Juliana Carvajal is an attorney from Colombia who was intent on mastering the English language in the US. That led her to CSI and a new direction.

Coming to a new country can be scary, especially when you aren’t comfortable with the language. But Juliana Carvajal was determined to learn English by completely immersing herself in a new culture. She left a career in Colombia a few years ago to pursue her goal, “I am a lawyer, but I left in December of 2022. I moved to Boston. I have gone to different schools to learn English.“

She eventually ended up at CSI and things have progressed with her education, “Last year, I started with English,” says Juliana. She was enrolled in the English as a Second Language program at CSI, but she wanted to challenge herself. 

“Well I will be honest, I’ve been studying English for two years. Last year I decided I wanted to upscale because I’m a 34 year old woman and I wanted a challenge to expand my knowledge. I wanted to do something different that would help with my career and what I’m doing here,” she says. She decided to enroll in the Marketing Concentration at CSI. It hasn’t always been easy, “My big challenge was because my English was not the best, but I wanted to start with a program so I can get better.”

Because she is a fairly new English speaker, Juliana says she has to work harder than most people, “I have to grind three or four times harder but thanks to the school, it has been a great opportunity to get better with my English. I’ve improved with all of my classes. My teachers have been very understanding with that.”

Juliana is constantly working on her English skills, even outside of the classroom. Many students are focused on making new friends. Juliana has a few acquaintances, but she is in school for a reason. Even her hobbies revolve around her goals, “I like to listen to podcasts. I like challenges, so I listen in English to help me learn. I’m not someone who goes out with friends because education is very important to me.”

She has positive things to say about CSI, “There are so many good things about the school. The flexibility, and the schedule, the classes, and the cost,” says Juliana. In fact, she says the payment plan is something that F-1 visa students might want to consider, “For example, you can pay per quarter. I once studied at a school in the US where I had to pay 100% before I even enrolled.”

CSI also offers flexibility that a lot of people love, “At another school I was scheduled Monday to Friday but CSI is more flexible,” she says. She is part of the hybrid program where she takes part of the class online and part of it in person. It’s been a great fit, “You have to take advantage of that and keep in mind the schedules and the costs.” 

Juliana has just achieved the goal of many international students, “I applied for my OPT and in just two weeks it was approved.” OPT, or Optional Practical Training, is offered through CSI to give students practical real-world training in their field of study. Juliana is in the process of looking for a position, but is confident she will find something, “I’m currently looking for a position and actively applying to different opportunities.”

Once she is done with her time at CSI, she has plans for the future, “I’m going to move to New York State. I’m in the process of applying for my EB2 Visa,” she says. Since Juliana is a lawyer, she has an advanced degree which qualifies her for this specialized visa. “If that doesn’t work, I will stay at CSI and continue with another program.”

If your goal is to improve your English, CSI has multiple levels of ESL programs for people who are just starting or those who are more advanced. Contact our staff today to learn more about what we can do to help.