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Summary: María del Carmen Sánchez was born on January 29, 1979 in the state of Mexico. She grew up in the town of Melchor Ocampo and completed her education through 9th grade. After graduation, she started working for a veterinarian. In the beginning her work included only cleaning and office tasks.
María del Carmen Sánchez was born on January 29, 1979 in the state of Mexico. She grew up in the town of Melchor Ocampo and completed her education through 9th grade. After graduation, she started working for a veterinarian. In the beginning her work included only cleaning and office tasks.
However, over the 14 years that she worked with the doctor, she learned every aspect of being a veterinary technician. She was not only running the office, but also assisting with surgeries, giving injections, grooming, and generally caring for the animals in such a way that reflected the tremendous skills she had acquired. In 2006, Mary Carmen left Mexico, and her wonderful job, to join her husband in Sonoma. She has lived here for a year and a half.
Mary Carmen is married to Feliciano Mata. They met when he took his dog in to the veterinarian's office where she worked. After meeting Mary, Feliciano's dog just kept getting sick, we can only assume to give him a reason to continue going in to the office. They were married in 1999 and have one son, Carlos. Carlos is eight years old and attends El Verano Elementary School. Mary actively participates in Carlos' education and is also involved in her church community. Mary and Carlos both started learning English when they arrived in Sonoma. Since then, they continue to support and help one another.
When Mary Carmen first arrived in Sonoma, she quickly got a job at dry cleaners, pressing clothes. Her dream though, was to work with animals in some capacity, similar to what she had done in Mexico. She wanted to continue developing her skills that she had worked to hard to attain. She knew that learning English was a key part of being able to attain her goal.
Last June, her dream was realized when she was hired by Aberglen as an assistant groomer. Since Mary started there, she has proven herself to be a valuable and dedicated employee, continuing to improve and learn about caring for dog breeds common to the United States.
As a student, Mary Carmen is equally dedicated. Since she started in ESL classes at Sonoma Valley Adult School in November 2006, Mary has quickly progressed from level to level. She is now in the third level class and continues to take advantage of opportunities to learn more and practice her English. Her dedication is reflected in her near perfect attendance in class, quite an achievement for anyone who works full-time and has a family.
Mary's husband and son fully support her efforts to study English. With all that she has accomplished in her short time in this country, Mary Carmen certainly deserves our recognition as the Sonoma Valley Adult School's Student of the Year. Congratulations, Mary Carmen!
