Concerned about the future and education of her children and fear for the safety of her family, Reyna decided to leave Guatemala in 2014 and seek asylum in the United States. She left with nothing but a few pieces of clothing and little cash, but with a heart filled with hope to fulfill her dream, to find a safe place to call home. Reyna and her three children could no longer feel protected, so they embarked on a journey full of perils, but always hopeful to reach the U.S. and join her niece in Washington State.
When she arrived in Seattle, she was assisted by DSHS and referred to Puget Sound Training Center (PSTC), a community-based organization that helps limited English immigrants and refugees find employment and job training opportunities. On her first visit to PSTC, she demonstrated once again her courage and determination to get her first job, while trying to navigate a new country, culture and language. She was willing and eager to learn. A few months later, she started her first job at a hotel in downtown Seattle, which gave her experience and self-confidence. From there, she moved on to a forklift operator position with a local food manufacturer where she worked for almost two years but had to leave due to personal reasons.
Determined not to give up and with more experience and skills, she returned to PSTC in late 2018. On this occasion, Reyna knew what she wanted and quickly enrolled and completed the Forklift training certification program offered at PSTC. She is so proud of her achievement, as access to education for those with limited English is difficult to find, and back in her native country is a need that goes unfulfilled. PSTC case managers developed a partnership relationship with WorkSource liaison, Julie Shor, who helps agency like PSTC connect with hiring employers. Julie introduced us to a wonderful local employer in Burien, Eat Local, who at the time had a need to hire a couple of full-time employees, which PSTC was able to help with.
On June 11, 2019 PSTC staff had the fortune to visit Reyna at Eat Local. She feels so proud of her work and lucky to be working for an employer that values her contributions. Reyna has been working for Eat Local for more than 8 months now and feels so happy to work alongside her manager, Rachel Schilperoort, who during the visit told the team at PSTC how impress she is with Reyna’s performance. She believes that is important to listen to each employee and be willing to adapt and be flexible as conflicts arise.
Reyna feels fortunate to have the job she dreamed of.
“Here they accept me as I am, they understand my needs and that I am still learning English.”
Reyna feels that her life has changed for the better, because she now gets to spend more time with her children in the afternoons and they are able to enjoy their weekends together. She gets to watch her children’s progress at school and her income allows her to meet all their needs. Reyna knows that her hard work, courage, and determination has paid off.