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Upcoming Events where you can learn about ESOL!
Opportunities & Benefits for W&L Students engaged in ESOL
ESOL develops leaders. ESOL’s leadership team (12-14 students/year) works closely with Lexington and Rockbridge residents, community partners, and W&L faculty and staff. They learn gain budget skills, recruit volunteers, and maintain relationships. Student leaders also learn how to craft grant proposals to support ESOL’s mission. Click here to view our leadership positions.
Post Graduate opportunities. 16 ESOL students have received Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships (ETAs) or Fulbright Research Fellowships over the past 20 years. Click on the tabs below to see some of the awards ESOL students have won.
ESOL work-study affords the students to work bi- or trilingually as part of their work-study experience. ESOL work-study become an integral part of the ESOL organization. Currently, we have 2 general work study positions and 2 work study positions for the Summer Program. When positions become available, we will post a link here.
Summer internships. This past summer (2021) 2 ESOL Summer Interns helped design our Summer Pilot Program (to launch in 2022).
Liaisons. ESOL has student liaisons to the Law School, Engineering Community Development, GenDev, and the Shepherd Poverty Program. ESOL has worked with numerous professors and law students to help attend to clients with immigration, family, and tax issues.
Coursework. There is at least 1 ESOL-linked course offered every other year in Romance Languages.
International service. ESOL volunteers travel to Puerto Morelos, Mexico for a spring-summer internship where they teach English and other core subjects in the only highschool in this small town where many residents work in tourism/hospitality.
Check out some of the academic programs and offices that support us
“What I miss most now are the community members and partners I met… This experience made me feel at home in Lexington in a way I had never imagined possible in my short four years there.”
“I have learned that emotions go beyond language and that at the end of the day the essence of being human connects us. We need to learn to value the challenge that comes with learning a second language like English.”
“As Community Coordinator, my job includes staying connected with community members and organizations to facilitate relationships and participate in events between ESOL and the Rockbridge community.”
Updated 2/26/2021
| NAME | COUNTRY | TYPE OF AWARD | YEAR |
| Julia Poppenberg | Argentina | Fulbright ETA | 2021 |
| Andrew Agrippina | Colombia | Peace Corps | 2020 |
| Caroline Rivers | Mexico | Fulbright ETA | 2020 |
| Kathryn McEvoy | Spain | Fulbright ETA | 2019 |
| Andrew Agrippina | Spain | Fulbright ETA | 2019 |
| Jackson Ellis | Germany | Fulbright ETA | 2019 |
| Jared Shely | Colombia | Fulbright ETA | 2018 |
| John Dannehl | Spain | Fulbright ETA | 2017 |
| Harrison Westgarth | Brazil | Research (Biology) | 2017 |
| Anna Paden Carson | Colombia | Fulbright ETA | 2016 |
| Meera Kumar | India | Research (Art History) | 2016 |
| Kendre Barnes | Panama | Fulbright ETA | 2013 |
| Jamie Ferrell | Chile | Fulbright ETA | 2008 |
| Emily Sberna | Spain | Fulbright ETA | 2007 |
| Annie Rochfort | Spain | Research (Art History) | 2005 |
Updated 5/25/2020
| NAME | YEAR |
| Lorena Hernández Bárcena | 2019 |
| Ángel Vela de la Garza Evia | 2018 |
| Kate LeMasters | 2015 |
| Christopher Washnock | 2012 |
| Natalie Bunnell | 2010 |
| Courtney Harrison | 2006 |
| Elizabeth Meehan | 2005 |
| Kara Harbert | 2004 |
| Brooks Hickman | 2002 |
Watch ESOL's conference presentation at TESOL '21
Curry Sherard ’21 (co-president)
Jackie Tamez ’22 (co-president)
Lizzie Figueiras ’21 (translations)
Clara Albacete ’23 (community outreach)
ESOL at a glance
Membership:
- ESOL is typically comprised of 65-75 W&L volunteers, with approximately 5-10 other student volunteers from VMI, RCHS, and SVU.
Service:
- ESOL volunteers provide one-on-one and group ESL instruction to individuals in our area. This includes tutoring, English lessons, GED preparation and more.
- ESOL volunteers organize and promote Community Events.
- ESOL volunteers interpret for the W&L Immigration Clinic, the Tax Clinic, local schools and organizations.
- ESOL volunteers typically translate between 200-300 pages (mostly English-Spanish) per year for schools, health centers, community organizations, the W&L Immigration Clinic and others.
- Students engaged in ESOL contribute approximately 160 hours of service per week throughout the school year.
Contact ESOL & learn how you can get involved!
Boletín infORmativo
ESOL NEWSLETTER
“As a tutor, I learned about the value of relationships and community. Language learning is a vulnerable journey, and it is impossible to succeed without first developing a foundation of trust. As Co-President of the organization, I learned about the value of delegation and teamwork. I was so lucky to be part of an incredible team of fellow leaders, without whom the organization would not exist.”
Llámenos ~
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(540) 458-8816
(540) 458-4880
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