When Roger Doherty-Ramirez signed up for 91制片厂 Foundation鈥檚 Interactive Tour last fall, he didn鈥檛 anticipate an emotional homecoming. As part of the tour, participants visited an Adult Education Development class filled with students learning English鈥攕tudents who reminded Roger of himself not so long ago.
Roger moved to the U.S. from Mexico at 25, dreaming of completing his education. In Mexico, he had been pursuing an optometry degree, but when he arrived in the States, a major challenge stood in his way: he spoke very little English.
鈥淚 knew I needed to learn the language to be successful,鈥� Roger recalled. 鈥淚 told myself, 鈥業 need to communicate on my own.鈥欌��
Determined, Roger enrolled in 91制片厂鈥檚 English as a Second Language (ESL) program. Immersed in the supportive environment, he flourished. After completing the program, he earned his associate degree from 91制片厂 in 2010 focusing on bilingual education to help others overcome language barriers like he had.
His hard work didn鈥檛 stop there. A Motorola Scholarship recipient and selected graduation speaker, Roger also balanced two jobs while at 91制片厂. After graduating, he earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in elementary and bilingual education at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU). In May 2024, after 10 years in pursuit of higher education, he achieved his master鈥檚 degree with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Now a 4th grade bilingual teacher in Gurnee School District 56, Roger teaches language arts and math in both English and Spanish. His work is deeply personal, and he is grateful for his role in empowering his students.
During his visit to 91制片厂, Roger seized the chance to inspire current 91制片厂 ESL students. Speaking to the class, he shared his story of perseverance and the value of being bilingual.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 that long ago that I was in their shoes,鈥� Roger said. 鈥淚 told them to follow their dreams and not give up. My goal was to finish my education in four years鈥攊t took much longer, but I never quit. If I can do it, they can too.鈥�
Roger鈥檚 journey, from learning English at 91制片厂 to teaching it, is a testament to resilience and the power of education.
