New beginnings: Q&A with English Language Learners

Brooke Jones | Raider Staff

Imagine walking to school and being worried about whether the color of your shirt might be mistaken for membership in a gang.

ELL students work on their reading skills with teacher Marina Mowery. Students in the ELL program follow a semester schedule in sheltered classrooms to help develop their language skills and readiness for other coursework. Raider Staff Photographer: Robert Wertz

Living in Leesburg, we don’t usually question our safety when we leave the house, but for some Loudoun County students, this was not always the case.

Our English Language Learners (ELL) program currently helps 125 students learn to write, speak, listen, and read in English. The ELL students have all had unique experiences on their journeys coming to the United States and living here without knowing English. Recalling life in their home country versus life here, several students mentioned fear of leaving the house at night due to gang violence and having to worry about what to wear. They praise the educational opportunities found in Leesburg and better-paying jobs in the United States, but they generally miss the family, food, and culture of the homes they left behind.

The ELL program has been in the United States since 1970, and continues to help students around the country.

ELL teacher Marina Mowery has been teaching for 29 years and teaching ELL classes for 10 years. When students first come to the United States they are in sheltered classes, where they learn the language in order to be successful in their regular core classes.

“The students are all very hardworking and very thankful for their education,” Mowery said. Most come from countries where the education system is very different from schools in the United States. “Some of the places they come from, they have to pay for their education, so when it is free in the US, they are very thankful and work hard to access the curriculum.”
Some students are escaping dangerous situations, such as the threat of gang violence, while others are seeking more opportunities. Unfortunately, a lot of time they are leaving their families and coming by themselves.

At Loudoun County High School, students have been in the country anywhere from one week to three years, so the challenge is that everything is brand new. When they arrive here, the vast majority of students are by themselves. “A student might arrive here, and their mom came here when they were two, and the student is now 16 or 17, so they don’t really know their mom. They come here and live with their mom for the basically the first time,” Mowery said.

ELL students have a new home, language, clothing, and food, in addition to a new school. “It’s not one thing that you can pinpoint that is a challenge, it’s everything,” said Mowery.
In one instance, a student expressed regret for not being back home when his grandfather passed away. Another expressed concern that something might happen to her own child on the way to the United States.

The Loudoun Raider sent out an optional survey to members of the ELL program to share the challenges and benefits of being a student new to Leesburg, to the United States, and to English.

TLR: What country do you come from, and how long have you been here in Loudoun County?
Elisandio Isaias: “I’m from El Salvador and I have been in Loudoun County for four months.”
Lisbeth: “I am from Dominican Republic and have been in Leesburg for three months.”
Olmer: “I’m from El Salvador and have been here almost two years.”
Anonymous: “I am from Peru and have lived in the United States for 10 months.”
Anonymous: “I’m from Columbia and I have been in Loudoun County for eight months.”
Anonymous: “I’m from Honduras and have lived in Loudoun County for four months.”

TLR: What aspect of learning English is the most difficult?
Gerson Castro: “Speaking is the most difficult thing about learning English.”
Luis Alfredo: “The pronunciation is the most difficult thing about learning English.”
Anonymous: “The most difficult part of English is reading.”
Yonis Perez: “People talk very fast which makes learning English difficult.”

TLR: What have been some challenges living here?
Olmer: “American traditions have been challenging. For example, Halloween is hard because it has a different meaning in America than my home country.”
Yonis Perez: “One challenge is the cold weather.”
Anonymous: “A challenge has been the language and leaving my family.”
Anonymous: “A challenge has been being away from my mom.”

TLR: What’s been the most helpful part of high school?
Yonis Perez: “The teachers helping me has been the most helpful.”
Anonymous: “Working to get a diploma has been helpful.”
Anonymous: “The most helpful part of high school is learning English.”

TLR: What do you miss the most about your home country?
Anonymous: “Food is what I miss the most.”
Juan Rivas: “I miss my parents and friends.”
Anonymous: “I miss my grandmother.”
Anonymous: “I miss the food and hot weather.”
Anonymous: “I miss my culture and my family.”

TLR: How are you adjusting to living in the United States?
Juan Rivas: “I come to school then I go to work.”
Wilson Triguros: “I have not yet adjusted, I’m still trying to.”
Yonis Perez: “I come to school, then go to work, and on my days off I play soccer.”
Olmer: “Learning the language and learning the traditions is hard.”
Joaquin Yanes: “I have adjusted well to the United States. It is beautiful.”
Lisbeth: “I feel more comfortable here.”

TLR: What surprised you the most when you moved here?
Yalisa: “The cold weather was surprising because it’s always warm where I’m from.”
Anonymous: “The snow surprised me the most.”
Lisbeth: “I was surprised that the food was not good.”
Anonymous: “I was surprised when I met my family in the United States because I hadn’t seen them in a long time.”
Anonymous: “Some people are surprising because they are not nice. When I speak, they laugh.”
Anonymous: “I was reunited with my mother after thinking I would never see her again.”

TLR: What challenges have you faced coming to the United States?
Olmer: “Everything is more expensive.”
Anonymous: “Learning English has been challenging.”
Anonymous: “A challenge for me has been the language.”
Anonymous: “A challenge has been meeting new people.”
Anonymous: “My biggest challenge was getting here. I had to walk, ride a bus, ride a boat, and ride on the back of a truck.”

