Moving to the United States from Mexico at the age of two, Diana Gonzalez knew first-hand the communication difficulties her family had while she was growing up. “I usually had to translate for my mother whenever she would have appointments,” Diana recalls. After high school, Diana wasn’t sure of her career path, but came to Piedmont Community College to take college transfer classes. Her educational journey led her to the Human Services Technology and Human Services, Social Services concentration programs at Piedmont CC.

As a student, she was able to complete an internship at Durham Urban Ministries, where she found herself interviewing clients and sharing needed information. That experience solidified her career goal. “I like to help people, especially those with language barriers,” Diana said. She’ll receive her Associate of Applied Science degrees in May and hopes to put her education to work doing just that.