Wendy Blotcky, owner of Academia Latinos Unidos. Photo by Susi Franco, JEFAS Magazine.
By Christina Fernández-Morrow
Wendy Blotcky, a Peruvian immigrant and entrepreneur, finds inspiration in others. From cleaning houses to empowering hundreds through education, her journey from humble beginnings to community leader shows how perseverance and purpose can transform lives.
“I grew up poor, doing odd jobs like selling cosmetics and food to make ends meet,” recalled Blotcky. In 2007, she made the bold decision to emigrate to California with her 12-year-old daughter. She cleaned homes and factories, working long hours to support her family. Her husband encouraged her to apply for a banker position, which was less physically demanding. Although she had the necessary customer service skills, her limited English held her back. Undeterred, Blotcky enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes for six months before reapplying. Her persistence paid off when she was hired, marking a turning point in her life.
Working in banking exposed her to people from various industries, inspiring her to take online classes to expand her career options. She earned a certification in preparing immigration petitions and did that for years while raising her daughter. In 2022, after her daughter married and moved to Omaha, Blotcky and her husband sold their California home and relocated to Nebraska. That’s when her entrepreneurial ambitions took off.
In March 2023, Blotcky launched Immigration Forms Specialist LLC in Omaha. Understanding the limitations of her role, she established strategic partnerships with legal professionals. “I work closely with two local attorneys and a New York immigration attorney, since immigration laws are federal,” she said. “I am not a lawyer, so I cannot give legal advice. I made connections that could help.”
While assisting clients with immigration forms, Blotcky noticed a need for Spanish-language citizenship classes. “In the beginning, I customized each class for each student and taught the lessons myself,” she said. Today, the class boasts an impressive 100% pass rate, including successful advocacy for accommodations and waivers for qualified applicants with disabilities.
Blotcky regularly promotes ESL classes, citing how they had changed her life. Students often asked her where they could enroll in similar courses. As interest grew, she started an English class in 2024 with eight students. Today, her business, Academia Latinos Unidos, has taught English to more than 600 students and offers classes seven days a week with a dedicated ESL instructor.
“I’m happy that with a lot of sacrifice and hard work, I have grown. I can help families not only with classes, but also by opening doors for people to find better jobs and get reliable legal help,” Blotcky said.
Her vision to empower the community continues to grow. The academy offers GED and emotional intelligence courses, both critical to Blotcky’s personal and professional development. In spring 2025, she became certified to teach a Spanish-language driver’s education course.
Wendy Blotcky, owner of Academia Latinos Unidos. Photo by Susi Franco, JEFAS Magazine.
Creating opportunities for her community is at the core of Blotcky’s personal mission, which led her to media. For years she hosted a Spanish radio show on La Nueva Radio 99.5 FM, inviting various professionals to share valuable information and delivering motivational messages to her community. She also used her radio platform to promote her newest initiative: Making More Money, a three-month mentorship program for business owners, where she shares her expertise to help them avoid costly mistakes and overcome obstacles commonly faced by Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs.
Blotcky tailors her mentorship, drawing from experience, training, and education to meet each participant’s needs. The curriculum covers topics such as creating business plans, leveraging artificial intelligence, and using social media for marketing and growth. “When I got to Nebraska, my first year as a business owner was difficult. There wasn’t much help in Spanish for entrepreneurs. I invested a lot of money creating my business, and now I see that there are resources that could have helped. That’s why I created this program.”
Despite the long hours she invests in her work, Blotcky finds the greatest reward in her students’ achievements. “I cry with my students when they succeed because it once seemed impossible, but they achieved their goal,” she said proudly.
From cleaning homes in California to building an adult educational enterprise in Omaha, Wendy Blotcky has transformed her life while creating opportunities for hundreds of Latinos to improve theirs. Her story demonstrates how determination, continuous learning, and a commitment to giving back can create ripples of positive change throughout an entire community.