Juan knew he had to learn English to be a more successful business owner
In 1989, Juan Rodriguez moved from San Luis Potosí, Mexico, to Porterville to fulfill his dream of owning a bakery.
In 1995 he opened Panaderia La Cabaña and his dream became a reality. Rodriguez says the large Latino community in Porterville provided an ideal market for the kind of bakery he wanted to run, a place where Spanish-speaking residents could purchase freshly baked Mexican breads without having to translate their order.
While conducting business in Spanish was one of the bakery’s greatest strengths, Rodriguez soon found that it also presented a unique set of challenges. He was unable to communicate with the English-speaking customers and vendors his business depended on.
As the bakery grew, Rodriguez realized he would need to learn English to keep his dream alive.
“I am grateful for all the things I was able to learn at Porterville Adult School.”
Juan Rodriguez
Owner and Baker of Panaderia La Cabaña
In 1996, Rodriguez began evening ESL classes at Porterville Adult School. The basic skills he learned during his first few semesters helped him interact with more of his customers, and this kept him motivated to continue learning. He spent the next two years attending intermediate classes with Mr. Arreola.
“He was a not only a good teacher but also a good friend who advised me to continue studying to successfully run my business,” says Rodriguez.
Soon, Rodriguez was using English to communicate with people in the bakery and outside of it.
His language skills gave him the confidence to take on another challenge, and in 2002 he relocated his bakery to a newly constructed building — all while attending advanced ESL classes in the evenings.
On one of these evenings, Rodriguez met Mr. Uribe. Mr. Uribe taught an ESL/citizenship class and encouraged Rodriguez to join. Rodriguez declined the offer initially, worrying that he didn’t have the skills to apply for American citizenship, but Mr. Uribe was persistent. He continued to ask Rodriguez to join his class throughout the school year, and eventually Rodriguez agreed. He enrolled in 2005, and a year and a half later he became a U.S. citizen.
Porterville Adult School gave Rodriguez the skills he needed to support his dream, but more importantly, it gave him the confidence to dream bigger. Now the proud owner of two bakeries and an American citizen, Rodriguez encourages others to enroll in adult education right away.
Says Rodriguez, “I hope my testimon[y] encourages others to seek the same or better opportunities that I had.”
For more information about Kern Adult Education Consortium, visit https://www.kernaec.org/.
Written by MacKenzie Mendez
| Regions | Classes |
|---|---|
| Central California | English as a Second Language |
