Students in the ESOL courses at Skyline College are excellent examples of the global community of learners we strive to empower and transform. Take a peek and you will find people who come from across the globe who are part of Skyline College’s diverse community.
In Meegan Rivera’s ESOL 400 class, 19 countries are represented in a class of 29 students. Students who have immigrated from the Czech Republic, Algeria, Iraq, Peru, and Burma are taking courses to advance their futures. Meegan states, “Our classroom teems with discussion. Everyone has a lot to learn from each other, and we do it all in English!”
This kind of diversity is normal across ESOL classes of every level and skill at Skyline College. Most ESOL classes average about 14 countries represented in a class. Julie Carey has 17 countries in her class this semester. Julie says, “What makes teaching students from so many different countries—I can’t recall ever having fewer than 12 countries represented in my classroom – incredible is that, though students come from all corners of the globe to study here at Skyline, they share one common goal, belief, dream—the American Dream. It is a dream that I am so often cynical of and take for granted. But their capacity for believing in our educational system and the opportunities that system provides makes teaching at Skyline College the most rewarding and fulfilling work I have ever done.”
This diversity is a point of pride in the ESOL department and enriches Skyline College’s community of learners.
Article & Photo by Meegan Rivera
