've been working for the Federal Executive Institute for almost two years as a housekeeper and I really like what I do. Working there though has been somewhat stressful, but what I do isn't. Being a housekeeper involves making beds, cleaning bathrooms, and vacuuming the carpets if they need it. Being a housekeeper is not easy. When cleaning each room, you have to make sure that each guest has everything that they need such as soaps, drinking glasses, and towels. Not only that, but there's a time you start and a time you have to finish in each room. Being self-employed has been a fulfilling experience for me.

am very glad that we are all here today to tell our stories in English class for Voices of Adult Learner

I came from China in 1990. Now 18 years have passed. A lot of people ask me, "How is your life in America? How is your job? What is your goal?" Today’s class gives me a good opportunity to answer.

In 1990, when I arrived in Charlottesville, I had no money and didn’t know any English. I brought only my young daughter and two suitcases. I dreamed of the "New Life" here, and it seemed free and good. But living the dream has been very difficult.

After looking around, I finally accepted a job at UVA Facilities Management for housekeeping. At that time, I was one of the first foreigners to work here. When Facilities Management began to hire immigrants, the immigrant employee population was only around one or two percent. Now, it has risen to 25 or 30 percent.

The housekeeping department treated me very well. My co-workers shared their experience, and I learned from their work. I learned to distinguish the best ways to clean all the different materials. I also learned how to clean quietly when the teachers and students were having class. I learned how to use different cleaning machines. Also, I learned to pace myself to keep myself going the whole eight working hours. Then, I was able to work independently after three months.

Soon, I was assigned work at the Rotunda. I helped prepare for many distinguished visitors: the governor, the Dalai Lama, various aambassadors, a king, princes, presidents, and Olympic torchbearers. I also prepared for the graduation ceremonies. I worked in the Rotunda almost 11 years and take great pride in those years.

I have worked in about 19 buildings. I thing I have made UVA a beautiful, comfortable place to work and study. When I look around and see other new immigrants coming to work, I am glad that they can receive all the good fortunes I have: good benefits, money to buy a car and house, an opportunity to learn English, and the ability to support their children to get an education.

I will be retiring soon. My goal is to be the first immigrant to have my picture hung in the hallway with all the other people in Facilities Management who have had long careers there.

Thanks to the great people and wonderful system at the Facilities Management for making this all possible.

f your work is very nice in your life. If you work, you have everything. You can buy, for example: house, car, and so on.

In my country many people no work because you can see many people have house no pay for the house. They can pay only for electricity and sometime they can pay water. Is not everybody.

In my country many people no work because many people have house. People no make electricity and water is free.

Now, here in U.S.A. is different from my country. Here in U.S.A. you can see some people work because need pay for the gas, electricity, and water.

If you are eighteen or nineteen, you can work because you no have money. You need pay for your house. And you need buy car for transportation, and if you no have a car in this country, it's difficult. Sometime is very cool too much.

was going to my job in the afternoon around two o'clock. I was rushing because I was late and I forgot my keys in the car. When I got off around midnight, I didn't see the keys in my purse.

When I went to the parking lot, my car wasn't in there. My boss called the police. The date was May 15, 2008.

Two days later the police found my car. Two kids crashed my car with another car.

The police called me. Then they gave me my car back. The car was crashed. The kids went to jail and I wasn't working much. The car stayed like that for six months. Then they took it to the mechanic in the meantime. I saw how good my friends are because they gave me rides every day and my brother gave me his car. He is a good brother and also because of this, I met my future husband.

’m very excited to tell you about my dream. From childhood, I liked making things. For example, I made clothing for my dolls, my older sister, and myself. I had to sew everything by hand because nobody let me sew with a sewing machine. One day, I decided to use my grandmother’s sewing machine, and I broke it! But since I had a very loving and kind grandmother, nothing happened to me. I always think of that sewing machine as my first sewing machine.

Today, I am a fashion designer. I studied at the Armenia University of Arts in Yerevan, the capital of the Republic of Armenia. I had many good teachers, but I remember especially one. She taught me a very important thing- not to be afraid to think freely when creating. I graduated after five years. After that I immediately started to work. I was working at a design company called Zatik Studio. I liked working there because it was a group of creative people. We had similar ideas, points of vision, taste and feelings about colors, and the feeling of lines.

