Yessica Alfonso, from Chicopee, started attending the Medical Assistant program at Branford Hall Career Institute during the evenings in May 2001 with the assistance of a PELL grant. Her outstanding attitude and perseverance has not only made her a great mentor and role model to freshman classes, but also to her children. Throughout the entire program, she maintained perfect attendance and an exemplary G.P.A. of 3.90. Having English as a second language to some would be defeat, however Yessica took this challenge and overcame this obstacle. She has now finished her schooling and is currently on her externship at Mercy Hospital Women's Health Center where she has been offered a full-time position after graduation. We look forward to having Yessica go out into our medical community and become an asset to her employer as much as she has been to our school.