Through classes at Learn to Read of St. Johns County (LTR), a St. Augustine-based non-profit organization that helps students learn conversational English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), I became comfortable communicating in English. Ultimately, through my efforts, I became employed as the Student/Volunteer Coordinator at Learn to Read in 2021 and have enjoyed working with people from all over the world who come to LTR to help achieve their goals.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I learned very early upon arriving in a new country that something worth having would take a lot of work. There have been many times that I thought I would be unable to reach my goals and had made a mistake in coming to the United States. However, through my faith in God, the support of my fantastic family friends, and my desire to succeed, I can say that I am happy that I have achieved many of my goals: I have become fluent in English, I have a job that I enjoy very much, and that gives me great satisfaction. My children and husband are thrilled to be living here in St. Augustine.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am very fortunate to have a job where I can combine my background as an immigrant to the United States with my bilingualism and experience as a student with Learn to Read. When I arrived from Colombia, I became an English for Speakers of Other Languages student at Learn to Read (LTR). I worked to achieve my goal of mastering conversational English. Through the efforts of my teachers and my dedication, I was able to succeed. In 2021, I became the Student/Volunteer Coordinator of LTR so that I can now help the current students with the same issues as I confronted. Having real empathy for the students who come through the door of LTR makes my job easier and much more fulfilling. It is gratifying to know that I am helping people in a situation similar to what I experienced.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you, and any essential lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Fortunately, we combined on-site and online learning to help the students and tutors through the pandemic. We have continued to combine these strategies successfully since that time.
Contact Info:
- Website: learntoreadstjohns.org
- Instagram: @learn.toreadstjohns
- Facebook: learn.toreadstjohns
Image Credits
Camila Gonzalez Photography
