LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — An organization in Lehigh Acres is breaking down language barriers with weekly English classes that are helping people better their futures.
Inside a small classroom at the Lehigh Community Services Center, adult students take notes as they work to master a new language. For many, it's their first step toward the American dream.
Rita Cardoso leads these free weekly classes, drawing from her own experience as an immigrant. 35 years ago, she moved from Cuba and didn't speak English. Americans helped her learn the language while driving her to work and navigating her new country.
Now, after a decade of volunteering, she's paying it forward and has become a lifeline for others.
"I'm blessed with my students. I love them. And one day in three months, they say to me, 'I went to the grocery store and I asked for this in English,'" Cardoso said.
Click here to see Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo speak with Rita Cardoso:
Those small victories add up to life-changing moments. Cardoso also helps students prepare for the U.S. citizenship test, turning dreams into reality.
Students have ambitious goals for their futures.
"I want to be a nurse," one student said.
"My dream is to be a realtor," another student said.
One student became a manager at a restaurant after only one year of learning English.
"I worked hard...in the last year I learned English," the student said.
The free classes meet weekly at the Lehigh Community Services Center. Cardoso says rain or shine, she will always find a way to teach her students and serve her community.
"We have universities, this center, so we have a lot of good things. People think Lehigh, oh no, but Lehigh is good. It's a good city if we together do something," Cardoso said.
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