English Skills Learning Center

I began working with Huria in early 2010. We began with a simple goal of improving her oral comprehension and increasing her vocabulary, but she required more practical skills. Her support network had shrunk when she moved to the US, so she was the sole caretaker for the children while her husband worked. It wasn't long before she was asking me for help with housing forms, getting a driver's license, and enrolling her kids in school. My carefully planned reading exercises fell to the wayside as more pragmatic "survival" English became necessary.

Sometime in the last year, between memorizing citizenship questions and eating dates and tea from Saudi Arabia, I fell in love with Huria's entire family. She has developed a tremendous amount of independence. When we first met I never could have anticipated all that she's accomplished in a year and half. As I watched her take her Naturalization Oath I realized that, even though she is one person, she was enriching our nation with her work ethic and culture. I felt so honored to welcome her as a US citizen, and excited for the opportunities available to her now. A series of small steps and relentless forward motion has finally come to fruition for her, and now I have a new sister and best friend to share this country with.

Robin Cole