My Turn
Worcester County Educational Assistant Ylianfer Otazo
My journey in the U.S. has been a transformative experience. I was born in Barquisimeto, the musical city of Venezuela, and I had the honor of singing as a mezzo-soprano in the Opera Choir of Colombia and the National Choir of Peru. My path outside my country has been full of challenges and lessons. As a single mother and immigrant, I have faced countless struggles, but I have received invaluable encouragement. I have been able to guide my daughter towards her university education, which remains my greatest pride.
I felt a unique calling to serve children in a special education school. Although the salary as an educational assistant is not enough, the satisfaction of making the children happy and seeing the difference in their lives is priceless. Of course it has not been without risks; once, a teenager on an adult tricycle ran me over as if she were a royal carriage, then pedaled away happily while I was left with a fractured leg! These children are nonetheless innocent, full of genuine affection, and express themselves differently than the rest of the world.
A great challenge was communicating in English, especially when giving speeches to strangers. However, this experience made me braver and more resilient. Thanks, Worcester County, for helping me improve my English and earn a GED diploma! I now face a new challenge: achieving certification in Maryland to pursue my dream of teaching music.
My love of music began thanks to my mother. I played the clarinet in the Doralisa Children’s Orchestra when the now world-famous Gustavo Dudamel was the concertmaster! Later, I graduated with a degree in music education at the University Institute of Musical Studies, in the city of Caracas, and began studies in opera singing, which I chose not to complete due to political changes imposed on the academic curriculum.
The union is essential to my professional growth, providing me with the tools to understand our rights. I had the joy of working as a 2025 ESP Summer Organizer using the ESP
Bill of Rights to help support staff recognize the value of our union to build power and strength at the bargaining table for better contracts. One job should be enough for education employees. I believe in the crucial role of unions, as established in the National Labor Relations Act of 1935: “The right of employees to organize, form unions, and bargain collectively is protected by the NLRA.” This is essential for building a safer and fairer environment in this beautiful nation that has opened its doors to me. For this, I am deeply grateful to every wonderful person I have met here. To all Americans: infinite thanks and many blessings.