We invite you to meet Stephane, 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. Stephane contributed his story to the eighth edition.

My name is Stephane M. I was born in Gabon, a central African country. I’m married and a father of a daughter and stepson. I’ve always wanted to discover the United States, and living here is a dream of mine. For me, like many people who live outside of this country, coming to the U.S. is a dream, an ideal.
I’ve been living unforgettable moments with the Frederick County Literacy Council program since 2021, when I started my classes. Currently I am in the progress of learning English and interacting with different teachers and students from all over the world. I’m right in the middle of my American dream.

We hope you enjoy Stephane’s written works, “My Snow Vacation, Part 1”, “My Snow Vacation, Part 2”, and “My Snow Vacation, Part 3”. View all of our students’ stories on our Reflections: Voices of English Learners web page. Below is an excerpt of Stephane’s article.

“My Snow Vacation, Part 1”

During primary school, I must have been between 10 or 11 years old, my school offered a snow vacation for one week. This opportunity was possible because I was in a French private school. The activities offered were mountain hikes and sport activities such as skiing and ice skating.

The program was attractive, but an obstacle stood before me—convincing my parents to offer me this excursion, which was not financially affordable for everyone. The task was not so easy, to get my parents to agree to offer me this trip, but it was on the condition of obtaining good results at school. So, I was even more motivated than usual, and I respected the reward by obtaining good results.

The plane ride from Gabon to France lasted about seven hours. We landed in the city of Marseille. To do a little geography, Marseille is in the south of France, and this city is the second most populated after Paris. Arriving at Marseille airport, we had a final five-to six-hour bus ride to reach the Aiguilles en Queyras ski resort, our destination.

It was a spectacular and breathtaking journey. As we got closer to our goal, the landscape transformed. We went from flat fields to mountainous ground, with the first appearance of snow at the summit. One of the most impressive things was the narrow and climbing road which we could not see below because we were at a high altitude. So, the adrenaline rush dominated my fear from minute to minute, on this “ zigzag” route

Read the rest of Stephane’s story and more student stories in our 8th edition of Reflections.

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We invite you to meet Tânia, 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. Tânia contributed multiple stories to the eighth edition.

My name is Tânia H. I came to the United States from Brazil 2 ½ years ago. I did not speak English when I arrived. I wanted to learn English to talk with my husband. He is American and does not speak my language. In 2024, I got my driver’s license. I also had some small jobs. I go to an American church every week. I made good friends with people from other countries. We speak in English together. My goal for 2025 is to become a U.S. citizen. I know it is hard, but I am learning and growing. I am also very thankful to the Literacy Council and its volunteers for helping me learn English and for them making my life easier.

We hope you enjoy Tânia’s written works, “Sunflowers”, “Peanut Paçoca, With Love”, and “The Ideal Driving Age” . View all of our students’ stories on our Reflections: Voices of English Learners web page. Below is an excerpt of from one of Tânia’s works.

“Peanut Paçoca, With Love”

I will tell you and teach you about the history of the food that makes me happy when I make it. In all my childhood, my father made Peanut Paçoca. It is our favorite dessert.

My father farmed peanuts every year, so my siblings and I have learned how to make this dessert. We gathered the peanuts, to hull them, and then roast them. After that process, we put them in the big mortar and mixed cassava flour, sugar, and salt. We pounded all ingredients with the pestle and mortar, using a piece of wood that is called a pestle hand. We have a lot of fun because we used two handed pestles and pounded together at the same time.

Nowadays and after we sold our farm, we could make that paçoca in the blender. That food, besides being nutritious, warms my heart.

Read the rest of Tânia’s story and more student stories in our 8th edition of Reflections.

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We invite you to meet Sajitha, 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. Sajitha contributed her story to the eighth edition.

My name is Sajitha J., and I am from Sri Lanka. I arrived in the United States about 11 years ago. I used to be a teacher for middle and high school students back in Sri Lanka. Currently, I am self-employed. I love baking, doing outdoor activities, reading books, and doing volunteer work. I heard about the Literacy Council from the Walkersville Library. I attended a high beginner English language class. Then I attended intermediate classes, including writing and conversation classes via Zoom and was able to improve my English knowledge.

