Literacy Door County Featured Student: Jaime Arellano Castillo

¡Buenos días! Hola, me llamo Jaime. Oops. ¡En inglés! 

Hello, my name is Jaime. I am 29 years old and was born and raised in Puebla, Mexico. I am the second-youngest of eight children. In 2014, I graduated from the Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria in Puebla. I am a licensed veterinarian. 

After graduation, I practiced for a time in Mexico, but I decided that I could gain more experience in the veterinary field by moving for a time to the United States. By coming here, I also benefit by learning about and using more modern tools and equipment; the infrastructure here in the States is more advanced. 

So, in August of 2017, I got a job and moved to Murdock, Minnesota. Believe it or not, it is colder in Murdock than it is here in Door County. After a year and a half, I moved back to Mexico. But, I still wanted to learn more, so I found the job that I have now on a farm in Forestville, where I practice animal care.

I have been working there since June of 2019, and I love it here in Door County. Door County has so many natural areas to enjoy. The people here are friendly, and I love the water, especially Lake Michigan. Here, I like to hike in the state parks and go fishing. This is similar to things I do in the mountains near my home in Mexico, such as hiking, horseback riding and deer hunting. Similar to my home in Mexico, I really appreciate the small-town life, green spaces and peacefulness of this area. 

My plan is to work two more years here in Door County and then return to Mexico to open a veterinary clinic with a friend.

Literacy Door County (LDC) is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization offering one-to-one tutoring in English to adults who wish to improve their skills in speaking, reading and writing English. 

We train our tutors, pair them with students, choose the curriculum and provide tutors and students with ongoing support. The students represent countries including China, Afghanistan, Mexico, Honduras, the Philippines, El Salvador, Peru and the Dominican Republic, as well the U.S. and Puerto Rico. LDC also offers lessons to students seeking citizenship. Although most of our students are immigrants, LDC also welcomes any adult with basic literacy needs.