JTHS Bridge Builder Spotlight: Alma Montero

The child of Mexican immigrants, Alma Montero and her family found the United States educational system quite challenging to navigate. Now serving as a JTHS Bridge Builder, Montero hopes to help serve as a bridge between the school and families who may also find themselves struggling to navigate the traditional school path. Despite the challenges she faced, Montero now has a master’s degree in business administration, works as a Process Manager at Kane County Information Technologies, and owns a travel agency in partnership with her husband.

Growing up in Joliet, Montero attended Lincoln and A.O. Marshall Grade Schools, Gompers Junior High School, and Joliet West High School. Despite her strong work ethic and love of learning, Montero found herself struggling at West and dropped out. Taking the nontraditional path, Montero completed her high school education through the American School of Correspondence, which she completed in August of 2002.

Recalling her time at West, Montero said, “One of the teachers I remember very well and enjoyed going to her class was Ms. Kelli Setina. I remember that she always had something interesting going on in her Biology class that made me look forward to it. I think why I also remember her so well is because she had a personality that also made me want to not only go to her class but to stay and do my work. High school is always tough and having teachers that look for ways to connect with their students is a good feeling.”

Montero knew that she had the potential to grow and achieve whatever she set her mind to. After completing her high school education, Montero attended DeVry University and then transferred to Benedictine University where she obtained her associate’s degree in Business Administration. She later attended Lewis University, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Business Management (2 minors: Project Management & Computer Information Systems), and a master’s degree in Business Administration (3 minors: Finance, Human Resources, Operational Management).

As the Process Manager at Kane County Information Technologies, Montero’s main responsibilities are to maintain the Finance and Human Resource application, Time and Attendance application, Transparency requirements for the County and serve as the Project Manager for projects that tie into any of these applications.

When asked what advice she would give to current high school students, Montero said, “My advice for anyone in high school is to no matter what always finish high school. Whether it is the traditional way, or like in my case if you have to look for alternatives, do so. I know school is not for everyone and it can be challenging. However, I also know that whichever way you look (even if it's not college) your best shot will be to have a high school diploma. Look for help whether to finish high school or just in general, and don't be afraid to ask for it. If for some reason the first place you look for help doesn't work out, don't give up. Keep looking and asking.”

Montero also said, “I am available to help parents and students with Bilingual needs (Spanish/English), providing information or helping with resources I may have access to. I serve on the Board of the (HLC) Hispanic Latino Coalition that awards scholarships for high school seniors to attend college so information in this area as well.”

This article features a JTHS Bridge Builder. Learn more about the JTHS Bridge Builder here: https://www.jths.org/family-resources/bridge-builders