TLR: Anything else you’d like to share about your journey?
Juan Rivas: “After coming here, I’ve seen some beautiful places.”
Anonymous: “Everything is different here compared to my country.”
Anonymous: “My journey to the US has been a good one, and I’m happy to be in this country.”

Three summer globe trotters: students travel to Mongolia, Thailand, Poland

Kendall Chambers | Raider Staff

When school starts in the fall, students are consumed with studying, extracurriculars, and spending Friday nights at football games. In the summer months, though, students traveled from Europe to Asia exploring foreign customs and cultures. Passports were stamped, world views were broadened, and memories were made. From trying new foods to visiting new cities, three students experienced the adventure of a lifetime.

Senior Sofia Fagan spent two weeks traveling through Mongolia on horseback. Her inclination to travel to Asia stemmed from her interest in learning about ancient cultures.

“I think Asia is one of the most diverse regions; it’s extremely different from Western culture, and I wanted to gain a cultural experience by interacting with the Eastern World,” Fagan said.

Fagan describes herself as being selective with her food, so trying meals that incorporated lamb and goat was out of her comfort zone. “Trying new food and getting to experience how different families cook their meals was something that I believe pushed me to not only try new things, but also connect with the families we were staying with.”

According to Fagan, the difficulty of the horseback riding aspect took her by surprise. “We rode six to seven hours on horseback per day, and although I had trained for the trip, I didn’t know it was going to be that intense every day. But, I think the group that I went with was very resilient.”

Recalling her favorite memory from her time spent in Asia, Fagan said, “on the trip we got to connect with five men who had lent us their horses. They were riding with us the entire time for safety measures, and they acted as guides. In the evenings, we would all sing around the campfire with the horsemen, learn Mongolian songs, and teach them American songs as well. I truly loved that experience because we got to share something despite our language barrier, and we were able to communicate without understanding each other.”

Nikki Uehlinger walks an elephant at the Elephant Retirement Park in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Uehlinger volunteered at an elephant retirement park during her summer break. Raider Staff Photographer: Sally Stimpson

In Chiang Mai, Thailand, senior Nicole Uehlinger volunteered at an elephant retirement park. “I got a booklet in the mail for volunteer trips and decided to look through it. I saw the trip to Thailand and immediately fell in love with the idea,” Uehlinger said. During her ten day trip, Uehlinger explored the Thai cities of Pai, the capital city, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai.

Located in Northern Thailand, Chiang Mai is packed with street markets and ancient temples. Aside from the lively culture, Uehlinger’s love of animals encouraged her to participate in this experience, which allowed her to work hands-on with elephants. It expanded my horizons in terms of what I want to do with my life,” Uehlinger said.

When she wasn’t tending to elephants, Uehlinger was making memories with her volunteer group. “When we were sleeping in the jungle in bamboo huts, nobody had their phones, so we ended up just making shadow puppets in the bug nets and telling stories.”

Having no access to technology led Uehlinger to learn just how much she values enriching experiences, which she cites as a common theme of her trip. “The biggest thing I learned from my trip is the value of experiences away from home and immersing yourself in other cultures.”

“The last time I went to Poland was five years ago,” junior Julia Houck said. In June, Houck traveled to the Polish town of Rożnów, where her grandparents reside, and stayed for two months.

With a population of just 1,700, Rożnów boasts mountains and lakes that create picturesque views for its residents. “Not many people know about Rożnów,” Houck said. “It’s an hour away from Kraków, which is a larger city.” The medieval city of Krakow bustles with cafés and is home to the 13th century church St. Mary’s Basilica.

Houck has an appreciation for Polish culture, and even speaks some Polish herself. “I feel like Poland is very similar to the U.S.,” Houck said. “People may think it’s really different, but I feel like there’s a lot of similarities.”

As for her favorite Polish dish: “pierogi with strawberries.” Houck said that though she wasn’t born in Poland, her mother was. “She lived there until she was about 18 years old.” Her grandparents aren’t the only ones in her family who reside in Europe; her cousins from Ireland and France also accompanied her on the vacation. “My favorite memory would have to be when all of my cousins arrived. We all had an amazing time together.”

Youtube Review: Shane Dawson breaks barriers with new docuseries

Alex Weber | Raider Staff

With over 17 million subscribers, YouTuber Shane Dawson announced in September that he would be doing eight documentary videos about Jake Paul. Paul, a stunt devil, also has 17 million YouTube followers and posts videos almost daily featuring stunts and pranks.

Dawson has done docuseries with other YouTubers, but this one is his most controversial.

In the first video, “The Mind of Jake Paul,” he becomes better acquainted with Paul by watching Paul’s videos and his family’s. Paul’s parents and brother Logan all have YouTube channels. We learn that Paul’s dad is a crazy prankster who pushes the boys to be the best they can be at whatever they do, suggesting that this could be a reason for Paul’s extreme pranks.

Fans reacted adversely and passionately to the first video, many worried that Paul is receiving unwarranted free publicity.

Dawson admitted that he did not expect the backlash, but continued the series, warning, “I also want to do stuff on my channel that I find interesting. The fall of Jake Paul and the darkness of his world, is something that I am fascinated by.”

Paul and Dawson meet in his fifth and six videos where he gets to know Paul and see how and where he lives, which is perhaps the most interesting part, especially when Paul brings a psychiatrist without Paul knowing.

Is Jake Paul a sociopath or not? Time, and the last videos in the series, may tell.