Father’s Day Spotlight: Artemio Guerrero and His Daughter Arlis

Artemio Guerrero is Southwest Key Program’s maintenance manager. He’s  worked with the company for seven years.  His daughter Arlis is a student at Southwest Key’s partner school, East Austin College Prep.

Artemio was born in Nuevo Leon, Mexico and comes from a large family. In 1992, when he was 28 years old, he decided to come to the United States. He says he was looking for a new adventure and had always wanted a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor tennis shoes. He heard from his cousin that they were sold in America and that life was better there.

“In reality, life is good when you work hard,” says Artemio. He spent the first few years of his life working as a migrant worker on the farms in California where he met his wife, Elizabeth. Artemio moved to Texas when he married his wife and their wedding was the subject of a PBS documentary, La Boda.

While Elizabeth was studying at St. Edward’s University in Austin, she discovered she was pregnant. “It was difficult for my wife to get pregnant. We tried for many years and finally God gave us a daughter,” he says. When Artemio first found out, he was traumatized because he was unemployed at the time and was nervous about being a first time dad because he did not have the financial resources for a newborn.

When Arlis was born, it changed Artemio’s life. He was able to obtain employment with a local Catholic church as a groundskeeper. “My daughters are everything to me. They are my future and I’ll support them for everything,” says Artemio.

Artemio says he is lucky to have the opportunity to see his daughter every day at work.

“I can protect her at school while being involved with her education,” says Artemio.

Arlis likes seeing her father on campus everyday because it makes her feel safer. “Sometimes, when he is not busy, he will eat lunch with me,” says Arlis. “After school, he will help me with my homework. He encourages me to read because reading is important.”

Next year, his younger daughter, Arlette will attend EAPrep as a second grade student.

“Education is everything!” Artemio enthusiastically endorses. “Education can give my daughters a better life. They can be professionals and have a better life than me. They can choose to be whatever they want in life and not be limited with their careers.”

“I’m very proud of my dad because he helps make the school beautiful,” says Arlis. “When I grow up, I want to be just like my dad.”