The Capitol Hill Center was founded on having a multicultural community learning center for adults that could give Spanish-speaking students the skills to go out and find a job or start their own business.

(Featured photo: OCCC Capital Hill Center in southern Oklahoma City – Photo by Ian Torres)

The OCCC Capitol Hill Center is in the heart of Capitol Hill in southern Oklahoma City. 

It is impossible not to notice it when you walk through the Capitol Hill district.

The Capitol Hill Center was founded on having a multicultural community learning center for adults that could give Spanish-speaking students the skills to go out and find a job or start their own business.

“We focus on helping the Hispanic adults in this community, and so far, they need to learn English. So we offer bilingual classes. That means that we speak English and Spanish so that the students understand better,” Beatriz Mayer said.

Mayer is a full-time English Language Learners (ELL) teacher at the OCCC Capitol Hill Center. She also teaches SERV Safe food safety classes and sometimes helps teach GED classes.

OCCC Capitol Hill Center is in the heart of Capitol Hill in southern Oklahoma City (Photo by Ian Torres).

Mayers has been involved with the OCCC since 2000, having been part of this organization for 22 years, dedicated to helping those who need it most.

“We have a class called ‘skills for success,’ and it’s a very thorough class because it takes you from the basics of what you might need at a job. Customer service, how to go on an interview, dress, and ask questions,” said Mayers.

One could say that this Capitol Hill Center can be assimilated to the FACE Center, which also teaches English, ESL, ELL, and GED classes, but it is not precisely the same.

“At the place [FACE Center], the students are very different because the population that speaks Spanish to you is very small because it is an international school. In the case of being here on Capitol Hill, it is different because you have more things related to people that come here because a lot of them, or the majority, I think 90% come from Mexico, although they are from different regions, explains Araceli Ortiz, Administrative Assistant.

Ortiz takes her work very personally. She found herself in the situation that many students who come to Capitol Hill Center find themselves in. The language barrier, not knowing how to use technology, academic imitations, among others.

“I know what it’s like to arrive and not know the language, to have language limitations. When you go to the doctor, you want to go eat something different than Hispanic food. I knew all those kinds of things, I lived them, and I like being involved in society, helping people when they need it,” Ortiz said with a smile on her face.

But here is the big problem, the demand for these programs is growing rapidly, and having two teachers is not enough. 

Mayers being a full-time teacher and another part-time teacher, plus Ortiz, is not enough to be able to help all these people who want to improve themselves or seek better opportunities.

Ortiz points out that “few people (outside of the Spanish world) are interested in the programs, and almost nobody knows that we exist. And more than anything, few know how we grew in a year”

She adds that during the fall classes, they had an enrollment of around 109 students and that now, in May, they will finish classes with almost 200 students.

So, the inclination has been shown in this great center. Likewise, a waiting list has begun due to a lack of teachers, with students interested in taking one of these classes.

Araceli Ortiz (left) and Beatriz Mayer (right) (Photo by Ian Torres).

“I see a very big future for this center… My dream would be for us to have up to eight classes. Obviously, resources are needed. I think that (the lack of resources) could be more than anything, that limits us to having four [classes] in the morning and four [classes] in the afternoon due to lack of money. But people, we have a waiting list.” Ortiz said hopeful.

“We come for a better life or give our children a better life. So, my parents came to give us a better life, and I have a better life because of them. And I see some of my students doing the same thing, and it’s wonderful. It’s awesome.” said Mayers when asked about teaching students.

The Capitol Hill Center, as Ortiz said, “is a gold mine that has never, never been exploited.” Although it has dedicated teachers who look out for the interests of their students. 

It is crucial to explore this gold mine and demonstrate its potential.

And with this, remember that the future of many of these people who come from other countries in search of a better opportunity for themselves and their families begins with learning the language, having the work skills, and getting a GED, which many want to obtain, but due to lack of attention and funds, they cannot do so.