With her two oldest sons grown and her youngest in middle school, Veronica Sanchez-Reyes is putting her newfound free time to good use. The 44-year-old has graduated from A-B Tech’s Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining certificate program and is presently working toward her GED® in the college’s new Spanish-language High School Equivalency program. She has also honed her English skills in the college’s English language classes since 2015.
“We are so proud of (her) perseverance and hard work,” said Transitional Studies Coordinator Erica Witsell, who taught Sanchez-Reyes eight years ago and has remained one of her biggest supporters.
Originally from Mexico City, Sanchez-Reyes was forced to leave middle school due to the high cost of uniforms and books. She worked in manufacturing from a young age, gaining experience on manual machines at a plant that made glass bottles for makeup and beauty supplies.
Sanchez-Reyes found she enjoyed working with her hands and had a natural skill for quality control work. “I like to feel things in my hand to check when the material is ready, or if it has a defect,” she said.
Sanchez-Reyes moved to North Carolina in 2004 with her young family in hopes of better economic opportunity. She was struck immediately by the difference in community support.
“I was surprised by how much help people receive here,” she said. “There was an ice storm that broke windows; trees were falling, and people received clothes and support. I was treated so well here, better than in Mexico.”
She found a job with a plastics company in manufacturing, where she worked for three years, before settling into a job at Dunkin’ Donuts in Arden, where she has worked for 15 years in the bakery.
Until two years ago, Sanchez-Reyes spoke only Spanish at work because her bakery colleagues also spoke Spanish. Her older sons helped her communicate in English when she went to the bank, supermarket, or doctor’s office. Sanches Reyes said this changed in 2023, when her sons moved out and she decided to take matters into her own hands.
She enrolled in A-B Tech’s Workforce Preparation and Introduction to Machining Program (WPIM), which prepares multilingual learners for machining and manufacturing employment. With financial support from A-B Tech’s Counterbalance Program and the Helen Powers Fund, Sanchez-Reyes earned a pre-apprenticeship certification from the North Carolina Registered Apprenticeship Network (NCRAN). She later completed a Basic Computer Integrated Machining certificate, which will qualify her to apply for CNC machining jobs at local plants. She is also finishing her GED® and boosting her English proficiency so that she can apply for higher-paying jobs. At her current job, she has moved from working in the bakery to a busy kitchen, where she speaks English more with her coworkers.
Sanchez-Reyes said she learned about A-B Tech’s machining certificate program almost by accident. At the time, she’d hoped to sign up for an English class, but all the classes were full, and her advisor, knowing her experience with machines in Mexico, suggested she take the machining course. To her surprise, Sanchez-Reyes thrived in the classes, which were taught in English. Though she struggled with math, her instructor, Rachel Tipton, helped her succeed by supporting her after class. Sanchez-Reyes also said she got help from her younger classmates.
“They were surprised when I didn’t know that much math,” she said. “But they were even more surprised that I knew so much about machines. We would work together in small groups on projects. We all helped each other.”
The GED® program has been challenging to do on her own, but Sanchez-Reyes said her teachers have been patient and supportive. “A-B Tech has given me the opportunity to accomplish my goals,” she said.
Juggling studies with work and being a mom has not been easy, but Sanchez-Reyes said she’s motivated by her children’s example. Watching them build skills in a new culture has been the driving force behind her studies. She hopes that her example will, in turn, inspire them.
“I want to be able to show my sons that you can continue to study and have a career,” she said. “It is never too late to start studying.”
For more information about adult education and occupational training programs for multilingual learners, visit Adult Ed.