LOP Graduation

Every year as part of the graduation ceremony, LOP awards the Moore-Solorzano Scholarship to help one student achieve their goal. Students must self-nominate and explain why the $250 scholarship and laptop will benefit them. This year's winner, Angelina, highlights LOP students' dedication to success.

Ten years ago, Angelina M. arrived in the U.S. with determination to build a new life. Back in Guatemala, she had worked as an elementary school teacher, but here, she started from scratch, first as a cleaner and then as a babysitter.

Her breakthrough came when the woman for whom she worked offered her a job as a bookkeeper. Angelina immersed herself in learning federal and state accounting regulations, using accounting software, and proving her ability to adapt and grow.

During the pandemic, she transitioned to the construction industry, where she learned the ins and outs of obtaining permits and managing employees. This experience sparked something bigger: a vision to help her community. She realized that many Latino contractors struggled with the permit process due to language barriers and unfamiliarity with the permitting process. So, last year, Angelina turned this need into an opportunity—she launched her own company that specializes in helping Latino workers obtain permits for home construction projects like decks, screen porches, and roofing. She plans to use her growing English skills to help clients complete paperwork and submit documents with confidence.

Angelina is also dedicated leader at her church, guiding youth groups and helping with religious education classes. She continues to sharpen her English every week through classes and plans to take conversation courses this summer to focus on speaking before returning to intermediate ESL in the fall.

Her ultimate dream? To own a house and grow her company until she has employees working alongside her in her own office.

One of her proudest moments came recently when she got a flat tire on the side of the road. When a police officer stopped to check on her, she was able to explain, in English, that she was okay and had someone coming to help.

As this year’s Moore-Solórzano Scholarship winner, Angelina will use her $250 stipend and new laptop to build a website for her business—a crucial step toward growth.

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