Nohely came to the United States from the Dominican Republic with her father and stepmother at the young age of ten years old. Nohely recalls feeling culture shock as a new student in a new country. When Nohely found Esperanza in her 8th grade year, she finally discovered a safe place to learn and grow. During her time at Esperanza, she met two best friends and found her home in North Philadelphia.
Over the years, Nohely missed the Dominican culture and her mother, who remained in the Dominican Republic. Her uncle encouraged her to look for immigration services for herself and her mother. Because of her previous connection to Esperanza, Nohely was put in touch with Esperanza Immigration and Legal Services (EILS). Nohely was so thankful to have an EILS representative help her through the citizenship process.
Nohely recalls, “When we were going over the application I saw some questions, and I remember thinking to myself, what am I supposed to do here? If I was filling it out by myself, I wouldn’t know what to put for some questions. They were confusing. To have someone there helping me and explaining each question to me was really helpful.”
Now as a citizen, Nohely is looking forward to the future. She hopes to one day bring her mother to the United States and to start her own spa, as she loves skincare. We look forward to seeing the contributions that Nohely will make within our community!