The Serna Family
El Paso, 2011
In 2010, Maria Serna was introduced to AVANCE by a friend from her son’s school. At the time, she was struggling with the recent loss of her mother and feeling aimless without any goals. However, since her daughter Lourdes was only ten months old, she decided to give PCEP a try. Looking back, Maria believes AVANCE entered her life at just the right moment. Attending PCEP helped her get out of the house and lifted her out of her depression.
In addition to helping her improve her parenting abilities, the program aided Maria in developing self-assurance and effective communication skills. Upon completing PCEP, she felt empowered to pursue goals that she previously believed were out of her reach.
One of those goals had become clear to Maria during her participation in the program: to work at AVANCE. Not long after she graduated from PCEP, she was able to make that dream a reality and worked with the AVANCE team for five years. Later, Maria ventured out on her own. She started her own home child care business in her house and was able to pay off her mortgage in just ten years. Maria attributes a portion of her success to the support and guidance she received from AVANCE, which helped her build confidence and trust in her decision-making abilities.
The program also had a positive impact on Maria’s daughter, which she says is still noticeable today. Lourdes is now 13 years old and in the eighth grade. Maria describes her as very independent, dedicated, and confident. Lourdes is a very responsible and respectful student who loves math and works hard to get good grades. In addition to her studies, she is active in sports, playing soccer and participating in cross country and a dance team.
While Maria is proud of how far her family has come, she believes that the most important thing is her family’s happiness. She enjoys spending quality time with them and precious little moments with her daughter, and she finds joy in seeing her loved ones happy.