About five years ago, Ann Davis and Laura Bussell inspired me to teach in the WCRI English Language Learning program (ELL).  The journey since then has been phenomenal.

The Cambridge Ventures curriculum is excellent, and I receive constant training, support and guidance from both our program manager and my fellow teachers - many of whom are professional educators. They make the environment for our students safe and life-affirming.

My motivation comes from this, the team. We’re all pulling together with a unity of purpose and mission, no matter the class or faculty team. We all pull, and we all win.

I first began teaching in person. Then Covid challenged us to find a way through for our students.  Thanks to the established team spirit, we were able to switch very quickly to teaching online, and our students did not lose out on their learning.  We are now proud to keep an online class running constantly, making sure we support students who cannot reach in-person classes.

I find pure joy in my time in class, both with our students and with my amazing co-teachers. Our students already speak multiple languages and come from all over the world.  They bring diverse skills and talents, and they share their fascinating cultures, experiences, and wisdom with all of us.

My very first student motivates me to do better every day.  He is a talented artist and a natural story-teller.  He is a winner who faces challenges and routinely overcomes them. He has taught me what it means to be truly resilient and how to give back.  From him and all my students, I've learned about other countries, different foods, new music, and the wide array of successful careers our students have pursued back home and in the U.S.  Most of all, I witness their extraordinary creativity, heartfelt kindness, and unfaltering determination.

One of my co-teachers is a herself a former student, and as such, she has become a powerful motivating force for all those who come after her.  I am humbled by what I receive and how I have grown by being a part of ELL. This program is a true blessing in my life as much as it is in the lives of our refugees.