For Joselande Merceda, family means everything. According to her, family motivates you to try new things, support you in times of need, and they can even inspire you to move over 1500 miles away to create a new home and be together. Joselande moved to Connecticut from Haiti, following her sister in 2010. She wanted to ensure that she stayed close to her family and experience the United States with them.
Joselande started working for Whole Foods Market in 2010. Even though she has worked for the same company for over a decade, she loves her place of work just as much as when she began.
“I love my job because I learn so much every day.”
Joselande always knew that mastering the English language was important for her role at work. “When I first came to Whole Foods, I barely knew any English. I knew some beginning phrases like ‘thank you for your help’ and some food items.” When she enrolled in the English at Work program in 2022, her main goal was to improve her English for both work and day-to-day life.
At first, she was very shy in class. However, as the weeks passed, she felt she was improving in different areas of the English language and becoming more confident. Joselande shared that the program helped her a lot with her vocabulary and conversation. She loved her experience with English at Work, and she would recommend it to her colleagues who want to improve their English.
“One thing that helped me was that I always asked questions in class.”
Joselande is grateful for the opportunity to take English classes and is excited to continue her education. She hopes to continue taking classes to improve her English proficiency. Joselande dedicates her completion of the English at Work Program to her little niece. “I want to inspire her to go to school and learn. She also inspires me to learn more English so we can practice together.”
The National Immigration Forum would like to thank Isabella Parsons, Business Engagement and Inclusion Programs intern, for highlighting this story.