To better reflect how we support our students, we are excited to announce that we are changing our name to ESL Connect!
At the heart of ESL Connect’s service is to link both new and current ESL students to a community of support at Skyline College and beyond.
The English Language Institute was founded in Fall 2009 as a service to better facilitate orientation and enrollment of new ESL students in Skyline College. The new ESL students needed more time and personal connection to complete the matriculation steps. Since its inception, the ELI has become a starting place for thousands of students entering college. Staffed by multilingual staff, ELI provides language support and personalized referrals to enable new enrollees to fully understand the complexities of college and the U.S. educational system.
Through our program outreach, we met Carlos Acuna, a new immigrant from El Salvador studying ESL in adult school in 2016. He attended the ESL Registration Day and got personalized help with Financial Aid and SparkPoint referral. Carlos also got connected to the Career Center who helped him explore his major. He decided on being a mechanical engineer.
As an ESOL student, the ELI connected him to the services at The Learning Center for ESOL tutoring and workshops. Through the ELI program, Carlos became an ESOL Student Liaison to develop his public speaking skills and to be a peer support to his classmates. As Carlos demonstrated increased leadership skills, he got hired as a student assistant at the ELI helping many immigrants access Skyline College. He also became a math tutor at The Learning Center. Carlos is one semester away transferring to a UC School or a CSU School of Engineering. The ELI, soon to be named ESL Connect, is proud to have supported him in his success!
Article by Mylene Foo & Leigh Anne Shaw | Photo by Rossmia Coo
