Saul, an apprentice carpenter with JP Cullen, was selected to be featured on the Immigrant Journeys from South of the Border/! Mi travesia hasta Wisconsin! Exhibition.
This project is presented by the Wisconsin Humanities Council in partnership with Centro Hispano. Centro Hispano’s programs and services are built to empower youth, strengthen families, and engage with the community. The Wisconsin Humanities supports and creates programs that use history, culture, and discussion to strengthen community life for everyone in Wisconsin. Saul’s story is one of success, but without the help he received from a nonprofit workforce intermediary named BIG STEP, he may not be where he is today.
The journey for Saul started in Mexico. At age seven, he nearly lost his life when his mom and he trekked 11 hours through the night with no water. Saul said, “We came [looking] for a better life because we really didn’t have much there. My parents had to sell stuff on the street to buy us milk. We all became residents in six or seven months. I’m trying to become a citizen now.”
The Wisconsin Humanities Council believes that by providing these tiny glimpses into the lives of strangers, we are invited to reflect more deeply on the humanity and complexity of our individual life journeys.
Saul’s success started when he went through a boot camp program at BIG STEP, a nonprofit dedicated to helping disadvantaged minorities, women, and youth.
When speaking about his experience in the construction industry Saul said, “I am an apprentice carpenter with JP Cullen. It is a great company. I learned more in a few months than I learned in my whole life. My goal is to become a superintendent one day, and to bring that out to the younger Latino guys, that you can do that.”
We are honored to have someone as dedicated and eager as Saul as a part of our team. We wish you luck on your journey, Saul!
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