( CNN ) -- Gaby Ortiz was just 15 years old when she left her home in Mexico and emigrated to the United States in the late 1990s . She was young , newly married and thought achieving the American Dream would be instantaneous . But her life in Atlanta , Georgia , did n't quite start out that way . She was scared , did n't speak any English , could n't find a job , and was pregnant with her first child . Over the next few years , Ortiz gave birth to two children , Ramiro and Alondra . She says she stayed home all the time and she only associated with the Latino community in Atlanta because it was the only place she felt comfortable . However , her life changed when Ramiro began kindergarten in 2004 . Ortiz still did n't speak English and had no idea how she was going to be able to help Ramiro with his schoolwork . Ortiz says she was determined to learn English and fast . `` We put everything aside . No Spanish TV . It was just English . So , Ramiro whatever he brought from school I was learning with him , helping him , and learning and going to classes . '' Opinion : Economy and immigration linked to American dream . That same year , Ortiz heard about LaAmistad , a nonprofit after-school tutoring organization specifically geared to Latino students and their families . She enrolled Ramiro to make sure that someone could help him with his schoolwork . She was mainly concerned that he would n't speak English well and would fall behind in school . LaAmistad is different from most after-school programs because it also provides classes and workshops for parents . In addition to English as a second language classes , there are also workshops on finance , health , nutrition and parenting . Parents learn everything from balancing a checkbook to how to cook healthy meals on a limited budget . `` The La Amistad families have been able to acclimate here in the U.S. so much easier because we 've given them the tools . They are very comfortable in social settings . They are comfortable participating in the PTA . They are comfortable going to the grocery store and having a conversation with the checkout lady , '' says La Amistad Program Director Cat McAfee . Opinion : How American can fix its immigration system . `` What we 've noticed is the parents are then more invested . They will go into the school and advocate for their children and it makes for a well-rounded family . '' The program started in 2001 at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta with a couple dozen students and a handful of volunteers . Since then , the program has helped more than 100 students and their families , says McAfee . LaAmistad has also opened two other campuses in Atlanta and one in Mount Pleasant , Texas . It plans on opening a dozen more campuses over the next five years in Atlanta and other locations in the United States with a high Latino population . Ortiz and her children have been a part of LaAmistad for eight years . Now 30 , she is a single mother raising three children . Ortiz says that thanks in part to LaAmistad , she is fluent in English , has a full-time job , takes GED classes , and is active at her children 's schools . Her daughter Alondra , in sixth grade , and younger son Marco , now in kindergarten , have received full scholarships to an Atlanta private school , she told CNN . Ramiro is in the eighth grade and plans to go to college to become a cardiologist or a lawyer . LaAmistad , says Ortiz , is helping her family make their American dreams come true . Immigrants in America : The second-generation story .
It started out with a dozen students . Program provides the children and parents with language , education , counseling . A similar program opened in Texas and there are plans to open a few more campuses .