Samantha Experiences the American Dream as a Computer Engineer through Telamon’s Educational Opportunities

There was much promise in moving to the United States and like any other family, we were chasing the American Dream.

My name is Samantha. I was born in Matamoros, Tamaulipas in the country of Mexico. At the young age of two years old my father found it in our best interest to move to the United States. He had been presented with a job opportunity and we had relatives living in the area, so we decided to make the move. There was much promise in moving to the United States and like any other family, we were chasing the American Dream. Upon the arrival to the U.S., we found habitation in a small town in South Carolina. My father’s job was our only source of income for a while, so we soon found ourselves barely surviving. My mother took a job working in a tobacco field, making little, but a little was better than nothing. My sisters and I went to school, studied hard to make good grades.

Our financial instability was evident to us, even though our parents tried their hardest to not burden us with that information. With our situation in mind, we all started working as soon as we reached the age of fifteen, anything to help our parents. I managed to graduate high school with honors in the top 5% of my graduating class – all while working every chance I had.

After high school I didn’t know what to do with myself. I had put so much time and effort into something that ultimately left me with nowhere to turn because I couldn’t afford to attend college. I wanted the American Dream just like others living in the U.S. – I had hopes and dreams of living a happy and successful life. But it seemed like just that, a dream, and nothing more. I had lost all hope and had at that point come to terms with that fact that I would be a waitress for the rest of my life.

That was until a friend told me about Telamon Corporation. I enrolled with Telamon as a dependent of a farmworker seeking assistance with continuing my education of fulfilling my dream of becoming a Computer Engineer. Talking with a Workforce Development Specialist at Telamon was my first step in experiencing the feeling of the American Dream. I felt like a burden was lifted off my shoulder when I learned that Telamon would financially assist me with fees and supplies to attend training. I was finally given the opportunity to fulfill my dream. This community cared for me, guided me to my current path of studying to become a Computer Engineer. How sweet life is on the other side! This truly could not have been possible without the help from Telamon Corporation and Florence-Darlington Technical College. I honestly cannot thank them all enough for what they have done for me!

Telamon-TRC’s Workforce & Career Services encompasses a broad array of customized work readiness and job skill training programs, focusing on helping farmworkers, veterans, and youth who seek to build skills and career paths. Work readiness and job skill development are often supplemented by language services (ESL), educational support (GED) and includes one-on-one counseling, group workshops and supportive services. Since 1965 Telamon-TRC has helped individuals like you access services that lead to better jobs, better lives, and better communities. Find a Workforce & Career Services program near you today.