We understood how huge the fashion industry is, but we knew we were a piece of that exciting world, and we could dictate spring-summer, fall-winter collections of the style in the coming year. The most important thing is to help the woman keep her individuality. We showed our clothing in Paris, Moscow, and other cities. We were successful!

Because of my destiny, now I am living in the United States. I met my husband in Armenia. We have a lot of interests in common. Fortunately, he is also interested in the fashion industry. We want to start our own business. The name will be "Ayvazyan and de Beauvoir," which is my husband’s and my last names. It is not easy to start again from zero!

I’m thinking of making a collection. I like to work with natural materials, silk, cotton, linen. Sometimes, I like to mix together all materials colors that don’t seem to go together, but I successfully create new color combinations. Usually, I like to create my own design patterns. I like to paint on silk and make my own designs. After the painting process, we make clothing, scarves, and handbags. My art is influenced by Armenian culture, but I also like to mesh together elements from different cultures.

Right now, we are working on our spring-summer prêt a porte collection for 2010. We hope we can finish by next year. In addition to this, we are working on a haut couture collection for 2010. It is very interesting to follow changes in fashion. As an important part of my work, I observe all the latest changes. It is interesting how every year something new appears or becomes the best of the year in fashion. I am often inspired by the works of other designers, and I think about how I would design this or that outfit, handbag, or shoes differently. In designing, I like to use many, many different colors. There probably is not a single color that I don’t like. I mix colors and styles and create my own style. From experience, I know that people like to see unexpected things.

My work also involves doing administrative work. My husband and I are designing an AB Couture website. We are creating our own business cards and interesting, attractive tags. There is a lot of work to do. For example, I am working on making a portfolio for our clothing. We are planning to go to New York to see Fashion Week. I want to know how Fashion Week is organized here. I went to Fashion Week in Paris. It was very exciting!

It is our dream to open high quality boutiques all over the world in Paris, New York, Milan, but we are happy to start with one in Charlottesville.

invited my Korean friends to my house for lunch.

We started to chat while we drank coffee after lunch.

We had a topic where everyone described their routine.

It was about being a housewife who doesn’t have a job.

Most people think that a housewife’s work is easy, but we spend 24 hours at work repeating the same things every day.

A friend who has two babies said, "I work hard all day long in the house taking care of my babies. Despite the fact I cleaned three times today, the floor is full of toys, books, and many things. Of course, tomorrow won’t be different from today."

A housewife doesn’t make money, but they save money be being a housekeeper, a nurse, a taxi driver, a chef and more. Sometimes, we get tired and depressed. First of all, we don’t have achievements. It makes things very hard.

I would like to say that a housewife does respectable work for the family because they are patient and serve for free everyday without leaving for the day and retiring.

y job and also my career is real estate.

After growing up in a small city, I went to Shanghai and graduated with a degree in science in 1992 from Shanghai Jiaotong University. A big change happened in all of China when the government decided to let the economy become more market-oriented.

As the Chinese economic and financial center, Shanghai, attracted interest from the younger generation. I am one of them. It was a big challenge to me to find a job to make enough money to live and stay with dignity in such a competitive city. Also encourage by my girlfriend, who became my lovely wife 3 years later, I decided to stay in Shanghai. From 1992 to 1994, I worked as an engineer, a stock broker, and an insurance broker. Eventually, I found that real estate might be my best career, and that I could become a professional and make more money quickly at that time. I found a position in a Hong Kong company in 1994 and found that is what I wanted!

Many people, even foreigners, wanted to move to or live in Shanghai to fine business opportunities at that time. On the other hand, experts who were familiar with both international real estate knowledge and local information could not be found easily. I found this gap, so I worked hard and smart. I learned all the knowledge related to real estate both in China and in the world. Then I gained my payback. For example, I sold one landmark in Shanghai to AIA, which wanted to return its business back to China. In the case above, I made $50,000 commission. I bought our first apartment and started our new life with my lovely wife. Owing to outstanding performance, I was promoted quickly within two year to a senior manager.

Early in 1997, I felt I had to change, or I would touch the ceiling,. I left that agent company and went to the university again. After I got my Master of Economics two years later, I joined one of the biggest worldwide surveying firms named DTZ where I became one of Shanghai’s famous advisers, who are good at finding, planning, and marketing real estate projects. Those 10 years were full of busy but unforgettable days. I gained not only money but also experience and social relationships, including many outstanding friends.