We hope you enjoy Sajitha’s written works: “Buddhism For a Good Life” and “The Happiest Moment of My Life”. View all of our students’ stories on our Reflections: Voices of English Learners web page. Below is an excerpt from one of Sajitha’s articles.

“Buddhism For a Good Life”

Once Lord Buddha said, “Peace comes from within” and “The mind is everything.”
As a Buddhist, I always try to do good things. If my mind is not good, everything is not going to be good. So, I think most of my personality builds from my religion. When I was a little one, I started going to temple and to see the monks to get advice from them. Everything they said helped me to shape my life in a good way.
If you know a Buddhist person, you know they must follow precepts every day in their lives. There are five for lay people. In Buddhism, lay people are Buddhists who live a secular life while practicing their faith. They are also known as householder-practitioners.

Read the rest of Sajitha’s story and other work, “The Happiest Moment of My Life”, in our 8th edition of Reflections.

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The Literacy Council of Frederick County is proud to celebrate three of our students, who have each been awarded the Second Chance Scholarship through the Community Foundation of Frederick County. 

This scholarship, supported by The Mary Alice and R. David Stup Scholarship Fund, was established to uplift individuals who have faced past challenges or experiences of harm and are seeking a fresh start. With a focus on hope, resilience, and future success, the scholarship provides recipients with the opportunity to pursue education and career advancement. 

We are especially proud to share that all three students nominated by the Literacy Council received the full amount they requested, a powerful testament to their dedication, perseverance, and potential. 

Meet the Recipients 

Steefanny

Originally from Venezuela, Steefanny brings with her an educational background in Bioanalysis, earned in her home country. Determined to build on that foundation, she plans to continue her studies and pursue a career in the laboratory and healthcare fields. This scholarship will help her take the next steps toward reestablishing her professional path here in the United States. 

Jean 

Jean has demonstrated a deep commitment to his growth, consistently participating in learning opportunities at the Literacy Council. Beyond the classroom, he gives back by volunteering at his church, showing leadership and compassion within his community. With the support of this scholarship, Jean will pursue training in diesel technician work, opening doors to a rewarding career that is his passion. 

Maria  

A dedicated participant in the Literacy Council’s conversation classes, Maria is a mother of two who is working hard to strengthen her English skills. Her determination to improve communication for herself and her family is inspiring. This scholarship will allow her to continue her English language learning journey, empowering her to better navigate opportunities in her daily life and future. 

These three students exemplify the mission of the Second Chance Scholarship, turning perseverance into possibility and challenges into new beginnings. They will be among the many individuals recognized at our upcoming Celebration of Achievements, where we honor the hard work and accomplishments of our students. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for this inspiring event. By becoming a sponsor, you help ensure that more individuals like Steefanny, Jean, and Maria have access to life-changing educational opportunities. Contact us at info@frederickliteracy.org for more information. 

Looking for more ways to get involved? The Literacy Council offers programs designed to help adult learners become more successful, productive and involved members of our community, including classes, workshops, tutoring programs, and more. Our programs are powered by volunteer tutors who give just 1–2 hours a week to help change lives. Become a student, volunteer, or supporter today at FrederickLiteracy.org.

The post Celebrating Second Chances: Three Literacy Council of Frederick County Students Awarded Scholarship appeared first on Literacy Council Frederick County.

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 Aruna K. I come from Narasaraopet, India. I have been living here in Frederick since 2019. I have had a wonderful experience with the Literacy Council. It is helping me learn English better. The Council provided very good teachers for me. One teacher is Erin R., who helped me apply for a special tutor. Her name is Sarah L. She is helping me speak and write English. They are very caring to me and help me improve. My hobbies are painting, reading, cooking, and traveling. My goal is to speak better and to get a job. I earned an MBA in India, and I would like to enroll in Frederick Community College.

We hope you enjoy Aruna’s written work, “How I Learned to Paint”. View all of our students’ stories on our Reflections: Voices of English Learners web page. Below is an excerpt of Aruna’s article.

“How I Learned to Paint”

When I was a child, my grandfather, Veera, was an architect. My grandfather knew a lot about painting. He made sculptures by carving wood and rock. He made very beautiful sculptures. He drew plans for the temple in the village. I got interested in art because of my grandfather. He taught me how to do artwork. When he carved the wood, then I would paint it. Day by day, I developed an interest in painting.

