On Friday, July 19th, 17 residents of Lowell’s immigration shelter graduated from their ESOL & Home Health Aide training program.
The program was a collaboration between MassHire Lowell Career Center and Middlesex Community College and was designed to offer the new arrivals to Lowell a chance to improve their language skills and obtain immediate in-demand skills. The class included 12 weeks of combined ESOL and Home Health Aide training and three weeks of post-program followup. Several of the students are now continuining on to obtain their Nursing Assistant certification.
In attendance for this graduation where the 17 students and their instructors from Middlesex Community College, Charles Zhang, ESOL Instructor, and Debra Shaw, Home Health Aide Instructor. Also attending from MassHire Lowell Career Center were Assistant Director Gabriela Boscaja, Manager Nancy Gagnon, and Immigrant Program Liaison Myrlande (Mimi) Emanuel. And from Middlesex Community College, President Philip Sisson and Katie Gentile, Director of Corportate Education and Training.
To understand the new arrivals experience in the program, the words of of one of the students – Berline – best sum up their feelings.
“Education is the key to success. Everybody knows that when you arrive in a country that speaks a language different than speaks a language different from your mother tongue, the important thing is to learn this language.
When I arrived in the USA in November 2023, I lived in Waltham. During this time, the most important thing for me was to learn English, but I didn’t know where to go to class.
Well, one day a case worker told us that she was going to move us to Lowell. There, they would find case managers who could help us as newcomers. Upon hearing this information, I had a lot of hope and I began to have a lot of expectations.
In January, we arrived in Lowell and they enrolled us in a program that would start in March. I was anxious because for me March was very far away. But the good news I received was the opportunity to study English and at the same time have a certificate as a Home Health Aide.
With a lot of effort and determination, I took the Home Health Aide class, and it was a success with the patience of teachers Debra and Mimi.
In the English class with Charles, it was a life experience because he always cares about our learning of the language. Well, he knows that communication in English is the key that will open the door for us in this country. Thank you, Charles.
According to my experience, I realized and I’m sure that no one can move forward without the push of others. We need each other for everything in our life. And this wonderful team gave us a push.
For all that, I would like to say in the name of each student, thank you to MassHire Lowell and Middlesex Community College staff, especially Katy.
Thank you so much for the support of each of you.”
Congratulations to the graduates of the ESOL & Home Health Aide Program:
- Viergina
- Juliette
- Fritznel
- Shella
- Berline
- Fredeline
- Michel
- Carline
- Victoria
- Ruth
- Wood-Lyne
- Kettelie
- Tabita
- Scherlee
- Modeline
- Watlande
- Monaoucheka
MassHire Program & Services are funded in part by US Department of Labor (USDOL) Employment and Training Administration grants as well as non-federal funded grants. Additional details furnished upon request.