As you know, in the past decade, China, especially in Shanghai, developed its economy with unbelievable speed. For example, more that 300,000 new units and nearly another 300,000 resale units could be sold or transacted in Shanghai in 2007 alone. This big, active market gave me many changes to fulfill big contracts and close big deals. People can not imagine that my team could market and launch a big project and sell it within one or two months. My team and I worked together day and night to enjoy every opportunity and success.

I enhanced my life more and more in that fancy golden decade. I bought my big house and new car. The most important thing is that I do believe that life will become much better if you work hard and smart.

Unfortunately, highly impacted by the worldwide economic recession, Shanghai’s real estate market collapsed quickly in late 2007. We had to face more and more difficulties. Although being a director, I had to resign at the end of 2008 because I refused to fire my three excellent associates. But I haven’t lost my confidence in the future.

Thanks to God,I got my first long holiday in my life. That is why I can be here. By the way, I got a new offer, and will go back to my favorite career in May this year. What I wish is that I can have another golden decade!

f you’re looking for some catchy opening sentence, don’t get your hopes up. But if you want to read a true story about an infamous celebrity, look no further. Here we go.

I grew up in a blue collar family and learned responsibility at a young age. I learned to enjoy working with my hands. I have been working since I could walk-taking the trash out, feeding and watering the dogs. I have a picture of myself when I was seven years old standing in the front yard with a leaf blower on my back. The leaf blower was almost as big as I was. Before I was nine, I was on the roof of my house with my dad, cleaning gutters and repairing our roof.

At the age of 14, I got m first job picking weeds, mowing grass, and doing small carpentry jobs for an elderly couple. I didn’t work for much. The old man was unable to get out of bed on his own and just needed help. The following summer, I started working on a cattle farm. The work continued until I was 18 years old, all year round, on weekends and occasionally after school. I put up and repaired barbed wire and woven wire on the side of a mountain.

The summer when I was 16, I took care of a farm, over 500 acres, doing landscaping work and maintenance on several of the houses on the property. I saved up all summer to buy my first truck, a 1987 Ford Ranger. During the winter holiday season that year and the next, I worked at a warehouse after school. My summer job when I was 17 was building a house up at the Wintergreen Ski Resort.

When I was 18 I made some very poor decisions that landed me in jail for three months. When I got out, I worked for a friend doing landscaping. I soon found jobs at construction companies. At that point, I wished to pursue something else.

Finally, I landed a job training thoroughbred race horses and taking care of the owner’s small farm. While at this job, I turned 19. I was working seven days, up to 70 hours, a week. I only took off for important appointments, such as doctors’ appointments, or because of the weather. You can only do so much when it is pouring down rain. But no matter what the weather, there’s a list of things to be done, like feeding all the horses and making sure the horses are where they’re supposed to be. I’d be the first one to get to work and the last one to leave just about every day. Every day was different. That is the best job I have ever had. I’d have to go back and forth between the training center, where we housed all our "race ready" horses, and the owner’s farm, where we had pleasure horses, yearlings, race horses on a break, and the owner’s horse. Right before my present incarceration, I helped a family on their farm every day after my other job.

I have worked in all weathers. I have pulled engines off trucks I pouring rain and delivered hay on an open cab tractor in the middle of a snow storm to feed the pleasure horses at the farm. If there is one thing I have always taken seriously, it is my job. Regardless of how little I sleep I got, how sick I was, or how badly I felt from drinking and partying the night before, I was always at work on time. I would work just as hard as if I’d had plenty of sleep and felt good. I believe "if the sun is up, you’re up." I don’t believe in any excuses, unless you have a broken limb or are severely sick, for not getting up on time each morning and going to work every day. I do not mention all the side jobs my father and I have done through the years, or the days I stayed up all night working on one of my numerous trucks, while still going to work every day. You can decide what to call me; most people just call me, as in the old county song, "Hard Workin’ Man!"

was born in January 1949 in Kunar Province in Afghanistan. I completed my secondary education which was in a military school in Kabul in 1969. In the same year, I began my education at military academy in Kabul. I graduated military academy in 1971 as a Second Lieutenant. From 1971 to 1978, I served in Army. During this time I was promoted to the rank of Major.

I went to USSR in 1980 in pursuit of higher education in the field of military logistics. I studied in USSR for a period fo four years. As a result, I obtained Masters Degree, and in 1984 returned to Afghanistan. I was appointed as G4 (a supervisor) officer to the 3rd Corps.

