Student Award Winners

"Meron Abraha is a refugee from the country of Eritrea and is a Senior at Rush Henrietta Schools. Meron will be graduating in May and plans to attend Monroe Community College in the Fall. On top of school, Meron works part-time. He serves as an unofficial ambassador for his country and language of Tigrinya and has participated in an informal conversation with other ENL teachers who wanted to learn more about Eritrea culture and Meron's experience as a refugee."

"Hala’s family came to the United States from Syria via Jordan in 2016. In her first two years in the U.S. she quickly learned basic English and with that foundation, began to successfully navigate content classes as well as academic English. Hala has worked hard to always do her best and as learning English is a priority to move forward, she has focused on doing what she needs to become proficient. Hala's bicultural background and bilingual abilities give her a unique perspective and will benefit her in her studies and future career. She and her family have maintained their home language and culture, while integrating into American culture and developing English language skills. Statistics show that when English Language Learners are able to reach English proficiency, they are very successful academically. This has certainly been the case with Hala. While maintaining her first language and culture she not only has reached English Language proficiency, but has flourished academically. "

Ningxi Pan is an Elementary Education major with an English concentration, though she also enjoys math. She is excited to work with young students at PS 184 Shuang Wen School in Chinatown (through APEX programming). She speaks enthusiastically about her pedagogy classes, and she demonstrates curiosity about the best teaching strategies, often seeking book recommendations that would deepen her understanding. Despite her insecurities about her English level in high school, she has grown in confidence and discovered her own passion for creative writing. Ningxi has long dreamed of becoming a teacher, and in fact, during high school, she tutored underclassmen in geometry, as well as volunteered as a teacher’s assistant in a local preschool and a Chinese language school. Ningxi has a personality that is very fitting for a teacher. She is an extremely kind, patient, and thoughtful young woman who is truly cares about the impact she will have on her future students.