Friday, July 11, 2003
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Friday, July 11, 2003 |
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Library's computer class for Spanish-speaking adults increasingly popular By MICHAEL BOYLAN
Fayetteville resident Victor Ramos has worked with computers for a long time. He worked for Lucent Technologies for over 15 years and traveled extensively, integrating new wireless technologies and products in the international market. Now, after being laid off, he has his own company and teaches a basic computer skills class in Spanish at the Peachtree City Library. The class is offered every Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. Initially, the class was only supposed to last for five weeks, but the students have been clamoring for some more time, so the next session will be at least one week longer. "These are some very enthusiastic and serious students," said Ramos, who got the idea for the class from Father Pedro de Olivera from St. Phillip Benizi and Father Fabio Sotelo from Holy Trinity. Many of Ramos' students are from these churches and the waiting list for the next session is growing. Ramos was born and reared in Chicago and his parents, both of Mexican descent, taught him to speak Spanish. Ramos found teaching through his job at Lucent and became a member of their Hispanic outreach organization, HISPA. The group sought volunteers to teach basic computer skills to Spanish speaking adults for the Saint Vincent Depaul Society of Atlanta. He has had the teaching bug ever since. In addition to teaching computer skills, he has also volunteered to teach English as a second language. The first session of the class will end soon and dozens of new students will get a chance to learn basic computer skills. Ramos stresses the importance of the class by stating, "this is an excellent opportunity for those in the Spanish-speaking community to acquire the basic computer skills necessary to succeed in today's technology-driven workforce." In a matter of weeks, Ramos' students have made great strides with computers. When the course is completed they are better equipped to learn even more about computers and technology. For more information about the basic computer skills class for Spanish speaking adults, phone the Peachtree City Library at 770-631-2520.
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