I was transferred to 11th Division in 1986, where I served as Division G4. Two years later I was appointed as G4 to the National Guard in Kabul. After serving a year in that position, I was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General. I remained at this rank and job until 1992. My duties at National Guard included supply of food, clothing, oil, construction materials, furniture, and medical supplies. I have 20 years experience in the field of military logistics, in particular the above mentioned specialties. I also had several officers under my supervision whom I had the task of guiding, training, and monitoring.

I can fluently speak, read and write in three languages, which are Pashto, Dari, and Russian. I hold a diploma in translation that I studied for in USSR. Unfortunately, due the increasing political instability in Afghanistan in 1994, I had to flee my homeland. I went to live in Russia, where I remained until October 2008, at which time my family and I came to live in the United States of America.

My supervisor always smiles at me because he’s a very nice person, always willing to help me. Every week, I take computer class and learn new things. For example, I have learned to type with both hands. Also, I can check my payslip and email. These are very important for me and I am so lucky.

’m from Honduras. I had been an accountant in my country. I’ve lived in Charlottesville seven years. I try to speak English, and the biggest problem I have is my pronunciation. I have worked really hard for a hotel for four years. Ever year, they did my job review. I had one of the best grades, but a few days ago. I had my first trouble in my job. I am being punished for challenging my boss. I have been suspended. When I look at my life in this country, I have worked in different job - housekeeping and dishwashing. Now, I am a waitress, but I want something different. I have heard from some of my coworkers that I could take a five week class to be a certified nursing assistant , but I’m not sure if this is what I really want. My dream is to have my own business, but it is really hard. Now with the bad economy, I will need to work hard a few more years before I can be independent and be my own boss. My dream for 2009 is to enjoy my son and my boyfriend. I need my regular job. I am going to take my English class and work on my pronunciation. Unfortunately, my pronunciation and the economy have made my decisions for me. What kind of job will I have? I am scared of change, but I know that when one door closes behind me, another door will open in front of me.

am from Mon country in southeast Asia. I have been in the United States for four years and one month. Before I came to America, I didn’t know any English. I study to write, to speak and to read English every week. I am a Lab and Research Tech at the University of Virginia and I take care of animals. I want to tell you what goes on at my job.

If I put one male and one female mouse in a box together, after one month the female will have babies. A litter of pups can be as big as fifteen babies! Sometimes a first-time mom will eat her pups. Young mice are like teenagers. I call them crazy single mice. When the babies are twenty-one days old, I have to wean them from their parents.

If unrelated mice are in a box, sometimes they will fight. But if two females are in a box, they might fight or they might pull out each other’s hair. Boy mice will always fight over a girl.

The mice have many kinds of sickness. When they are sick, I see that they get help and maybe medical treatment. I hope they feel better.

The mice in the Lab live in boxes. Every week I have to put the mice in clean boxes. When I pick up one pup, the other pup jumps out of the box very quickly. They look like popcorn popping. They jump up. They jump down. They run everywhere, and they hide from me. I have to look for them and find them. When I find them, they run away. I chase them around the room. After twenty minutes they are very tired, and I can pick them up easily. I am very very tired and sweaty, too. Single mice are very crazy!

f you followed me one day while I did my job, this is what you would see. I wake up at five o'clock and at five forty-five I leave my apartment to walk to my job at UVA Facilities Management, Landscaping Department, which is located on Alderman Road.

As soon as I get to the office, I will get the truck keys and then start it up to warm. Next, I will check my supervisor's desk to see if there is any assignments from six to seven o'clock. If there is nothing, I will go out to the campus and pick up all the trash barrels on central grounds. Next I will drive back to the shop and we regroup to assign work tasks for the remainder of the day. My supervisor, Scott Burns, normally does all the planning for each zone throughout central grounds. Each day we go to a different zone. We might plant flowers, prune trees, do bed edging and mulching, or pull weeds in the warm weather. If the weather is cold, we do the same things. If it is really cold and we have ice and snow, we go out and clear sidewalks and spread sand and salt on the roads.

I enjoy doing my job in two seasons, which are summer and fall. I less enjoy doing my job in winter and spring. I am not a winter person because I came from Africa. It is warm all year along. In spring my allergies bother me.

Now you know what my day on the job is like.

am from African, Sudan.

I used to work in agriculture with my father growing sesame seeds. I sold them in the market in different cities to make money to help my family. Now in the USA I drive a truck for UVA Recycling.

