“Yo puedo—I can.” That short sentence has carried Dora far in life. When she first told friends and relatives in Peru she was moving to the United States for her daughter’s schooling, they were incredulous. “‘You can’t do that,’ they said to me. ‘You won’t know anyone there. You don’t speak the language!’ But I said what I've always said, ‘Yes, I can.’”

Once a social worker in her hometown of Lima, Peru, Dora faced limited job prospects when she arrived in the U.S. because of the language barrier. She had to work multiple lower-paying jobs to support her family. “I needed English to get a better job,” she says. “I needed to find a place that would help me learn.” She found that place at Deseret Industries, where she takes English classes and works as a section leader. A year in, she can often be seen chatting up customers, always with a smile.

Dora hopes she will soon be able to find a job at an elementary school. With her signature optimism and newfound training, there’s no doubt Dora can.