Patricia Zapata - LaGuardia Community College - CUNY

Patricia Zapata came to the United States from Colombia knowing very little
English and without a clear notion of what she wanted to do with her life in this
new country. She took various jobs, including working at a bakery and cleaning
apartments, until she realized the way to a better living was to learn English.
Enrolling at the English Language Center was her first step, and with hard work
on her part, things started to fall into place.
Patricia went on to enroll in the college,
majoring in Accounting and graduating
with honors. She accepted a position as
fiscal assistant at Bank Street College
of Education and two years later was
promoted to Grants Accountant in
the Business Office.
Patricia Zapata
Learning English was her
Key to Success
One the most important
things I learned from
LaGuardia is to be able
to accept changes and
challenges.
“One the most important things I learned
from LaGuardia is to be able to accept
changes and challenges,” says Patricia. “The other is the confidence I acquired
as a person and the new tools I gained to face my new role as a employee in the
job force.” Having worked as a professional now for several years, Patricia hopes
to return to school for her bachelor’s degree in order to continue moving up
the career ladder. “One of the best decisions I made was to attend LaGuardia
Community College. Thanks to the dedicated teachers, I was able to succeed
past my expectations.”
“
”