Most people have to wait until they’re an adult to really make a name for themselves. But little Jacob A. Ellesca’s parents have already done it for him at the ripe age of 9 months. Mrs. Maybe Ellesca Rivera, an immigrant services participant, and her husband, Mr. Carlos Yax, named their son Jacob Abraham Yax Ellesca after Jacob A. Riis, the Danish reformer who helped start Riis Settlement. And his parents are already working to make sure he lives up to his name.
When Ms. Rivera first arrived in Queens from Peru, she was directed to a school to learn English but their fees were higher than she could afford. She was told that “nothing is free in New York City, not even the air,” so she paid for 10 weeks of classes but learned very little because the teachers “made her nervous.” Later she saw a flyer for English for Speakers of Other Languages classes at Riis Settlement. She was nervous about calling because she didn’t know if the person on the other end of the phone would understand her, but she faced her fears and signed up for free ESOL classes at Riis Settlement.
One day when Ms. Rivera was feeling down, Riis Settlement’s immigrant Services Program Director, Karina Wegman, pulled her aside and asked her what her dream was. She told her she wanted to be a cosmetologist. Ms. Rivera once had a cosmetology business in Peru. She loved working with colors and beautifying people – and she liked not having a boss. Ms. Wegman kept an eye out for opportunities for Ms. Rivera and found a class for her to take that would enable her to meet the cosmetology requirements of the United States. Ms. Rivera began taking cosmetology classes and graduated in 2012, and also with the help of Riis Settlement, she became a citizen in 2014. Then another little blessing came along — the birth of their first child, a son. When it came time to name him, the choice was simple.
“Jacob Riis opened doors for me,” Ms. Rivera said. She had learned in class that Jacob Riis saw the needs of people who were struggling and did his best to help them. She had also learned about a great man named Abraham Lincoln, who she felt was the “best president.” These individuals possessed the kind of characteristics she wanted to see in her son. So she named him Jacob Abraham.
They have already demonstrated their gratitude. The couple donated to Riis Settlement, and Ms. Rivera is planning to give more once she is working again. She’s taking time off now to be home with little Jacob until he’s walking and talking. Later she would like to go back to school to become a cosmetology instructor.
“The school needs the help of those who have been helped.” Mr. Yax said. When asked what he would say to encourage others to make a donation to Riis Settlement he said, bouncing his baby boy in his arms, “dreams do come true if we help each other.”
Won’t you help other new immigrants fulfill their dreams? A gift of $200 provides 10 hours of English instruction for non-English speakers. We are grateful for the generosity of Mrs. Maybe Rivera and Mr. Carlos Yax. And we’re looking for great things from little Jacob A. Ellesca, who has already made quite a name for himself.
