After moving to America from Mexico City, Alex Rodriguez supported himself for years at odd jobs — waiting tables, working in a warehouse, doing retail sales. “These jobs paid my bills, but it was not what I wanted to do,” he says.

Today Rodriguez is Microsoft-certified and has a middle-management position overseeing the intricate information network at Bank of America. And the bridge between his past and his future was DeKalb Technical College and the DTAE’s Adult Literacy programs, which gave him the foundation for his success.

It was at DeKalb where Rodriguez inquired about English literacy programs and a possible career in information technology. There, the staff helped him translate and certify documents from Mexico, earn his GED, and begin work toward his degree.

Rodriguez will soon receive his Microcomputer Specialist Degree from the Computer Information Systems program at DeKalb Tech. “I anxiously and proudly wait to feel my Degree in my hands,” he says. “I am also proud of being part of this college.”

 

	Rodriguez took one class at a time — learning English, completing his GED, paying and paving his own way. “It was not easy,” he says, “but I can assure you that it’s not that difficult if you really want it.” The Microcomputer Specialist program at DeKalb Technical College is part of the Computer Information Systems department. The five-quarter program teaches students programming, networking basics, computer maintenance, and database management, as well as basic accounting, algebra, English, and business principles. “Thanks to the Adult Literacy program and the instructors at DeKalb Technical College,” Rodriguez says, “I can feel sure about my future and that of my family.”
Alex Rodriguez administers a server at Bank of America. .