Quintana—ESL/ Citizenship Tashira left the Dominican Republic looking for more opportunities for her family. Her determination to learn English and become a US Citizen brought her to the Quintana Center. Tashira works full time at home as a baker and is the proud mother of four children. Remote learning during the pandemic reinforced her need to be able to assist her children with their schoolwork and strengthened her resolve to learn English. Her schedule keeps her busy and on days she is not able to make it to class, she communicates with her teacher over the phone and reviews the material covered in class. Despite the difficulties of the past year, Tashira has persevered in her commitment to creating a better life for herself and her children, and she hopes soon she is able to expand her baking business to the non-Spanish speaking community. Due to the pandemic, the Quintana Center was forced to limit the number of students attending in-person classes for the ESL program. Students were able to participate either in-person or remotely based on their comfort level and the availability of seats. Despite these limitations, 183 students completed an ESL class during the past fiscal year. LAWRENCE PROSPERA FY’2020–2021 ANNUAL REPORT PAGE 13
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