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 in Urban College, Boston and found it a very rewarding experience and wanted to work with ESL students again. I started with tutoring ESL students and then as a facilitator for a Student Led Conversation Class.

What kind of volunteering do you do with us? Please describe a meaningful experience that you have had while volunteering.

In addition to working as an ESL coordinator, I also teach the writing classes here and the Student Led Conversation Class. I’m the founding co-editor of Reflections: Voices of English Learners.

Before Covid, my student-led class would serve meals at each session. We met for about 2 hours in person. It was fabulous realizing that we share more similarities with people from different parts of the world than differences, especially where food is concerned. It brought us all together. One student said that if she hadn’t learned English, she wouldn’t have been able to make such good friends from people around the world. Friendship building is a great motivator.

What is something that you have learned as a volunteer for the Literacy Council that you would like to share with our volunteer community?

The Literacy Council is a real community for our students. They come to class yes to gain English skills for work, and other forms of literacy like math and digital literacy, but many return because they want to see their friends. It is a safe place to tell their stories and to gain skills to make their lives better. I would recommend that teachers build a relationship with their students first because that bond is the basis for all the learning that comes later. I found that listening is the biggest technique for teaching ESL students. Get them talking and then listen to what they have to say. Give them time to formulate their thoughts.

What do you like to do when you’re not volunteering with us?

I enjoy gardening and swimming in the summer, and reading and writing on rainy days and during the winter. I am learning to knit and to play the Irish Whistle. I also enjoy dinners with my family and meeting friends for lunch.

The post Volunteer Spotlight: Catherine Coundjeris 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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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 time to empower our residents, helping them break down barriers so they can confidently pursue their own goals in the community.

What kind of volunteering do you do with us? Please describe a meaningful experience that you have had while volunteering. 

I volunteer by designing digital literacy curricula and teaching essential technology classes to help our community members bridge the digital divide. One of my most meaningful experiences was mentoring an adult learner who was initially intimidated by computers and guiding them through the fundamentals of safely navigating technology stack. Watching their frustration transform into sheer pride when they successfully completed their email configuration independently was an incredibly rewarding moment that highlighted the true impact of technological empowerment.

What is something that you have learned as a volunteer for the Literacy Council that you would like to share with our volunteer community?

What do you like to do when you’re not volunteering with us? 

By day, I work as the Lead of Collaboration Engineering for the City of Baltimore, managing enterprise cloud architecture. Outside of tech, I serve as a volunteer firefighter with the New Market District Volunteer Fire Company. When I’m not working or volunteering, I enjoy writing technology articles on my blog Kbitra.Substack.com and spending time exploring local state parks with my wife and daughter.

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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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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 coach who continues helping me advance my English skills, had a meaningful impact on my life. After experiencing that growth, I felt motivated to give back. That’s why I decided to volunteer and support others on their language journey.

What kind of volunteering do you do with us? Please describe a meaningful experience that you have had while volunteering.

I support the Workplace Program by providing translation assistance during introductory sessions. Because I was once a student myself, I understand how important it is to clearly understand expectations. A meaningful moment for me has been helping participants feel confident and ready to start the program. Seeing their understanding and relief grow reminds me of my own journey and why this work matters.

What is something you have learned as a volunteer for the Literacy Council that you would like to share with our volunteer community?

I’ve learned how powerful it can be to bridge language gaps. Coming from student experience, I’ve seen how even small efforts, clarifying information, offering support, creating a welcoming space can empower someone to move forward. Volunteering has reinforced how important connection, patience, and inclusion are for building a stronger community.

What do you like to do when you’re not volunteering with us?

I enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, reading, studying for my MBA, and cooking.

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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.

The post Learner Spotlight: Bunkong appeared first on Literacy Council Frederick County.

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 work”, and came up with the Literacy Council. That sounded rewarding, so I signed up.

What kind of volunteering do you do with us? Please describe a meaningful experience that you have had while volunteering.

I do ESL tutoring with a man from Venezuela. Our sessions have been very informal and varied. Most weeks we meet for coffee on Saturday mornings and talk about everything going on in both of our lives, the country, and the world. Rhonal and I have become like family and have shared all sorts of experiences including going to baseball games together, dinners both out and in our home, helping him with Instacart shopping, etc. I think of those as real life classes. When he makes English mistakes, I correct those and make up mini-lessons on the spot to reinforce the corrections.

I am also learning Spanish with Duolingo, and Rhonal helps me with Spanish.

What is something you have learned as a volunteer for the Literacy Council that you would like to share with our volunteer community?

One thing I’ve learned is how crazy English is as a language! El español es más fácil!

For Rhonal and I, our informal approach has been very enjoyable and useful. For teachers using a more structured teaching approach, I’d urge them to try some real life lessons with their students.

What do you like to do when you’re not volunteering with us?

When I’m not volunteering, I enjoy many different activities such as learning Spanish, playing various musical instruments, crocheting, hiking, etc. My wife and I are very active in the choir of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Frederick and other activities there.

The post Volunteer Spotlight: Paul Busman appeared first on Literacy Council Frederick County.

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 this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do that.

What kind of volunteering do you do with us? Please describe a meaningful experience that you have had while volunteering. 

Lately I have been volunteering every other week at one of the Learning Labs, which are a new addition to the program that allow all students to receive walk-in assistance with everything from conversation practice to job applications. During one of these labs, a student came in to go over some potential interview questions for their job hunt, and we wound up chatting for the entire two hours. They told me it was the longest conversation they’d ever had in English, and that it had given them the confidence to do things like talk to doctors on their own instead of relying upon family members to interpret. It was a great reminder that literacy isn’t just something that makes day-to-day life easier for our students, but a form of empowerment and freedom that we have the honor of helping them uncover.

What is something you have learned as a volunteer for the Literacy Council that you would like to share with our volunteer community?

Whenever I use a word that I’m not sure a student knows, I try to automatically follow it up with at least one or two other ways of saying the same thing so that they get to experience new vocabulary without the confusion that can come with it. So I might say something like, “I’m feeling kind of lethargic today—so tired, it’s hard to get going. How about you?”

What do you like to do when you’re not volunteering with us?

I am the bestselling author of three adult romantic comedies, with my fourth coming out in July. When not working or volunteering, I enjoy pilates, reading, drinking coffee, and spending time with my husband, seven-year-old, and very mischievous cat, Noodle.

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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.