Children First: Monache student comes to US knowing no English, graduates near top of class

Dulce Soto-Sanchez likes working with her hands and wants to be a civil engineer.

Finishing up her senior year at Monache High School means putting the finishing touches to her woodworking project.

"I designed this vanity and I wanted to make it a little more difficult to challenge myself," she said.

Dulce has had her share of struggles. Her family left their home in Sinaloa, Mexico when she was 12.

They arrived in Porterville and didn't speak any English. Her father works in a dairy, and her mother works in the fields.

Dulce isn't afraid of hard work and set her mind to learning English through friends, academic support and Google Translate.

"I didn't know anything," she said. "I always felt like I was less than other people, but I made like a friend that speaks Spanish and English. She helped me to be able to communicate with my teachers and everything, but it was still hard."

She thrived in Monache's Manufacturing and Construction Technology Academy.

Mr. Newby was impressed with her attention to detail.

"I've been teaching for 22 years, and I would say she's one of my top students," he said.

She learned AutoCAD, demonstrating that with the right tools, you can create something useful while building confidence and a potential career.

"She is an amazing student," says Monache Counselor Zoty Briceno. "Her discipline is outrageous. She loves learning, and I think that's what her thrive just comes from."

Dulce is thriving in an area dominated by boys and shares some advice for girls.

"Don't worry about the tools and everything," she said. "If you're interested in joining this class, just go for it."

She graduated in the top ten percent of her senior class.

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