Immigrant Heritage Month: Meet Olga!

This Immigrant Heritage Month, we are celebrating our staff’s incredible journeys by sharing some of their stories.

Meet Olga Lucia Acosta! Olga was born in Bogota, Colombia, but she has been in the United States for almost 24 years.

Olga moved to the United States to be with her husband. She says that while the U.S. is now her home, and she especially loves how safe she feels here, she also had to overcome some challenges while adjusting to life in a new country.

“One of my challenges was going to college to get a library science degree in a language that was not my maternal tongue,” Olga says. “Writing essays was one of the most difficult things at the beginning of my college days.”

Olga still cherishes the memories of her first years in the States. She remembers studying the history and geography of the U.S. for months before taking the test to become an American citizen.

“The day of the oral test I was a nerve wreck, fearing that they would ask me something I didn’t remember,” Olga says. “When my time came, the person asked me the simplest questions I could ever imagine!! Of course, I answered all correctly and, at the end, he said, ‘Congratulations! You passed the test.’”

Olga has always dreamed of becoming a librarian, she says, but she was encouraged to pursue different paths as a child in Colombia. Living in the United States, made her dream of working at the library a reality.

Thanks for being part of our team, Olga!