[audio logo]

Speaker: OTAN-- Outreach and Technical Assistance Network.

[acoustic music]

Diana Viscarra: I'm a US citizen, and I ended growing up in Mexico. Unfortunately, there, my father had passed away, and my mother found herself with six children. I'm the little one. When I was 18 years old, I also decided to return back to this country where I was born. But when I arrived here, it was really difficult because I don't have any support from relatives or friends. When I was in the first the first Label at Cañada College, I had to talk with my daughters and let them know that I need to help mom.

Erika Pretell: Diana is a really devoted mom to her young daughters. And when they were little they were studying in school, and they were learning English fluently and doing their homework. And I think they were the ones who really encouraged her or challenged her to learn English.

Diana Viscarra: And before going to class, you need to put your pajamas on. We're going to the classes. You're going to stay there with the ladies that take care of them. And then, when we come back, you just brush your teeth and go to sleep. And that's what they did every single day when mom take classes.

Initially, my goal was just to study English because honestly, I did not see the possibility to study something else. First of all, I was an adult. I had full-time job. I had two daughters. I was married. I had to take care of my home. So I had so many excuses.

Liliana Campos: She was just focused in learning English, and that's what she wanted to do. She just wanted to get a higher-paying position within her current job that she had.

Jessica Magallon-galvez: And her daughter actually said, Mommy, I want to be just like you one day. I want to work here at Burger King. And that kind of shocked Diana. She didn't want this for her daughters. She was working and doing the best she could, but she didn't want her daughters to feel like this was the epitome of success.

Liliana Campos: She started off as a student who just wanted to learn English. She was very shy. She was not all that confident in her abilities. And then, to slowly see her from becoming a peer mentor and then we work closely with her once she started volunteering for Upward Scholars.

Linda Prieto: Upward scholars is a local nonprofit in San Mateo County, and we help adult immigrants regardless of status to be able to afford to attend one of our local community colleges.

Diana Viscarra: The job here at Upward Scholars really gave me the opportunity to pay back to my community and continue supporting these students that start the same as I started.

Marta Dugarte: Diana help me, oh my god, since I know her. I think she's helping-- I mean, still helping me every time. I think she born with a crown as a helper.

Linda Prieto: So in the last few years, I've promoted her to a programs coordinator, then to our special programs manager in a full-time position, and most recently, as our programs director leading all four of these pillars of support for our students. So what we're doing for Diana is what Diana is now helping us to do for all of the students in our program.

Jessica Magallon-galvez: She's really, really come a long way to have finally graduated with her bachelor's degree from San Francisco State University this spring.

Liliana Campos: Her work with Upward Scholars, she really worked to expand that program to not just include Sequoia Adult School. She worked to expand it to other adult schools.

Linda Prieto: I really see her as that next generation of leaders in the nonprofit sector who are committed to the work of serving others, who are committed and see their work not as just as professional work but as work of the heart.

Jessica Magallon-galvez: She's a hard-working woman, and she's so dedicated to her family, to her coworkers, to her community. When she was working at a desk, she called her husband and said, bring my daughters. I want them to see me working at an office. And in that moment, she knew she needed to be the reflection that her daughters would see themselves in.

Diana Viscarra: Continue working hard as you do every day. It's not an easy path. But if you [inaudible] for support and continue working hard, you will see at some point all the rewarding time and all the rewarding feelings that you'll have. [chuckles]

[music playing]