The Carrasco Family
AVANCE-Austin, 2019
Nancy Carrasco and her son Cain graduated from PCEP at AVANCE-Austin in 2019. Through PCEP, Nancy learned how to stimulate her child’s brain development through practices such as serve-and-return interactions. During the nine-month program, educators assessed Cain’s development and referred him for speech therapy. With the support of AVANCE Early Childhood Educators and his speech therapist, Cain, now enrolled in PreK, has since drastically improved his speaking skills.
Cain is not the only one in the family reaching new educational milestones. Nancy attends classes at Austin Community College, where she is working on completing her degree in Business Administration. Nancy also works as a Parent Support Specialist within Austin Independent School District. During the COVID pandemic in 2020, Nancy worked with the Latino Health Care Forum to advocate for the health of her community. She also worked for the U.S. Census to increase participation and prevent the undercounting of Latino families locally. She credits her passion for being involved in her child’s school district and becoming a community leader to AVANCE.
When Nancy isn’t working or in class, she enjoys focusing on her entire family’s well-being through outdoor activities. Her family loves playing soccer, jogging, and participating in Camp Gladiator. Reading has also become a favorite pastime since graduating from PCEP. While her entire family was quarantined in 2020, Nancy took it upon herself to organize and host weekly Zoom meetings with her network of friends and family called “Family Club,” which included story time and educational activities for the whole family to enjoy together.
In 2022, Nancy Carrasco received the AVANCE-Austin Avanzando award for her dedication to her family and her perseverance on her journey toward reaching her dreams.