Karene had an advantage most of our students do not. In her native Haiti, she studied English, French and Spanish interpretation. TPS (Temporary Protected Status) allowed her and her son to move here, and local family members helped her find a place to land. Even with these advantages, making a life here has been anything but easy.
Karene’s grasp of basic English grammar didn’t help her understand or be understood by fast-talking Americans. She had to adjust to the cold weather and, most challenging of all, she must care for her son without her husband or extended family for support.
Things started to change when she enrolled in The ILC’s upper-level English class. Finally, she could interact with and understand her new neighbors! More than that, our Next Steps Class helped her set career goals and make a plan to achieve them. As Karene describes it, “[The] ILC was one of my best things in United States because it’s not only like having an English class, it’s like building your career, it’s like progressing your education. [There are] great staff here who help you with your goal and after [you finish] studying English.”
Even after she completed classes at The ILC, her education and career advisor continued to support her dreams. The advisor knew Karene wanted to enroll in a workforce training initiative from the Massachusetts Association of Community Colleges and reached out to her when the application window re-opened to make sure she got in. Karene completed the training program in August, she has a paid internship with Boston Housing Authority she hopes will become a permanent job and she recently got her driver’s license.
Although she did all the hard work, Karene credits The ILC with making it all possible, and we credit you, our supporters.
Founder and CEO
The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc.