MiraCosta College Marcelo Gonçalves, a former student in the English as a Second Language program continues to excel in the manufacturing and engineering industry in San Diego.
Hailing from Brazil, Gonçalves has utilized MiraCosta College courses to learn a new language and build a career as a manufacturing engineer.
“That’s the best part about MiraCosta College,” Gonçalves said. “It’s so much more than the academics. I have had professors and counselors who worked with me to update my job resume and others who helped me with my citizenship requirements. They truly want to see me succeed as a student and as a person.”
Gonçalves began by completing all six-credit courses in English for non-native speakers. The courses focused on providing advanced skill development to students like Gonçalves whose first language is not English.
It offers participants the tools and techniques students need to reach their goals, whether they be academic preparation, workplace improvement, or personal enrichment. And for Gonçalves, it was as much professional as it was personal.
While taking ESL courses at MiraCosta College, Gonçalves learned about the Welding Program offered through MiraCosta College’s Technology Career Institute. Having come from a manufacturing trade background in Brazil, Marcelo knew the program could open even more doors for his future.
Gonçalves enrolled and began applying himself the same as he did with ESL courses. The 132-hour program, designed to train students to qualify for an American Welding Society code, proved to be a big catalyst in Gonçalves’ career trajectory. Thanks to the connections facilitated by his MiraCosta College professors, Gonçalves found a job and quickly took on more responsibility.
Never one to stop excelling, Gonçalves tapped back into the opportunities at MiraCosta College to diversify his skills and qualifications. In May 2023, even though he was already thriving in the region’s workforce, Gonçalves enrolled in Quality Assurance courses at MiraCosta College to deepen his level of expertise and is now pursuing a certificate through the Engineering Technicians Program so he can pursue larger engineering roles.
“I keep wanting to go back to MiraCosta College because of how supportive the community is,” he said. “I have seen firsthand how beneficial the programs can be for my career development and I want to take advantage of every opportunity possible to pursue my dreams.”
Join MiraCosta College’s Engineering Technicians Program in the spring. The program offers a practical, hands-on approach that combines theory with real-world application. MiraCosta College is accepting applications for two upcoming sessions, on Jan. 2, 2024, and April 29.
Enroll at MiraCosta College’s Technology Career Institute today.
