Language stood between Vanessa Matassini and her goal of going into the financial industry because her basic English skills just didn't cut it on a professional level.

Originally from Peru, Matassini moved to Utah to pursue higher education but first found herself getting the English training she needed through the English Language Institute at the University of Utah. After finishing the program a year ago, the 25-year-old is on track to get her finance degree from the U., and she encouraged another crop of ESL students to stick with it as they graduated from the same ESL program Monday night.

Nineteen students graduated Monday night from the Institute program, which is a partnership between the U. and Zions Bank to give adult learners a higher level of English proficiency.

"If they want to work here, my advice is just get going and don't give up. Sometimes its hard, but if you don't give up, you can make it," Matassini said.

The ESL program takes a semester to complete and equips non-native English speakers with professional-level skills to go beyond menial jobs and vocabulary. Adult Latino students spend two hours each evening for 16 weeks in the program.

"They're just exhausted and they have to sacrifice seeing their families for that time," said Theresa Martinez, assistant vice president for academic outreach at the U. "It's amazing what they're willing to sacrifice for the good of their family."

Monday's graduating class is the fifth group of students to complete the program since it began in 2005. Most students leave the program with a passing grade on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam. That achievement can often open up job and college opportunities for non-native speakers, Martinez said.

"They come here and they're stymied in their growth, and they end up in some kind of job where they are barely surviving," she said. "When we ask them what they want to do, almost all of them want to go the university. That says a lot."

Zions Bank also offered the graduates a $200 checking account. Zions Bank donates $24,000 a year for the ESL program.

For Matassini, the program opened the door to the University of Utah. Now in her senior year, she hopes to get a job in the financial sector.

"It makes me feel more confident. It's never too late to start, and time is flying," she said.

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E-mail: estewart@desnews.com