Nixzali Salcedo Pena knew so little English when she moved to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic that, whenever a diner at a restaurant where she worked asked for something, she would bring the person a spoon.

"I had no idea what they wanted," she says now with a laugh.

But through Wake Tech, Salcedo Pena not only became fluent in English, she also started down the road toward her dream of becoming an architect.

"I didn't have anything when I came here, but Wake Tech helped build my dream," she said.

Salcedo Pena grew up reading history books and was so fascinated by the Egyptian pyramids and the Roman Coliseum that she knew from a young age that she wanted to be an architect.

"I wanted to make cool stuff," she said.

After waiting 13 years for their green cards, she and her family moved to Bronx, N.Y., in 2013, but she quickly decided she didn't like living in the city. An uncle in North Carolina told her to come down for a visit, and she immediately felt more at home.

She worked three jobs to save money for college while learning English. When a co-worker told her how affordable Wake Tech is and how easy it is to transfer credits to four-year universities, she quickly enrolled. Once on campus, she was amazed at the array of student resources.

"I used the tutoring center quite a lot," she said. "They helped me sharpen my reading and writing."

Salcedo Pena started off in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and remedial math courses to get up to college-level fluency in both subjects. Eventually, she was able to pursue an Associate in Arts degree.

Her favorite class was ACA-122: College Transfer Success, which, like EFL and remedial math courses, is taught by the Academic Foundations Department.

"I'm forever grateful for that class," she said, noting she still uses tips on setting priorities and time management she learned there.

"We understand that forming strong relationships with faculty and peers and receiving individualized support in the first year are critical to the future success of many Wake Tech students," said Patrick Morris, associate department head for Academic Foundations. "Our faculty are intentional about creating a classroom atmosphere where students are free to ask questions, talk openly about weaknesses and express anxieties without being made to feel like they don't belong."

Salcedo Pena says Wake Tech supported her not only as a student, but also her as an individual. One of her teachers put her in touch with resources to cope with the death of her grandfather, for example, while her nomination to join the Phi Theta Kappa honor society gave her confidence to forge ahead with her plan to be an architect.

"All the support helped me build a toolbox to draw on when I need it," she said. "If I hadn't received all that support from Wake Tech, I wouldn't be here now."

Despite being told that admission to North Carolina State University's College of Design is extremely competitive, she applied and was accepted. She earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design in Architecture and master's degrees in both Architecture and Landscape Architecture from N.C. State.

"I had a passion in me. I didn't want anyone telling me the road is too tough," she said. "I had been through so much, faced so many hurdles."

Salcedo Pena has worked for Durham-based architecture firm O'Brien Atkins since 2022, working on projects as diverse as the new Biomanufacturing Education and Skills Training Center in Wilson to building renovations at Duke University. She expects to complete the required hours to become a licensed architect by early 2027.

"I find the same support from the leadership of O'Brien Atkins that I found at Wake Tech," she said, "helping guide me toward my goals."