My dad observed that I had an interest in painting. He connected me to a painting teacher. She taught me how to paint on fabric. I was 18 years old when I learned. She gave me suggestions during the painting class. After that, I began a business in fabric paint. I was painting on fabric to sell them. I earned a lot of money in my country.

My family, my father, Purnachandrachari, and my mother, Dhanalakshmi, felt very proud to sell the paint art. I gave my father the money I earned. He said, “My daughter is earning money at 18 years old.” I learned multiple ways of painting such as hand painting, acrylic painting, water painting, glass painting, embossed painting, and sand painting. I learned hand painting with a brush and fabric.

Read the rest of Aruna’s story and more student stories in our 8th edition of Reflections.

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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 academic manager at Peak Point Academy, I have a solid background in media and education. I trained over 2,600 students and created job opportunities for young people in Myanmar. I am also a prolific writer and a co-founder of Ka Laung Pyan Publication. I was a participant in the 2017 Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) Fellowship, a scholarship program from the U.S. Department of State for Asian youth leaders to study at top universities in the United States. After actively participating in the 2021 Myanmar Spring Revolution, I happened to relocate to the United States. I have since served as a global affairs technician at the University of Connecticut and earned a Non-Profit Management Certificate from Drexel University. I am currently pursuing a career as a data analyst. As part of this career transition and my new life in the United States, I am actively engaging with the Literacy Council of Frederick County. My experience there has been invaluable. I joined the Literacy Council of Frederick County’s speaking and writing classes in 2024. This experience not only supports my professional growth but also connects me with my new community.

We hope you enjoy Ruby’s written works, “The Roads of My Journey”, “Roads I Call Home”, and “The Unexpected Joy of Giving and Receiving”. View all of our students’ stories on our Reflections: Voices of English Learners web page. Below is Ruby’s poem, “Roads I Call Home”.

“Roads I Call Home”

Black ribbons on green, a winding way,
Through hills and valleys, where secrets lay.
Each curve a glimpse, a story told,
Of fields of gold, and forests old.
The scent of bloom, the whisper of time,
A rural heart, in every climb.
So, drive along, and let your soul,
Find peace and place, and make you whole.

Read the rest of Ruby’s stories and more student stories in our 8th edition of Reflections.

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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 Bunkong, and I am originally from Thailand. When I first arrived in the United States, I could hardly speak English and felt very nervous about talking to people around me. One day, a friend took me to the Literacy Council in downtown Frederick, where I began attending English classes. Learning a new language was not easy, especially for me. I took many classes and worked hard to improve. Over time, I began to understand and slowly I gained confidence. Today, I can speak, read, and write in English. It is not perfect yet, but I am very happy with how far I have come. Now I can talk with my neighbors, make appointments with doctors, and do many things I could not do before. I am proud of my progress, and I want to continue learning and improving my English skills. Lastly, I want to thank all my teachers at the Literacy Council. I am deeply grateful for their support, patience, and encouragement. They helped me find my voice, and I will always appreciate everything they have done for me.

We hope you enjoy Bunkong’s written works, “My Heaven” and “Education’s Power”. View all of our students’ stories on our Reflections: Voices of English Learners web page. Below is one of Bunkong’s articles.

“Education’s Power”

I grew up in a small village in Thailand called Nam Yuen, where farming was the way of life.

My family and the community planted corn, beans, and other crops twice a year, depending on the rain to keep them growing. Some years there just wasn’t enough rain, and when that happened, the crops struggled, and people had a tough time making a living.

Education was limited. Back then, Nam Yuen had only one primary school, so higher education wasn’t really an option for most people, including my family and me.

Meanwhile, my auntie’s family lived in a big city, where schools and universities were everywhere. Her children had the chance to get a good education—one became a teacher, the other a businessman—and both ended up doing well in life.

In the end, education makes a huge difference. It helps people build a stable future, opens doors to better opportunities, and brings more security and success.

Read Bunkong’s other work, “My Heaven”, and more student stories from our 8th edition of Reflections.

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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 she’d wind up in here in Frederick, taking English classes with us at the Literacy Council.

Esperanza had lived her entire life in Cale, Colombia’s third-largest city, located about 2 hours from the Coast.

She loved it there.

