KENOSHA — Carmen Delgado, a Kenosha native, went from going to English classes with her parents to teaching her own.
As part of the Kenosha Unified School District's Even Start Program, she is teaching English to Latino parents to help them in their daily lives, support their children and find better job opportunities.
For the past three years, Carmen has been teaching English to parents who only speak Spanish, focusing on building confidence.
"At the elementary age, I knew that I wanted to be a teacher," Delgado said.
She was born and raised in Kenosha, but her parents came from Guatemala and Honduras.
As a child, she remembers sitting in her mother's English class and noticing how she struggled with the language.
Watch: Kenosha teacher helps Spanish-speaking families learn English.
Now, she's on the other side, helping parents learn.
"As a Latina and being bilingual, I'm able to work with families to help support them, get acclimated to the culture and to just learn those skills that they need," Delgado said. "That will help their families and that also will help them for future employment."
Delgado has been a teacher in Kenosha for the past 21 years. For many adults, her class is the first step towards becoming more confident while speaking the English language.
"Even Start is changing my life because now I can feel a little more confident about what I know," Leidy Castillo said. "I can speak to others in English and not feel scared."
Castillo moved here from Colombia and said that after being in Carmen's class, she feels more confident going to places, like her kids' doctor appointments.
"They are doing great work with us, like [giving us] open opportunities to go and see resources in the community," Castillo said.
Carmen's journey from student to teacher shows how education has changed her life.
Now, she hopes to keep helping others and encourages parents to be advocates.
"Be advocates for themselves, for their children, for their families, so that their children can succeed," Delgado said. "They're also being role models to show their kids how to be good students and to keep on learning."
If you would like to join the Even Start Program, visit this website to register.
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