Juan's Story
Juan Lopez was an assistant manager of a restaurant in Mexico City when he decided to move to the United States in 2004.
He found work testing disc drives in California, but a few years later, he moved with a friend to Indiana, Pa., where at a neighbor’s house, a small group of Spanish speakers who wished to learn English gathered with people hoping to learn Spanish. That’s where Juan met Gretchen, then an Indiana University of Pennsylvania student.
Juan and Gretchen were married and now have two children, twins Jake and Adela.
Juan has been studying English in the Literacy Council’s ESL program and is pleased with his improvement.
“I am understanding more. It has helped me a lot. My mother-in-law says my English is much better.”
Juan now works in a scrap yard, a grueling job, particularly in winter. He hopes to improve his English language skills to find a better job that will allow him to earn more and spend more time with his family.