“It’s a beautiful city,” Esperanza said. “The weather is warm, everybody in my city dances salsa – it’s the principal dance – they dance everywhere.”

But in 2005 her daughter, who has muscular atrophy and was living in Massachusetts, got in a car wreck. That’s when she knew she was needed in the U.S.

Esperanza’s daughter is just as driven and independent as she is: despite having muscular dystrophy since she was 14 and using a wheelchair, she’d attended college at the Methodist University in North Carolina, then married and settled down. She currently works as a grant specialist and administrator at the National Institutes of Health.

“She had an accident because she was driving her car,” Esperanza said. “I moved here because I told her she needed my help.”

So Esperanza took an early retirement at 50, said goodbye to her mother and even her husband, who is an attorney, and moved to the United States. She misses her family and her native city, but she’s never regretted the decision. She knows her daughter needs her here.

Instead, she’s thrown herself into health care in the U.S.

She started when she moved with her daughter to Rhode Island. Esperanza was shocked to discover how much of the Latino community there did not have access to health care.

“I was astonished about the lack of information that Latino people in the community had,” Esperanza said. “That was my big surprise. In my mind I thought the system was different, that everyone had the possibility to have insurance.” Galvanized by the lack of resources in her community, Esperanza jumped back into health care. She started several health clinics, then got her worker visa and worked in hospice part time while continuing to serve and educate the Latino community in Rhode Island.

Then she and her daughter moved here to Frederick, where Esperanza’s sister lives. Her daughter took a position at NIH, and Esperanza picked back up in health care advocacy for the local Latino community.

“I started working at a clinic La Clinica Puebla in Washington, D.C., as a health educator, and then the Kaseman Health Clinic in Broadview,” Esperanza said. “I worked with a Latino population in many programs, educating people, coordinating the health educators.”

She continued this work until the pandemic struck in 2020, and she had to stay home for health reasons.

But even then Esperanza wasn’t finished providing health care. She got trained as a nutritional health coach and now provides online education for people looking to improve their diets and lifestyle to deal with health conditions like diabetes and blood pressure.

She targets the Latino population, and because it’s online she works with people in Maryland, but also back in Colombia – bringing her work full circle.

It’s meaningful for Esperanza to be once again providing health care to Colombians, but she doesn’t think she’ll move back anytime soon. The government there is too unstable, she said, and healthcare too unreliable.

So she’s investing even more in her life here in Frederick by taking English classes with us at the Literacy Council.

Esperanza had spent so much of her life faithfully serving the Latino community that she hadn’t had the opportunity to develop her English-speaking stills.

Now, she says, she finally has the time.

She’s taking them online to fit in with her schedule and so she can stay at home.

“I like to improve my conversational English,” Esperanza says. “I can understand and speak in English, I can read articles, but I had difficulty to have conversation. I want to be fluent in English.”

She’s seen improvement in her English speaking skills over the several courses she’s already taken with us.

“I notice changes. Before, I avoid to speak because I don’t want to make a mistake, but now I feel more free to start a conversation without worrying to make a mistake.”

She enjoys her classes too. Recently she had fun researching and preparing for a class presentation about the flora in Colombia, focusing on an area near the Amazon rainforest.

After working so hard to help others access the healthcare they need, Esperanza is investing in herself. We’re so glad to be part of that process – and can’t wait to see what inspiring project she takes on next.

The post Esperanza’s Story appeared first on Literacy Council Frederick County.

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, Brazil, for her husband’s work as an aerospace engineer. They moved to Frederick in 2023 and soon settled in. Her husband was busy at work and her children at elementary school.

Rosilene found herself feeling isolated. She felt that her English language level was creating a barrier, so she decided to take language classes with us – and that’s when things changed.

“I didn’t have a community here” Rosilene says. “But (the Literacy Council) is that for me. I’m with people who are in the same situation, immigrants trying to learn English. The obstacles are the same. When you are in the real world – people there are not learning English, (but) here it’s a safe space, you can make mistakes. Sometimes in the real world, no.”

She’s taken all sorts of classes – discussion and writing classes, even a civics course. She’s also joined our book club, facilitated by volunteer Catherine Coundjeris. The book club is conducted online, but Rosilene loves that when each book is finished members met together at the Delizia Café downtown to end with an in-person discussion.

