The PACE Learning Community* held its annual Family Night on November 30, 2017 in the Multicultural Center. Three cohorts of PACE students and faculty as well as their families gathered to celebrate their accomplishments and commemorate the people who have supported them in their educational journeys.
The hit of the evening was the potluck of foods from around the world, featuring dishes such as Indian samosas, Jordanian shawarma, Nigerian jollof rice, and Burmese tea leaf salad.
The MC for the evening, PACE student Maria “Lupi” Cervantes, began the evening with a warm welcome. Faculty and students then gave speeches about their experiences learning and being part of the PACE Community. Ava Renei Robles, from the Philippines, spoke about balancing school and work and how education has transformed her. Pearl Ibeanusi, from Nigeria, shared about her learning experience this fall, and Jason Ramirez, from Honduras, gave words of thanks to his family, teachers, and classmates. The evening concluded with a slideshow to music curated by PACE student Seng Maw.
This event was a celebration of the diversity that makes our learning community and campus special. The co-coordinators of PACE, Erinn Struss and Serena Chu-Mraz, would like to thank all those who have supported PACE and have made this event possible.
* The PACE (Proficiency in American Culture and English) Learning Community brings together English language learners and dedicated faculty and staff in a four-semester series of linked classes starting with ESOL 840 and culminating in ENGL 110.
Article by Serena Chu-Mraz and Erinn Struss | Photo by Franck Yao
