ROYAL CITY - There are still people who believe in the American dream, and Karen's Beauty Salon owner Elsa Cedillo is one of them.

Karen's, located at 138 Camelia St., was opened in January of 2011. It was named in honor of Cedillo's 10-year-old niece Karen.

There is no question in Cedillo's mind that the business will be successful. She will make it so. Her other real option is to return to farm work.

"Farm work is honorable and good work, but it's hard on a woman," she said.

When Cedillo arrived in the U.S. and Royal City 15 years ago with her husband Pablo Cedillo, they were seeking to improve their lives. However, the only option for them was the fields.

"I did the work that was available around here," Cedillo said. "I thinned apples. I sorted onions for 10 years at Brown Boys Onions."

Despite the low incomes that are earned in farm work, the Cedillos saved a little money. They were in position financially when Cedillo decided to seek a career in hair care in 2009. They didn't borrow the $8,000 tuition cost.

"My husband helped me so much," Cedillo said. "I will always be grateful for his help."

Cedillo earned licenses in cosmetology and acrylic nails. That required 2,010 hours of study at Char-Glo School of Beauty in Moses Lake.

Cedillo accomplished the two licenses in one full year of attendance but with a break. She studied half a year, worked in the fields half a year and then studied half a year. She graduated in June of 2010 with licenses in hand.

But the licenses didn't come easy. Cedillo suffered doubts when she was handed the course textbooks and even cried a little.

"I thought I was just going to practice doing hair," she said.

The fact the books were in Spanish didn't ease Cedillo's doubts. She hadn't seen a book in a long time.

Then Cedillo made up her mind to just do it. She went to school nine hours a day during each half-year session.

"If you left for lunch, they deducted a half hour," she said. "I took my own lunch from home and kept that half hour. If a customer came in while I was having lunch, I had to stop and serve the customer."

Cedillo has a new goal now. She speaks some English but not enough, to her way of thinking. She will start English classes on March 26 in Moses Lake.

Cedillo works from 11a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. It's a busy seven hours, but that schedule allows her to serve her clients and spend time with her two children, 14 and seven.

"Blessed be God. The shop is doing well," she said.