Leonardo Sampaio Carmagnani 

“As a self employed delivery driver I used to pass in front of WAES college quite frequently and could always see the banners promoting courses so I became curious about what I could learn to potentially get a better job. I came to one of WAES’s open days and discovered many opportunities, the support staff and tutors really took into account my abilities and interests in accounting and I received guidance on what I needed to achieve before I could enrol onto any Association of Accounting Technicians course.

Originally I am from Brazil and some of the challenges I faced was speaking English but again WAES recommended ESOL courses I could take to improve my language skills. When my wife and daughter finally joined me in the UK in 2018 we lived in a 1 bed apartment and my wife was also pregnant with our second child, it was difficult to manage my time learning and working to provide a living for my family but because I could see my progress at WAES it motivated to attend class everyday and push for a better standard of living.

After completing my accounting courses, I am now in a position where I now have a mortgage for a beautiful home and I am able to help others within the Brazilian community who have decided to live a permanent life in the UK after Brexit was announced. It’s fulfilling to share the knowledge I learnt in the law module in my accounting course with others just so I can make a difference in their lives.”