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Pedro is a native of Puerto Rico who arrived in the United States in 1996 at the age of 27, and lives here with his wife and family. While working around his home, he fell off a ladder and seriously injured his arm. Pedro suddenly found he had limited possibilities for employment. Entering Goodwill services in January of 2011, Pedro sought employment and United States Citizenship. He was keenly aware that his challenges with speaking English fluently were affecting his quality of life.
When beginning classes for ESL (English as a Second Language), Pedro worked at a very basic level, yet was determined and made rapid progress. The goal of achieving American Citizenship was the driving force behind his diligent efforts. Using the process of citizenship as a vehicle to teach him English, the Goodwill staff coached him in sentence structuring and subsequently Pedro was able to improve his listening, spelling, vocabulary, and comprehension skills. Aware that Pedro was seeking employment as a cook, his ESL teacher focused on the vocabulary and skills needed to work in a restaurant.
Shortly thereafter, Pedro became employed at a local restaurant. Pedro continued to attend class at Goodwill every morning so he could receive his citizenship and improve his English-speaking skills needed to sustain his job as a cook.
In June 2011 Pedro received his American Citizenship thanks to his determination and effort and the quality instruction afforded him by Goodwill staff. He successfully overcame his linguistic barrier and, to this day, is a respected employer and, even more importantly, a proud resident of the United States.
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