My Dream Job
Reuniting Immigrant Families

Miriam Lizeth Huerta

BEFORE YOU READ:
What is a dream job? What is your dream job? Share and discuss. (For more stories about work and careers, see Issues 36 and 45 of The Change Agent.)

Finding a Job in a Call Center
When I first came to this country, I thought I would get a job, such as housekeeper or dish- washer. I did not speak English, so I thought I could not get another job.

But then I got a job in the call center of a migrant shelter. Everyone supported me. They said many people on the job spoke Spanish. They said I would speak mostly Spanish on the job. They said that with time, I could learn English.

Promoted to Education Department
After a while, I got promoted to the education department of the migrant shelter. I started working in Child Services. My job was to give classes to immigrant kids to help them adapt to living in the U.S. I had conferences via Zoom, and I used computers, projectors, and other technology. I also used translation apps so that I could communicate with people in different languages. It was challenging to do all this because I had to learn a lot of new technology.

Collecting Documents to Reunite Families
This was the work of my life! Sometimes I was able to reunite children with their families. I collected documents via email to verify that the child would be reunited with the right person. We used Zoom so the family members could see each other. I loved seeing those excited faces when they connected with someone they left behind in their country. At these times, I felt very proud.

Proud and Glad
I was so glad that this job allowed me to grow and develop my skills. Technology saves us enormous amounts of time and enables us to be more productive and efficient. Even better, in my job, technology helped us reunite families!

AFTER YOU READ:
How did technology help Miriam in her job?

Miriam Lizeth Huerta is in an English Literacy class at Ysleta Community Center in El Paso, Texas. She was born in Torreon Coahuila, Mexico. Miriam has three kids and is working hard to learn English to become a citizen and bring her mother to the U.S. for a better life.

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Even a Florist Uses Digital Tools

Ivan Fernandez

BEFORE YOU READ:
What digital tools do you think a florist might use?

Not Just Flowers and Scissors!
You might think that florists spend their time working with flowers, scissors, and vases to create beautiful bouquets. And we do! But since I started working for a florist a year ago, I have discovered that digital tools are also a big part of my job.

The Computer: for Ordering and Pricing
As a floral clerk, I use a computer for ordering flowers. Then I check them in when they are delivered. I also answer the phone and take customers’ orders. I type them in on the computer.

The hardest part of this job is matching the customer’s order with the right flower. I have to know the cost of different flowers. Each arrangement has a price, and I have to match the flowers to that price. I need to search our records for how much we paid for certain flowers.

The Internet: for Learning about Flowers…
I often search the internet to look up information about flowers. I learn where they come from and how to take care of them. Learning how to care for different types of flowers is very important. Not knowing how to treat the flowers could cause the flowers to die.

…and about Mechanics
I use the internet to search for ideas about how to make bouquets. Having an image lets me know what size vase I need. It also gives me ideas about how to manage the “mechanics.” Florists use different structures to keep the arrangement from falling apart. For example, we tape or wire an arrangement to a structure that holds it up. Proper mechanics help an arrangement look good.

More Technology Means More Opportunities
In conclusion, technology has helped me be more productive and more knowledgeable. The great thing is that I am always learning something new. My next goal is to learn how to use the computer to be a better floral designer. I want to get better and more efficient at searching the web. I hope to get promoted at my job, so I have more responsibility. Even as a florist, I can see that technology is the future. The more I learn it, the more opportunities I will have to be successful.

AFTER YOU READ:
1. Study the structure of this essay. Name its components. How does the structure support the reader?
2. If you can, bring to class a vase or a jar, and grasses, flowers, vines, branches—whatever would be easy to pick. Everyone can pool their contributions and then create their own unique bouquets. Discuss what makes a bouquet or an arrangement beautiful.

Ivan Fernandez is a student at Long Beach Adult Learning Center in Long Beach, New York. He has three children, and he has been working at the flower shop for a year. He loves it. He says, “My co-workers are amazing to work with. I have learned so much from them.”

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Digital Tools for a Hairdresser

Miyako Hirata

BEFORE YOU READ:
What digital tools do you think a hairdresser might use?

Beyond the Scissors
I work as a hairdresser. Mostly, I use scissors, hair products, and a blow dryer, but I also use digital tools.

Communicating with Customers by Text
My customers often make appointments six months in advance. Naturally, sometimes you have to change the times. In the past, we had to make a lot of phone calls. We left messages and waited for the person to call back. Sometimes, it took a long time. Now we text. It is simpler, and it takes less time.

The phone corrects my spelling errors. English is not my first language, so I am happy to have this help. Thankfully my phone has autocorrect. Before I send a text to the customer, I check the spelling in the telephone dictionary.

Translation Help from My Phone
The phone can also translate many languages. I wish I could have had this digital tool earlier in my career. Now, I can communicate with people even if we don’t share the same language.

So Many Hairstyles at Our Fingertips
Also, my customers can go online and show me pictures of any hairstyle on their phone or computer. They don’t have to carry several fashion or hair magazines.

There are other benefits of this digital tool. Previously, I went to Europe and went to several hair shows to learn new styles and color techniques. Now, anyone can just go online to YouTube or Google and discover new styles.

AFTER YOU READ:
1. What are two ways that being able to text customers is helpful for the author?
2. What are three ways the author uses her phone in her work?
3. In your opinion, what are the advantages and disadvantages of being able to look up hairstyles by phone instead of traveling?

Miyako Hirata is a student at Alameda Reads in Alameda, California. She came to the U.S. in 1980 from Japan. Her boyfriend told her she only needed to know two words — water and bathroom. Seven years ago, she wanted to learn how to use a computer, so she attended classes at the Alameda Senior Center. She had difficulty with spelling. The instructor recommended Alameda Reads, and she has been a student there for seven years.

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Technology at the Construction Site

Juan Jaramillo

BEFORE YOU READ:
What digital tools do you think a construction site inspector might use?

My Car Is My Workstation
I’m an inspector for transportation construction projects in San Antonio. My job requires me to use the company car as my workstation. I need an internet connection, a laptop, and programs like Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Adobe, Teams, Sharepoint, and Google for my activities.

In my role, it is necessary to be in the field, verifying that work is being done according to plan and specifications. I must write a daily report. I have to list the companies that worked that day, the number of people who worked, and the equipment they used. I must also make sure that payments are made according to the contract. To do my job, I rely on digital documents. They make it easier to search, edit, save the information, and share it with the people involved in the project.

Communication Is Essential
Reviewing project specifications, consulting drawings, saving project documents, and even making video calls are some of the daily tasks that, thanks to digital tools, are much easier and faster. Also, when any doubt or problem arises, I can easily communicate what is happening by text, call, email, or video call, which speeds up decision-making and saves time and money.

In addition, translation apps have helped me learn English as a second language. They have also allowed me to grow professionally, write documents, and learn pronunciation. These apps make me feel more confident in the process of adapting to my new country.

Learn Tech So You Can Keep Your Job
Technology is a precious tool that makes work easier, increases productivity, and motivates me to do my job. Some people worry that technology will take away our jobs. But, to paraphrase Jensen Huang, co-founder of the tech company Nvidia: Technology will not take your job, the person who uses technology will take your job.

AFTER YOU READ:
1. What are some of the ways the author uses technology on the job?
2. Re-read the last sentence in italics. Say what this means in your own words.
3. Think about the verb to paraphrase. How is it different from the verb to quote?

Juan Jaramillo is a student at Each One Teach One in San Antonio, Texas. He is from Venezuela and has lived in the United States for five years. He wants to improve his communication skills to advance his career. He has participated in four ESL Programs and studied in a university program. By far, he likes his current program the best because of the academic and community support he receives.

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Too Old to Register for College?

Eladia A. Galvan

BEFORE YOU READ:
1. Have you ever felt too old or too young to learn something? What did you do?
2. The author talks about being encouraged and accompanied by her family. What do these words mean? What helps you when you are discouraged?

Never Too Old to Learn
I have always been excited by changes in my life, and I feel very lucky to be alive during this new technological era. Throughout my whole life (I am 82 years old), I have had the opportunity to study and work with everything from manual and electric typewriters to desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, and iPads.

I have worked in a bank, as a teacher, and as a school principal. In all of those jobs, I integrated technology into the work. I have been very happy with my small achievements until I retired. With more time on my hands, I started studying English. I progressed from Level 1 to Level 3. I never felt too old to learn. But then something happened. Let me tell you a story.

But Too Old to Register for College?
I was having a wonderful experience being in Ms. Nava’s class. She taught us history and culture, and she helped us use digital tools to learn more. Then she invited us to do a career exploration activity. We had to search for programs at the University of Texas in El Paso (UTEP). We had to choose a major, make a budget for how we would pay for the classes, and then fill out an application to register at the university.

I felt discouraged because I could not find a major, and obviously I did not have the budget to pay for it. But the final straw was when I filled out the application. The system rejected my application. It said I should go back and write a real birth date! I was born in 1942. Does the system think that no one my age could go to college?

Discouraged But Not for Long
When Ms. Nava asked me if I had finished the process, I told her no. I was very frustrated. I didn’t want anything anymore. I just wanted to go home.

But then something changed! I was in therapy, and suddenly I remembered my three children. When they were little, they encouraged me to go to university. My mother and brothers have also accompanied me and supported me my whole life. Now, I have wonderful teachers encouraging me too!

Starting College this Summer!
Everything in my life has been a learning experience. At the Ysleta Community Learning Center, I have learned that I belong in El Paso and the USA, and that college is an option for me. I have three new friends who like music. We meet to practice guitar and sing. We are so happy. And, yes, I even went ahead and registered for music classes at UTEP. The system thought I was too old, but I know I am not. I am registered now, and my classes start this summer.

AFTER YOU READ:
Why did Eladia want to quit when registering for classes? (Language note: She mentions the final straw. That is a figurative term that comes from the straw that broke the camel’s back.)

Eladia A. Galvan is a student in the English for Internationally Trained Professionals class at the Ysleta Community Learning Center in El Paso, Texas. She was recently hired by the Canutillo Community College Library as an instructor of the Reading Workshop for Parents. She is taking guitar classes for adults at EPCC and attending a choir program, paid for by the city of El Paso. She is very happy to be returning to music and singing!

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