Dr. Adriana Villareal is living the American dream after being
raised in Mexico
By Deliah DeLeon Special to the Dispatch
Gilroy – Adriana Villareal is living the American dream. Born and raised in Mexico, she moved north with her first husband, took English classes and eventually became a dentist.
Now, living and working in Gilroy, she has achieved her goals.
Villareal was born and raised in Durango, Mexico, and worked as a dental assistant. After marrying her first husband, they moved to the United States. A few years later, at the age of 24, Villareal and her husband moved to San Mateo with their 3-year-old son, Richard, and lived there for six years. During their time spent in San Mateo, Villareal took classes from an ESL Program to learn English.
“After some years I decided that I wanted to be a dentist in this country,” Villareal said.
While taking the exams at UCLA, Villareal met Effrain Montana, who was also studying to become a dentist. After passing the California State Board Exam, the couple married and moved to Palo Alto. With the dental experience she had while living in Mexico, and her UCLA education, she landed a job as a dental assistant in San Mateo, where she worked as a dental assistant for three years.
After living in San Mateo for sometime, Villareal and her husband moved to Watsonville, Then, an even better job opportunity arrived. Dr. Philip Buchanon, a local dentist, was retiring and selling his Gilroy practice. Villareal took the opportunity and bought Buchanon’s practice, located in the Dental Complex off of First Street.
Villareal has been there for two years, while her husband continues to practice in Santa Cruz, and has joined Villareal by assisting part time with her practice. The couple recently moved to Gilroy.
“I love Gilroy, I enjoy working and living here,” said Villareal. “I have a great staff, a great practice, and everyone has been really supportive.”
Villareal has many other interests, such as cooking and experimenting with new recipes, preferably Spanish recipes. She also enjoys reading books by her favorite Spanish author Garcia Marques. Villareal also enjoys dramatic movies and foreign films.
“I also love cats and birds,” she said. Villareal and her husband have a Cockatiel named “Topi,” which in Columbia is a type of banana. “He talks to us in Spanish!”
Villareal is a proud two-year member of the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, and is also a member of the California Dental Association.
All of Villareal’s family, including her parents, three sisters and two brothers, still live in Mexico, and she visits them once a year. During her two-week stay, she, her mother and her sisters shop at the flea market, cook, and gossip. One of her two brothers is a dentist in Mexico, while the other is a doctor.
Since moving to the United States many doors have opened for Villareal, and she is grateful that she moved here.
“Truly, my life has been blessed because I have accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish here in this country,” said Villareal. “I truly feel like I am living the American dream.”
