When Sonia Ramirez first came to the United States in the late 1990s, everything was new to her: the language, the culture, the food. Now, almost 20 years later, Sonia is an award-winning pantry chef at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Georgetown. In 1998 Sonia enrolled in ESL classes at the Carlos Rosario School and later enrolled in the School’s citizenship program and became a citizen in 2008. She then enrolled in and completed the School’s 10 month intensive culinary arts training program. Her accomplishments at the Carlos Rosario School equipped her for great accomplishments in the workforce and personally. She began washing dishes at the Ritz-Carlton in 2003 and then grew into a higher paid position in the cafeteria. Her employer then promoted her to prep cook at the hotel’s Fahrenheit Restaurant, and in 2007 she was named Employee of the Year. The promotions and job security helped Sonia earn enough to put her daughter through college. Looking ahead to the future, Sonia hopes to open her own catering business. Reflecting on the role Carlos Rosario School has played in her life, Sonia said, “I know why people love this school so much because I feel the same way. Without Carlos Rosario, I don’t know how my life in the U.S. would be today.”