Many immigrants from Latin American nations may relate to the journey of Karla Quintanilla, and her achievements throughout the last decade. Quintanilla is a graduate from Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School in ESL (English as a second language).
“I worked as a babysitter and in restaurants, but it was tremendously hard to establish a communicative relationship with the people that surrounded me,” Quintanilla said. “I was blessed when a friend connected me to Carlos Rosario School, which opened the doors for solving my language barrier.”
Formerly a D.C. Public School turned nonprofit, Carlos Rosario has been a charter school since 1998. It was the first adult-education focused charter in the United States at that time. Today, more than 62,000 adults in the District do not have a high school diploma or GED. However, even adults with a diploma may need to update their skills to be marketable for living wage jobs.
Carlos Rosario’s model provides job and life skills training alongside education and support services such as financial counselling and referral to health programs.
Quintanilla has worked at the Children’s National Hospital since 2001. She serves in the Women Infants and Children Program as a Medical Authorization Analyst. She has attained extraordinary English proficiency while simultaneously completing her associate degree. In a recent interview, Quintanilla—born in El Salvador—told Street Sense her story about coming to the United States, her challenges and her choices.
“I have three siblings. I was raised with the help of my stepfather, and of course, with the constant positive presence of my mother. I have always had the desire to study; my mother instilled within me the importance of education since the beginning of my infant years.
“Unfortunately, when I turned 15 years old, my mother’s business experienced a downfall, leaving her with no other option but to close what she had devoted herself to for several decades. She migrated to the United States in search of new prospects to provide a better future for my siblings and me. Soon after arriving, however, she was forced to return to El Salvador to take care of her health.
“During that time, I was 17 years old. As the oldest child, I decided to help my parents achieve financial stability, which led me to the States. When I arrived, my lack of English skills proved to be a barrier that impeded me from progressing on the objectives that I had established before moving.
Carlos Rosario changed all of that.
“I had to fix my working schedule to take classes. Typically, I would attend school during the day and then work until midnight. Even though I had a tight agenda for about a year, I have to say that my English abilities improved terrifically; I began to comprehend what conversations I heard in the Metro. I could now order the burger I wanted in any restaurant. A new world was opening to me, and I couldn’t help but feel extremely content and proud of my achievements. My wish was now to focus full time on my studies, but I needed to keep working to help my family.
“I got into a community college and could only afford to take one class at a time due to my hectic schedule. Under those circumstances, it took me eight years to finish my associate’s degree, which is usually done in only two. Nevertheless, nothing stopped me from accomplishing my initial goals. My English skills are much better than they were when I first came, and I have tripled my salary. I feel blessed to say that my family and I bought a house this year and have developed a sense of economic steadiness in our household. All of this has been settled due to my education attained at Carlos Rosario School, which also contributed to my foundation of values and ethics.”
