Category: <span>Impact</span>

Volunteer Spotlight: Catherine Coundjeris
May 22, 2026May 18, 2026
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Volunteer Spotlight: Catherine Coundjeris

When did you first start volunteering with The Literacy Council of Frederick County and what made you decide to do so? I started back in 20II. Although I worked with a basic literacy student at that time, I changed to working with ESL students in 20I3. I had taught ESL Writing at the College level...

Learner Spotlight: Aruna
May 19, 2026May 26, 2026
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Learner Spotlight: Aruna

We invite you to meet Aruna, our featured student this month in our “Learner Spotlight”.  Featured adult learners represent the Literacy Council’s programs, including authors from Reflections: Voices of English Learners, the Literacy Council’s literary magazine, as well as adult learners in other programs. Aruna contributed her story to the eighth edition. My name is...

Volunteer Spotlight: Kishore Bitra
April 21, 2026May 12, 2026
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Volunteer Spotlight: Kishore Bitra

When did you first start volunteering with The Literacy Council of Frederick County and what made you decide to do so? I began volunteering with the Literacy Council in 2025. As a technology professional, I understand that literacy — both traditional and digital — is the absolute foundation of opportunity. I wanted to use my...

Learner Spotlight: Ruby
April 20, 2026April 20, 2026
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Learner Spotlight: Ruby

We invite you to meet Ruby, our featured student this month in our “Learner Spotlight”.  Featured adult learners represent the Literacy Council’s programs, including authors from Reflections: Voices of English Learners, the Literacy Council’s literary magazine, as well as adult learners in other programs. Ruby contributed her stories to the eighth edition. As a former...

Volunteer Spotlight: Kaliopys Chichiraky
March 18, 2026March 18, 2026
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Volunteer Spotlight: Kaliopys Chichiraky

When did you first start volunteering with The Literacy Council of Frederick County and what made you decide to do so? I began volunteering last year, but my connection with the Literacy Council started earlier when I participated in several of its programs as a student. The support I received, including working with a personal...

Learner Spotlight: Bunkong
March 17, 2026March 17, 2026
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Learner Spotlight: Bunkong

We invite you to meet Bunkong, our featured student this month in our “Learner Spotlight”.  Featured adult learners represent the Literacy Council’s programs, including authors from Reflections: Voices of English Learners, the Literacy Council’s literary magazine, as well as adult learners in other programs. Bunkong contributed her story to the eighth edition. My name is...

Volunteer Spotlight: Paul Busman
February 18, 2026March 17, 2026
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Volunteer Spotlight: Paul Busman

When did you first start volunteering with The Literacy Council of Frederick County and what made you decide to do so? I started tutoring back in November of 2020 but it seems like only yesterday. I was already retired and was looking for something useful to do with some of my time. I looked up...

Volunteer Spotlight: Sarah Adler
January 21, 2026March 17, 2026
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Volunteer Spotlight: Sarah Adler

When did you first start volunteering with The Literacy Council of Frederick County and what made you decide to do so? I completed my volunteer training in June 2025 after seeing a flyer for the council at a local coffee shop. I’d been searching for a meaningful way to give back to the community, and...

Esperanza’s Story
September 22, 2025January 27, 2026
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Esperanza’s Story

When Esperanza left an 18-year career as a family doctor at a children’s hospital in Cale, Colombia to move to the United States, it was just the beginning of a second career in community health care and advocacy. But she didn’t know it at the time – just like she also had no idea that...

Rosilene’s Story: Exploring a New Culture, Discovering Community, Part 2
September 3, 2025August 27, 2025
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Rosilene’s Story: Exploring a New Culture, Discovering Community, Part 2

When Rosilene started taking classes here at the Frederick Literacy Council, she was looking to improve her English language skills. What she didn’t expect was that she’d also develop a community and gain so much insight into American culture. She and her family had moved to the states from Jacarei, a city in Sao Paulo,...