Dan Escatel's family emigrated from Mexico to the United States, and growing up he spoke Spanish around the house before learning English in school; but as a child, he was actually disappointed to learn that his family came to the U.S. legally -- having expected to hear a story of a daring struggle to sneak across the border.
But his family's mundane arrival set the stage for a successful career; growing up in Rochelle after moving there from Mendota, he attended Northern Illinois University after graduating high school and started off by studying economics.
He was eventually led into a career as a mortgage banker for Stillman Bank in Rochelle; his experience with economics and with electronic business management has served him well as he built his career...and his family settled into a comfortable life in the community.