And the book club isn’t just about community. It’s also building her language skills, of course, but even more, it’s giving her insight into the culture and history of her adopted country.

“I like the selection Catherine does,” Rosilene says. “With her, I can learn more about the country.” Rosilene was fascinated to read about the great depression and the dust bowl when she read the latest book selection, Kristin Hannah’s The Four Winds.

She’s been able to dive further into American history – this time, local – by taking our civics class.

“One thing I found here is how people like history,” she says. “We don’t have much connection with history in my country.” Rosilene’s class went to the Civil War Medicine Museum together, and since then she’s noticed the historical placards all over Frederick. “If you look closely, you can breathe history here,” she says.

These days, Rosilene is feeling so much more at home in the language and culture of her new country that she found herself volunteering to help out at her church, St. John the Evangelist.

“This year I took courage and I volunteered there with faith formation,” she said. She enjoys being more involved in the community there. She helps with the classes, and teaches the kids “all about the faith.”

She’s also still hungrily pursuing more knowledge of American culture inside and outside of class: she subscribes to the Frederick Post, the Washington Post, even Good Housekeeping, and listens to local radio programs.

“I’m here trying to see another country,” she said. “Before, in my city, it felt like we lived in a bubble, we didn’t know the world.”

What she loves about her community at the Literacy Council is that she’s not only learning about America, but other countries too. “I feel here is like a big family, and you can listen to their stories, and learn from other places.”

The post Rosilene’s Story: Exploring a New Culture, Discovering Community, Part 2 appeared first on Literacy Council Frederick County.

Rosilene moved from Montgomery County to the City of Frederick in 2023. She and her family made the move because it was more affordable, she says with a slightly apologetic smile, aware of the stereotypes in Frederick about folks who move here from Montgomery.

But Rosilene and her family’s journey to Frederick actually started from much further away: it was in 2017 that they left their home in Jacarei, a city of about 250,000 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Her husband, who is an aerospace engineer, had been offered a job with a company based in Northern Virginia. Professional opportunities for her husband were limited in Brazil. “The field in my country is small,” Rosilene explains.

Up until then, Rosilene had spent her entire life in Jacarei and the surrounding area. She’d worked ten years as an elementary teacher, met her husband and had her two kids. Growing up, she lived in crowded Jacarei but would frequently go on vacation to a nearby town, where her parents had a second home.

She speaks fondly of this village in the countryside; it’s one of the areas she misses the most. At one point, she says, people planted a lot of Eucalyptus trees there.

“Every weekend we went to this place,” Rosilene says. “You can see cows, chickens, it’s a village surrounded by farms. They produce milk, grains on the farms. During the day you can go to the creek and play in the street.” Her parents have a home in the village, and Rosilene plans to take her family there the next time they make it back to Brazil.

She’s not sure when that will be, though. The last time they went to Brazil was in 2018, before the pandemic struck. Then they had to wait through a protracted visa process. Now she and her family all have green cards, but money is tight since they just bought a house.

In the meantime, they’ve settled into life in America. Her daughter was four and her son two when they left Brazil. Now they are 12 and 10, and neither speaks Portuguese, although they both understand it.

Rosilene continues to speak Portuguese with them, but they respond in English. “We have crazy conversations sometimes,” Rosilene says. “Sometimes my daughter speaks fast, hold on, what that word means. I don’t know bad words or slang and my daughter sometimes she explain.”

To keep up with her kids – and her husband, who is fluent thanks to spending part of his childhood in Canada – Rosilene decided to take English classes.

It wasn’t that she didn’t know any English; she’d taken English classes in high school. “But you don’t learn anything. If you want to learn English, it’s expensive, and I gave up.”

She arrived here pronouncing the words she did know a little differently. For example, she explained, she’d pronounce “hot dog” as “hotee dogee” since Brazilians put an extra vowel at the end of words. “It’s like how people here don’t pronounce cucina properly, and a lot of food in Spanish.”

So she took English as a second language courses at Montgomery Community College. When her family moved to Frederick, it didn’t take her too long to find the Literacy Council.

Check back to hear more about what Rosilene discovered through her involvement with the Literacy Council.

The post Rosilene’s Story: Exploring a New Culture, Discovering Community, Part 1 appeared first on Literacy Council Frederick County.