Gordita`s Inn @ Ciudad Cool

Señores... me no pick inglish, but...

Debemos sentirnos orgullos de Jon Montalvo, un hijo de nuestra tierra que triunfa en el estado de Indiana a la edad de 17 años. Dios bendiga a jonboricua y los dejo para que lean una historia de éxito y esfuerzo de este compatriota.

Angel

Blessed for success
Less than two years after learning English, Hammond teen wins statewide business competition

BY LOUISA MURZYN
Times Correspondent
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Saturday, March 18, 2006 12:47 AM CST

HAMMOND | It's no wonder Jon Montalvo is a first-place winner. He was blessed to come out of the womb and he entered the world with all the fire and spirit needed to pursue a life filled with dreams.

"I was a twin, but my mom lost the other baby a month before I was born," said Montalvo, a soft-spoken 17-year-old.
"She had another baby, and it was me. The doctor said, 'I hope this guy will be 200 pounds and 6 feet tall.' And it's true. I feel blessed. There are a lot of good things happening around me."

Most recently, Montalvo finished first in the Business Professionals of America (BPA) state competition held this month in Indianapolis. With his victory, he qualified for the BPA national championships, scheduled for May in Orlando, Fla.

BPA prepares students to work efficiently not only in an office but any business setting. Montalvo won the Basic Office Systems and Procedures event, which is one of about 50 categories.

The event focused on using Microsoft Office software and included tasks such as creating and formatting letters, memos and other documents. Basic office knowledge was tested, as was his ability to handle basic office duties.

When Montalvo heard his name called at the awards ceremony, he flashed back to the dream he'd had the night before.

"It was a crazy dream," he said. "I was sleeping and I was so nervous. I dreamed I won the competition. I was thinking about my life in Puerto Rico and my mom calling me to come to the United States."

Teacher Karen Pariso at Hammond's Area Career Center said Montalvo's story is amazing because not even two years ago, he spoke no English. He's mastered the curriculum while learning English at the same time.

Montalvo came to Indiana in 2003 with his father, Gustavo. His mother, Judith, left her homeland six months earlier, seeking better medical care for Jon's brother, Christian, 15, who is disabled and has the mental capacity of a 5-year-old.

For earning a 4.0 grade-point average, Montalvo received $400 from the Puerto Rican government. He used that stipend to buy his airplane ticket to the U.S. and his first computer.

The Morton High School senior attends the Career Center in the afternoon. Through a work study program, he is employed at the city's public library. He has no car and takes a school or city bus wherever he goes.

He learned English in the Career Center's Bilingual Department.

According to U.S. Census data, Indiana's Spanish-speaking population increased 117 percent between 1990 and 2000, and the number of Spanish-speaking residents doubled to 185,000. The number of those speaking little or no English is about 40 percent.

Studies suggest a penalty for non-English speakers is living with low incomes. A Boston think-tank once reported earnings can be 24 percent less.

Montalvo sees the struggle to break down the language barrier not as an obstacle but a motivator.

"Some people are scared because they don't speak the language," he said. "But they should communicate more with Americans and try to discover new things. Everything can look hard, but it's not. You don't know what you can do until you try. You have to try your best and you can succeed in this country."

Pariso, who has been teaching for 32 years, said she has never had a student as motivated, nor has she been as moved by a family with such obvious personal challenges.

"This kid is so special," she said, adding that he may not be able to attend the BPA championships because his family can not afford travel and lodging costs. "He is driven. "He's such a good role model to other kids, and he doesn't even realize it.

"Give him a job to do, and it'll be perfect. He wants to improve all the time, and he's a hard worker."

Montalvo and his family know language and education are paths to power and the American dream. His parents have a sixth-grade education. He hopes to go to college, become a Spanish teacher and eventually a principal, and return to his native island.

"I always have it in my mind," he said. "I love the education system there. My dream is to go back to Puerto Rico and spend the last years of my career there teaching students."

Hasta la vista!

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