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But she learned her surroundings and now works to teach others the language as a program associate at the nonprofit organization.
Her work hasn't gone unnoticed. The Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce last month named Altamirano the Outstanding Employee of the Year. Literacy Volunteers of the Lowcountry also was named Outstanding Nonprofit.
Altamirano has been working for the organization'sHilton Head Island site for the past five years, not just helping organize programs but also serving as an ambassador to the Spanish-speaking students looking for guidance in an unfamiliar world.
The Bluffton resident explains how she came to the Lowcountry.
Question. How did you come to this country?
Answer. My aunt lived here before in the 1970s. And my mother applied for us to come in 1986. In 1987, they told us we had three months to come. We went to Maryland. I lived in Maryland for 18 years.
I spoke little English. Only the basics. I got a job as a nursing assistant. I had a dictionary with me. So much sounded the same -- high pressure, low pressure. But I kept learning, and I worked my way up. I went to school at Montgomery
College.
Q. Did you get discouraged at all?
A. I always say nothing is hard. If you fail, don't worry. When I first started speaking English some would say, "Oh, people will laugh when they hear you." But you can't worry about that. My dream was to speak English and to have a good job.
Q. Was it intimidating when you first moved here?
A. Not really. But at first I didn't know how to drive. So I had to take the bus in the morning when I was going to school. I was not familiar with any of the signs or streets so I had to count how many traffic lights. Seven traffic lights and two blocks down. And I counted on the way back.
You surround yourself with the language. Watch English TV, read the news. Sometimes (students) will come in here and they'll still have their phones in Spanish and I say, "No, no it has to be in English if you want to learn."
Q. Why come to Hilton Head?
A. My mother has arthritis and we needed to move. In the winter in Maryland she would just stay inside all the time. We needed to get to warmer weather.
When I moved down here I looked in the paper for a job and I saw (Literacy Volunteers) and I applied. I'm so happy to work here; it's like a family. So many students come here and say that it's like a second home to them. I always wanted to become a teacher. My friends said you won't make money, but I said that I wanted to do something that I enjoyed.