I'm happy and I like my job because my boss is Sunny Beal and Bruce Frazer. I like to help people from Africa and USA. God bless USA.

I was in Egypt. I worked at a restaurant. In summertime in Cairo I sold watches and jewelry.

hen I lived in Iraq I studied in my school. I went every day. I felt happy, but the life in Iraq is not safe, and we are arrested by the security in my city and after that I finished \my degree at the Institute Department as a mechanic and I betgan work at a shop for satellite dishes, but my job was not god. I closed my shop and because I had a car, I worked driving a taxi in my city. But that job was very dangerous in my country because too many thieves stole my car. After this job I decided to go to another country, to Turkey. I worked there one year and five months. I was busy and I worked for a satellite company and in these times I felt good because I was safe in that country. I have come to the USA. I feel very good here and I want to work and live a good life. My dream is to save money and bring my fiance here and after that I will get married.

ctober 25, 2005 was the first day of my work in the USA. It was in a preschool. Because my English language was very poor and I could hardly say a few words, I started as a teacher assistant in the infant room. I helped with babies. I changed diapers, gave bottles with formula, and put children to sleep. A group of my children included cute, nice, and vigorous babies between 6 weeks and 12 months of age. My work was very hard. I had a problem communicating with other teachers, with parents and with older children. I used my English-Polish dictionary very often. Regardless that my English was very poor, the owner of the preschool kept me because I was working very well.

But slowly, my English steadily improved. I started to understand simple words and expressions. After six months, I was rewarded with an increase of my salary - 25 cents per hour. I was very happy that my work was noticed. After one year, I was promoted to full teacher with my own group of children. I had four children between 12 and 16 months of age. I was involved in many activities:artwork, reading books, and outside play.

After more than one year, my improved communication skills brought me a lot of satisfaction. I was able to communicate with others more efficiently. I had a few new English-speaking friends, and I liked to talk about fashion, kitchen, and men. At the same time, I also improved my Russian language because I was talking to parents and children from Russia.

After three years, the owner of the preschool took me to lunch and told me that she sees me as a manager. I refused and told her that maybe, in the future, when my English will be better, I could accept this position. I was deeply moved and very happy about my possible promotion.

t was two years ago when I was a student. I worked in a French hospital in Paris. A female patient came for a prosthetic hip operation and I wondered if I could see the procedure.

The surgeon accepted, so I assisted in the operation. It was very impressive, but I liked it.

At that moment, I knew that I would like to be a nurse in surgery.

y day at work stars at 8:00 with a group of ten workers. First thing is dealing with one of my co-workerswhich lights up my morning. Round about 9 o’clock, I check my e-mail to see if anybody has sent me mail. Then at 10:00, I take a break and smoke a cigarette with my co-worker. Then around about 11 o’clock, I walk around to see if everybody is doing what they are supposed to be doing. Then at 12 o’clock, I eat lunch, talk, and watch the news with my co-worker. We talk, laugh, and goof off. After lunch, I go to a building and do an inspection to see if everything has passed. I would do at least two buildings a day. I might get some phone calls from the supervisor and the boss to check on things that students have sent in on work orders. Then by 1:30, I am getting ready for my GED class. Then around 1:45, I am walking to class with my co-worker. At 2 o’clock, I sign in, then Miss Woody starts going over our homework. In class, we talk about how I don’t understand some of the questions and our lesson that I don’t get. Then, around 3:25, I get ready to walk back and check my e-mail again, to see if I got any messages. Then, I unlock the key box, sign out, and get ready to go home at 4:27.

That is how a day at work is.

he story begins when I came to United States to work. I didn’t speak English, and I didn’t know anything about my new job. My job is masonry. We make big buildings like additions to UVA Hospital, banks, UVA Library, sports buildings like this special job called John Paul Jones Arena.

In this job, something special happened to me to be responsible for something very important for the community of Charlottesville. I stayed two and a half years, sometimes working seven days a week. We used the biggest cranes in the United States. Some days we have up to 30 tractor trailers in the job to bring concrete pieces for the arena. Each truck brought one piece at a time. It was so heavy. The traffic was terrible from 3:30 AM to 4:00 PM every day. At the end of the day everybody went home safely. Now I am working in Harrisonburg in James Madison University. In this job, I saw the president of the United States of America, Mr. Barack Obama. He came in a real big helicopter. I didn’t have the opportunity to talk to him (I wish). But when he was leaving, he waved to us. The security police closed the job for two hours but I had to work all day.