Education is "a dream come true" for one area resident By COBY LaRUE Staff Santiago Rosalino Dominguez was getting ready for a milestone in his life last week - the 30-year-old Aldama, Mexico native was preparing to take the test for his General Equivalency Diploma (GED). Dominguez has been attending classes in Alleghany at Wilkes Community College for two years in preparation for the test. Prior to that, Dominguez studied for the test for about a year in Grayson County, Va. After three years of preparation, Dominguez notes with a smile, "I'm ready." Dominguez, who has been nicknamed "Miguel" by friends and co-workers, is a native of the San Fernando Valley who came to the United States to work as a legal alien. His hometown of Aldama is about the size of Sparta, he noted. Dominguez said that he first tried to cross the border illegally several times and then got a work visa (green card) and a passport with the help of a cousin. His first job was on a dock in Houston, where he worked for 18 months. He re-entered the country in November of 1992 with two goals in mind, learning to speak English and getting a driver's license.

Santiago "Miguel" Dominguez pauses for a photo at his place of employment last Friday.

After taking agricultural work in Louisiana and later in Georgia, Dominguez was introduced to a Mexican pastor in Boxley, Ga. who helped him begin to learn English. Dominguez lived with the pastor and his family and learned some English and attended church services.

Soon afterwards, he returned to Mexico and told his father that he had learned to speak some English. His father replied that he would never learn to speak English.

Dominguez then traveled to Kentucky and worked as a groomsman for a horse farm until he heard about opportunities for working in Christmas trees in North Carolina. He then came to Sparta and took his current job, working for New River Evergreens just over the Grayson County, Va. line on the New River.

Ever since he left his home, he calls his family every weekend. As soon as he gets his diploma, Dominguez plans to take some time off work and visit his family for a couple of weeks. He said that he is very proud of his accomplishments since he has been in this country and plans to return to show his family how far he has come.

"I will tell them that my dream came true," he said.

He said that those who cannot speak English and are not educated here only get the most manual labor jobs.

"Those who speak better English get a better job," Dominguez said. "I wanted to have a good education."

Even though Dominguez graduated high school in Mexico, which he said is very similar to a standard 12-year American education, English was not one of the subjects that he studied.

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