Bridging cultures, enriching learners, inspiring leaders
It was the summer of 2013, and I was an exhausted teacher! The previous school year, God had brought to our Christian school a young student from Guatemala who knew very little English. We had no formal ESL program: just a couple volunteers eager to make a difference, and the certainty that He was leading us in this new adventure.
But by the end of the school year, I knew something had to change! I felt God was calling me to put together an ESL program so we could more effectively serve English language learners in our community. Our school administrator said I should think of how it could be implemented there.
By August, I had a binder full of plans. My friends and I bathed it in prayer and God began to open doors in such unmistakable ways that I am still amazed: free ESL assessments for our 5 Guatemalan students, enthusiastic support from the pastor of our host church, a mission-minded ESL teacher hired just at the right time, a retired ESL teacher who volunteered to tutor, some basic supplies, and we were off! Along the way, others joined as financial partners. And the academic achievement of those students that year is still inspiring to me!
That kind of success is what fuels our passion for Hispanic students, their families and the academic communities that serve them.
Miriam C. Miller, President
