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Buffalo EOC – 1977 A Woman Who had the Vision to be Like the EOC Lourdes Iglesias was the first person in her family to graduate from high school. In fact, she put herself through Catholic High School. For one of seven children in a single-mother immigrant family from Puerto Rico on the lower west side of Buffalo, that would be considered a success in itself. After high school graduation, Ms. Iglesias was awarded a scholarship to the University at Buffalo as an EOP student. But she wasn’t sure she was ready for college yet. So she enrolled in the Dental Assistant program at the Buffalo EOC in 1977. She states, “I feel very strongly about the EOC and what they do. They gave me a strong feeling of self-worth and really cared about me. I wanted to be like them someday.” The EOC enabled her to eventually earn a B.S. in History and Government from Daemen College in 1990. She also attended Public Service and Special Community Training in the Leadership of Buffalo in 1996. In 1997, Ms. Iglesias worked as a licensed insurance broker for all types of insurance in the Buffalo area. But Ms. Iglesias did not enjoy her job. She wanted to provide a solution that would help people and make a difference in her community – like she is right now. Since 1998, Ms. Iglesias has been the Youth Opportunity Manager for the Buffalo Employment Training Center. Youth Opportunity provides employment and training for people 14-21 years old in federal enterprise communities. Ms. Iglesias points out, “I helped create a system for delivering services that cover all aspects of youth life in high-crime, high-risk areas. This helps give city kids the opportunity to succeed.” She adds, “I still have a good working relationship with the EOC. I refer kids to the EOC for SAT prep, GED and short-term occupational courses.” |
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