Adry is on the left and her classmate Natalie Eche is on the right

My name is Adry Mijares, and I was born in Caracas, Venezuela. When I graduated from high school, I enrolled at Venezuela Central University where I obtained Bachelor Degrees in Biology and Education. I used to leave my house to go to university around 4:30 am and I arrived at home around 8:00 at night. Then, I had to study do my homework and get ready for my next day’s class. It was very difficult for me and a lot of effort to achieve my goals, but it was worth all of the hard work.

I worked at a lab as a microbiologist for a year, and then I moved on to another job closer to my house with better pay. Meanwhile, I met Pablo Mijares on one of his trips to visit his family. Our friendship became a romantic relationship; years later, he proposed to me, and I immediately said yes. But there was an issue; he lived in the USA, and I lived in Venezuela. At first, I didn’t want to come to the USA because I didn’t want to leave my family behind.  But then, love was stronger, so I came to the USA and we got married.

Rhode Island was very different, in everything from the language to the weather.  I wanted to be productive in this country, but the language barrier was an obstacle. I found Genesis Center, which opened their doors to me, and I enrolled in ESOL classes. My teachers, Bonnie Taylor and Sheryl Buchanan, made me feel very comfortable. Classes were hard, but I learned a lot. I felt more confident because I was fluent in speaking, writing and listening in English, which motivated me to think about getting a job.

I noticed that Genesis Center was offering a Medical Assistant Training Course. When I first applied, I was not accepted because I was not very well prepared for the interview. I continued studying to better myself, and when I applied a second time, I was accepted. My teacher, Gienia Kocur, did a fantastic job teaching us the entire spectrum of skills to be an efficient and productive Medical Assistant. Workforce Coordinator Liz Hanke was also very influential in job preparation, guiding us in how, where and when to look for a job.  Gienia, Liz and Cindy Alvarado helped me to get an internship at Roger Williams Medical Associates, a CharterCARE group in East Providence, where I did all of my internship hours in a month.

When I completed the program, I got a job interview at St. Joseph’s Health Center in Providence; days later, they hired me, and I am still working there as a Medical Assistant.  The interviewer told me that my internship supervisor had fantastic things to say about my job performance, and that I came highly recommended. I am very grateful for the support of the staff and teachers at Genesis Center. Genesis Center changed my life because once again, I can feel productive and help to better the lives of others.