Sus Amigos Students Hear Success Stories

Generations of Latinos worked long and hard and struggled so today's Latino youth can succeed.

That was part of the message Wednesday when approximately 12 area Latinos who overcame obstacles and hardships to become community and business leaders spoke on their life stories to Warsaw Community High School Sus Amigos students at The Cultural Leadership Forum.

The forum was funded through an Indiana Department of Education grant received by WCHS teachers Chris Foster and Darlene Fussle. There were 28 Sus Amigos juniors and seniors in attendance Wednesday.

Ana Juarez is a full-time Grace College student and minority education liaison at the college. She said when her family came to the U.S., they had to overcome barriers such as language and culture. They didn't have much money. Early on, she knew she wanted a better education, but she wasn't a native and the language was difficult. She worked hard in school and people saw her grades, but they didn't realize how many hours she spent on it. Still intent on going to college, she applied at various schools and for scholarships.

So many of her high school classmates had the opportunity to go to college, but weren't taking advantage of it. She didn't understand that. Eventually, she received scholarships and Grace College was willing to cover the rest of her expenses. Now, she is a junior at Grace College and her dream of many years ago is coming true, she said.

"One of my greatest passions is to encourage students like you to pursue a higher education," Juarez said.

Another former WCHS graduate leading the way is Anthony Garza, now an attorney with Valentine Miner and Lemon Law Office.

Garza was the sixth of eight children. In 1969, his father started working at Maple Leaf Farms. Neither one of his parents were well educated. At age 40, Garza's father became disabled. But his parents instilled in Anthony and his brothers and sisters to work hard - all of them completed high school and received various degrees.

Originally, Garza studied landscape architecture. When he finished, the economy and the job market were bad. He decided to go to law school and finished in 2-1/2 years. He landed a job at Legal Services in Fort Wayne as it was a way to give back to the community and gave him courtroom experience. After working at Legal Services for two years, he owned his own law office in Warsaw for three years, worked in the prosecutor's office for four years and is now with Valentine Miner and Lemon.

Originally from Chile, South America, Axa Troncoso traveled from South Bend to speak to the WCHS students. She is a home-based therapist for students.

She told the students when she came to the U.S., she came by herself to attend Grace College because it was her parents' decision. She thought she knew how to speak English, but it took a preacher's sermon for her to realize her language limitations just a few weeks before classes began.

She cried a lot for the first year and a half.

"Despite that," Troncoso said, "I'm here to tell you that if I can make it, you can make it."

After receiving her bachelor's degree in psychology, she realized she needed to go further in her education. She got her master's degree.

Hispanics, she said, are the largest-growing minority group in the U.S., but the country needs more Hispanics to be professionals "to help our people and to better our lives."

Another speaker originally from South America was Carlos Causillas, born in Lima, Peru. He is the director of quality systems at DePuy Inc.

It was his parents, he said, who gave him his work ethic. When he graduated from high school, the Peruvian government was in turmoil. There were few spots available at the universities, but many applicants. He decided to come to the U.S., which was very difficult to do at that time and his parents were against it. He came anyway, landing in Boston, Mass. On the second day he was in the country, he found a booklet about ITT Technical Institute. He became a mechanic. His English, however, wasn't good so the first few months he was here were "really, really hard."

An opportunity presented itself with Johnson & Johnson, which he took, even though at that time it was a cut in pay. But he progressed through the company and started taking college courses.

"You must know what you want to do," he said. "Don't settle for less than what your dreams are." Setbacks will happen, but learn from them. "Failure is part of learning and is not a bad thing if you continue learning."

Speaker Chris Sanchez, owner of Video and Sound Productions, Warsaw, advised the students, "You have to love what you do. If you love what you do, money is a by-product."

An ESL teacher at WCHS, Carmen Flores has a Ph.d in philosophy and biomedical services. In 2001, she moved from Puerto Rico to Warsaw and became a mother and wife. While her science career is on hold, she is still able to share her life with the students. She encourages them to face life positively and to succeed, to do their best every day.

Warsaw Police Department officers Dave Morales and Jaime DeLaFuente spoke about their roads to careers in law enforcement.

Morales' father was a firefighter in Mexico, who died in a firefighting accident when Morales was 3 months old. Eventually, Morales' mother remarried and moved the family to Texas. Morales said his stepfather was prejudiced, even though he married into a Hispanic family. But his stepfather gave Morales and his sister opportunities to better themselves. Morales eventually joined the Marines and WPD.

Morales told the students there is opportunities out there for them. "The need is great for you as far as law enforcement," he said. Be proud of who you are and where you come from, he told them.

President and Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Indiana Workforce Investment Board Inc. Juan Managualt said the "key is knowing who you are." As far as personal development goes, it's "education, education, education," he said.

Marlene Mulero-Betances was born and grew up in New York City.

She learned early on to become educated and independent. She went to Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., to study mechanical engineering. It was a challenge, but it made her think about and develop who she was.

Mulero-Betances is now the program and project solutions manager at DePuy Inc.

"In my case," she said, "my husband stays at home and I'm the one who works. I'm very grateful" for him willing to do that, she said.

Another speaker from DePuy Inc. was Rick Rivera. He challenged the students to one day be the guest speakers at a function like Wednesday's forum. Hopefully, he said, their stories will be even more impressive.

"Don't settle for second best and let people tell you that you can't do it," he said. He succeeded, he said, by working hard and taking advantage of opportunities. The co-op program at WCHS led him to his job at DePuy, and now he is taking college courses, too.

Architect Mary Ellen Rudisel-Jordan spoke of her dreams of becoming an architect and how people tried to persuade her to go into interior design instead. She didn't relent. "It was about doing what I was called to do," she said.

Divorce after 17 years of marraige left her with three children and an $11,000 per-year job at the church. "It was not a way to survive," she said.

She eventually went back into architecture, with the help of the church, the community, friends and family.

Her three points to the students were to keep their goal in sight, give back to the community and use the talents they have.

Other speakers of the day included DePuy Inc. Human Resource Manager Ted Burnworth and Rafael Villalon, Lake City Bank. Villalon advised the students to get an education, go on to college and prepare themselves for a job.