The American Dream at Work

Meet Adriana Zoder.

Hard work, a pioneering spirit and tenacity have always been her keys to success.

Any Dream Will Do

As a fifth grader in her native Romania, Adriana was asked by a teacher to write down what she would like to be when she grows up. Adriana did not hesitate. She loved singing and playing the violin. However, her dream had always been to be an English teacher. Ten years later, she would teach English in the United States. Here’s what happened…  

Adriana’s passion for foreign languages and English in particular materialized when she passed the entrance exam at the University of Bucharest, majoring in French and English.

By now Romania had become a democracy, leaving behind half a century of communist regimes. After a successful year at the most prestigious university in Romania, Adriana was offered a scholarship to study in the United States. Leaving her family and country behind, Adriana embarked on her first flight. It was the beginning of an incredible journey. In her four years of college in rural Virginia, attending a small private college and majoring in Publications Management, Adriana impressed her instructors with her mastery of the English language. Soon, she was teaching fellow international students English as a Second Language. By 21, Adriana was living her childhood dream. It was time to dream a new dream…

Travelling the World

As a soprano in the college choir, Adriana traveled the world over. Pages had to be added to her passport to accommodate all the stamped visas. After college, Adriana accepted an administrative position for a private English-speaking school near Gothenburg, Sweden. “It was my first job as a college graduate and everything was so new. I was scheduling my former teachers to come as visiting lecturers and realized they were now treating me as their equal. It was an amazing feeling,” says Adriana. 

Over time, Adriana realized she wanted to use her language skills more. She obtained a job with a phone company in Stockholm, where she could speak to customers in French, English, Romanian and, soon enough, Swedish. “Living in the capital of Sweden was the best time of my life that side of the Atlantic. I spoke some Swedish when I moved to the Swedish capital, but I became fluent by speaking to our customers and my colleagues.”

Adriana’s talents did not go unnoticed. Only six months into the job, she was offered the position of Billing Manager. She was trained to prepare 100,000 bills per month, for customers in Sweden, Norway and Holland, from the wholesaler’s “raw” call data records. “The training took long hours for about a month. Once I got it, I was OK, but I remember crying one night. It was my birthday and I was still at the office at 9pm, exhausted and not even sure I was ever going to learn the process. It was tough, but I pulled through. I like challenges.”

Customer Service was nervous every month around billing time. Customers could get a little – shall we say – colorful. Adriana’s first billing was so quiet, many colleagues came to ask what she had done to the bills. Needless to say, billing was no longer an awful time for staff or clients from then on.

America Beckons… Again

All this time, American non-profits were calling Adriana – former acquaintances who wanted to offer her a job. At first, Adriana declined respectfully. Several months and phone calls later, it was time to return to the greatest country in the world. “Down in the depth of my heart, I knew I loved the States more than any other country I had seen or lived in. The free market, capitalism at its best… I had lived enough in Western Europe and Eastern Europe to be able to see the differences. I had caught the American bug.” 

Adriana prepared to return to the States, this time on a work visa, in August 2001. By the time she obtained the paperwork and had an embassy appointment, it was September 15, 2001. “The American Embassy in Stockholm looked like a military outpost. I knew I had very little chances of obtaining that work visa, but I went against all odds. You never know until you try. I guess I’m that way. What do you know? They gave it to me.” Once again, Adriana said goodbye to familiar faces and places she had come to love. Two years and an immigration attorney later, Adriana became a permanent resident of these United States. Her work took her from Washington State to Tennessee. There, she met the man who would become her husband. 

Matt, Izzy, and Real Estate

Matt Zoder, third generation owner of Best Wester Zoder’s Inn in Gatlinburg, grew up traveling the world. His father was President of Best Western in the 70s and Matt got exposure to many cultures and languages. “My husband is one of those rare souls who are kind, intelligent, funny and overall perfect. A true Southern gentleman,” smiles Adriana. Matt’s cat, Izzy, adopted Adriana as his mother. In this love-filled home, Adriana came face to face with her new challenge: a career in real estate.

With a degree in publications, Adriana feels right at home as she writes real estate ad copy, designs marketing pieces and meets printing deadlines. Excellent customer service and communication skills are also part of Adriana’s professional background. Shortly after getting a license, Adriana started selling and listing property like a pro. Her customers often send her emails stating how impressed they are with her professionalism and promptness.  

Adriana serves on the Board of the Gatlinburg Anna Porter Public Library. It is a way for this Romanian-born American to give back to the country that has welcomed her from the very beginning.

“The greatest feeling was when I took a family to this one house and they literally started jumping up and down chanting, ‘This is our home’. To see their beaming faces and to feel the energy of their enthusiasm, that’s what this career is all about for me,” says Adriana.  

Preston

On Nov 4, 2007, Adriana gave birth to Preston Alexander Zoder. She blogs about the experience on www.lifewithpreston.blogspot.com.

The American dream of home ownership is alive and kicking. Adriana goes to work every day longing to fulfill somebody’s dream even as she lives her own. Will your dream be next?