In January 2023, Claudia Mendez enrolled as an English as a Second Language (ESL) student at East Hartford Adult and Continuing Education. Just nine months later, she was hired as an ESL/Bilingual Tutor at East Hartford High School.
“I think Claudia’s story is an amazing example of how our ESL program can benefit East Hartford. Our students have the opportunity to improve their English skills so that they can serve an impactful role in their community, and in this case, Claudia has been able to give back to her community with her new position in the school district,” said Mike Craig, Director of East Hartford Adult and Continuing Education.
As an ESL/Bilingual Tutor, Mendez supports students arriving from other countries who are learning English and need support in their core academic classes. She also helps teachers communicate with these students as needed.
“Thanks to my prior training as a biomedical engineer in Colombia and my experience as an ESL student, I am able to relate to the current ESL students at EHHS and continue to improve my English every day at work,” said Mendez. “I now understand the pride a person feels when they learn a new language.”
Mendez said she is now considering a career as a bilingual teacher because of this new found love for helping students learn languages. She credits her own ESL teacher at East Hartford Adult Education, Amy Pearsall, for inspiring her each step of the way.
She said, “[Ms. Pearsall] is an amazing person and teacher. She gives everything to her class and always makes an effort to form strong personal connections with her students. I feel this is the reason that students learn so easily with her. She makes learning English fun and I am always using what I’ve learned in her class in my daily life.”
Learn more about East Hartford Adult and Continuing Education offerings and how to register by visiting adulted.easthartford.org.