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Katelynn's story is one of remarkable resilience and transformation. Before enrolling at L.A. Technology Center (LATC), her life was marked by significant challenges. Growing up in an abusive and neglectful environment, Katelynn was often told she would never achieve anything noteworthy. However, her life took a positive turn when she moved in with her father at 17. Recognizing the need for a change, her father enrolled her in LATC, marking the beginning of Katelynn's new chapter.

I am from Peru. I am the oldest of five siblings. My mother, Ana Maria, and my grandfather Mariano raised us since my parents separated when I was 11. My grandfather instilled in me the value of education.

I came to the U.S. in 1995 to complete my dreams. These were bad times in Peru, with terrorism and a terrible economy. This trip was planned for my brother Mariano, but he didn’t want to do it. I decided to take his place. I was always like this, taking advantage of opportunities. So I came to this country illegally, but full of hopes and dreams.

When I came to the USA in 2007, I was living with my aunt and my sister. One day in 2009, we were on Washington Boulevard buying food, and I saw the school Los Angeles Technology Center. I asked for information about English classes. I was so lucky to find it! I was able to take English as a Second Language classes, and later in 2016, I got my high school diploma.

I was born in Santa Ines Ahuateuipan Puebla, Mexico. When I was 18 years old, I decided to cross the U. S. border. The year was 1998 when I came to Los Angeles.

I have two children, a boy and a girl. After my kids finished elementary school, I decided to learn English because I needed to understand when people talked about kids who had autism. My daughter is autistic, and she doesn't speak Spanish. I needed to learn English so I could communicate with her. I started to learn in my ESL class, but it was a little difficult for me to continue studying because I had health problems. In 2016, I had my first surgery, and one year later I had my second surgery. This made it hard for me to continue with school, so I wasn't taking classes for a few years.