When 21-year-old Francisco Melgar arrived in the United States from El Salvador, he spoke no English. He and his mother had followed the rest of their family to Houston in hopes of building better lives for themselves.Francisco learned about AAMA from a public service announcement on television and believed that AAMA’s adult education programs could help him succeed in America. He registered for GED classes in the morning and ESL classes in the afternoon. He covered all six levels of ESL classes quickly and received his GED diploma with excellent results in 2005.
The youngest in his family, Francisco has been a natural leader at AAMA, volunteering and excelling in many campus activities. He won the 2005 Spelling Bee, competing in the advanced category for advanced ESL and English GED students. He was selected to help promote AAMA’s GED program on KTMD- TV 47. Francisco led a group of students in presenting concerns about education and immigrant issues to state legislators during a visit to the state capitol. He also received an Adelante Excellence Award for his leadership, volunteer efforts, attendance and overall positive influence on others.
Yet more important than all the awards and recognition, is the knowledge he gained and the friendships he found at AAMA.
“Adelante is like family,” Francisco said. “It is an honor to be here and to be part of this school. I’m thankful for people like Juan Esquivel and Gabriela Martinez who supported my dreams and helped me through challenges.”
A musician who plays the guitar, sings and composes, Francisco plans a career in the music business. His dream is to become a music producer. His next stop? San Jacinto College where he plans to enroll in the Audio Engineering curriculum.
“We know Francisco will succeed,” said Juan Esquivel, director of Adelante. “He has the determination, knowledge and skills to overcome any challenges he may face, as well as the support of his Adelante friends and mentors.”
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