When you watch Tien Le work, he does not seem to be overwhelmed by the weight of employment requests he gets from students. Tien is the Employment Coordinator at the Carlos Rosario School. He spends his days in his office at the Sonia Gutierrez Campus creating and implementing an employer outreach strategy and helping students find jobs. Tien helps place students with employers. “I have to create jobs every day through my network and the internet,” he said.

Eight Nurse Aide Training students that Tien recently placed are working on the facilities team for the Environmental Services Department at the National Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. This helps give students real-world exposure critical to their future working environments after they finish their training program at Carlos Rosario.

Students  on the job receive health insurance and flexible working time to allow them to attend school. Tien always lets employers know that they need to give students a chance to remain in school. “Usually, I have to deal with the employer to offer flexible schedule to students so they can continue class,” Tien said. “If the student has morning class, their job schedule will be after 12pm.”

The process that led to this arrangement was not easy. “I had to screen qualified students after knowing the employers’ requirements,” he said. After that, Tien invited employers to meet students for job interviews in his office. Perhaps the biggest benefit of all, after the eight students graduate from Carlos Rosario School as Certified Nursing Aides, they could have a chance to apply for a full-time job at the hospital.

Tien dedicates his life to finding the School’s students jobs every day. His secret: love and passion. “When I feel pressure, I always think about immigrants with love…If there is no love, you cannot do my job because people will not come to see you,” he said.

Tien is himself an immigrant, moving to the U.S. from Vietnam with his family. He joined the Carlos Rosario School 20 years ago, first as a Job Developer, and then he was promoted and became the School’s Employment Coordinator.

“The Carlos Rosario School is my second family. I have learned a lot and continue to learn more,” Tien said. Prior to joining the Carlos Rosario School, he worked as a Job Developer with Catholic Charities’ refugee program for more than 10 years. Tien has never forgotten how difficult it can be for immigrants and refugees coming in a new country and starting a new life in a new language.

“Every single day I do my best to help students in the job market,” Tien said. He is proud to have helped thousands of former and current students to join the local workforce over the years.