As an eighteen-year-old excited to attend Penn State, one of my main goals was to better my cultural competence. Coming from what I describe as a “cookie-cutter town,” I grew up learning a great sense of community and was surrounded by countless caring people who would drop anything to help at a moment's notice, but nearly everyone came from families like my own. There was very little diversity.
Five years ago, my spouse and I landed at Dulles airport on our way to State College. My husband had accepted a postdoc position at Penn State University, and I joined him to start a new chapter in our life.
Literacy is a 6th sense, essential to understanding the world that surrounds you in a coherent and rational manner. Literacy is not just flipping through textbooks, it is comprehending the news, reading a room, and ultimately the key to communication. How do you read the world around you? Do you comfortably flow through the torrent of our literary surroundings; or do you feel adrift and unheard when trying to illustrate your perceptions?
Coming to America is very good for people who don’t know the American life. You have many opportunities to choose a job, school, and church. For me, I chose a job through my church parish.
After being encouraged by a friend to volunteer with the Mid-State Literacy Council, I began tutoring an ESL student the Fall 2020 semester.
Hello mathematicians! As a teacher and an individual who loves math, one of my favorite concepts to teach is our base 10 system.
The National Library of Medicine’s MedlinePlus database is a well-known, high-quality resource for consumer health information, including in Spanish.
As we continue to live in a world of unpredictability, it is not uncommon to feel a lack of motivation because of quarantines and self-isolation.
The COVID pandemic has challenged all of us in different ways. Computer technology has become the lifeline for many families to remain in touch with loved ones. But how do you teach basic computer skills when you are unable to meet in person?
I went into my experience volunteering with the Mid-State Literacy Council with the sole expectation that I would be teaching the students; however, these individuals taught me just as much as I taught them, and that is something that I will cherish now and bring with me in my future endeavors, as well.
