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Success Story: Mrs. Sylvia Arazate

El Buen Fosters Transformation through Education

Perseverance and Education Create Pathways to Success at El Buen Samaritano

Austin, Texas/Oct. 2008 – Sylvia Arazate (photo left), 28, came to the United States with one purpose in mind, to perform missionary work in Austin. Though her purpose was fulfilled, her inability to communicate in English made it difficult to live with the sense of freedom to which she was accustomed.

“Every day at work was a struggle because I had to ask my co-workers to help me every time a customer would say something I didn’t understand, which was very frequently,” Arazate said. “I dreaded going to work every day, and that was all because I didn’t know English.”

After encountering barrier upon barrier and tired of feeling overwhelmed and insignificant in a society whose culture and language was not her own, Arazate, mother of two, decided to break down the barriers.

“When I had my first daughter, I realized I had to get an education. Not just for me, but for her, as well,” Arazate said. “My husband suggested I take some classes so I could get a better-paying job, but in order to do that, I had to know English, which was almost impossible for me. With a newborn, there was no way I could take a class to learn English,” Arazate said.

When Arazate learned about El Buen Samaritano and its Child Learning Center (CLC), she did not hesitate and reached out to El Buen for help. She enrolled in the English-as-Second-Language (ESL) Program and enrolled her daughter in the CLC so they could both begin to learn English.

Eager to advance quickly, Arazate passed the oral exam to enroll in El Buen’s dual program, in which she could take GED preparation courses as she completed all four levels of ESL.

Her enduring motivation has brought her a long way. Today, two years after she first came to El Buen, Arazate is enrolled in a community college where she is pursuing an Associate degree in accounting, as she takes courses to obtain her real estate license.

“I am so grateful that El Buen Samaritano allowed me take advantage of its excellent programs and services and enabled me to break the barriers that were holding me down,” Arazate said. “I really don’t know what I would have done if I wouldn’t have come to El Buen for help.”

Arazate received her GED in 2007 and is currently enrolled at Austin Community College working towards earning an Associate degree and later a Bachelors degree in Business.