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...and other typical students.
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Keiko K has been an elementary school teacher in Japan for 25 years. She was given a three-year leave of absence to come to America to study child abuse and domestic violence, an increasing problem in Japan. ECIW will help her to begin college study of Child Development and Family Studies, along with ESL for Child Development. Keiko has achieved her purpose to geat the English skills she needs to begin her academic studies, and she says she found intellectual pleasure at ECIW. She also says, I like my classmates very much. Most of them immigrated to the U.S., and they study hard to get jobs or go to college. Everybody has her own dream. Some of them work after school, and others have children. They are really busy. I seem to be the only one with time to study. It’s amazing to me how they create the time to study. I respect all of them.
Hiba EH is a recent refugee from the Sudan by way of Egypt where she lived with her family for four years, waiting for the chance to join her older sister, Sulafa, in Oakland. A high school graduate, Hiba studied her fourth language at ECIW and is intent on a career in medicine. Guided by her life experiences and her academic interests, Hiba’s goal is to become a doctor in her new country. Her gentle and caring nature will greatly benefit the patients of the future Dr. EH!
Jorge F, a human rights officer in Colombia for six years, was forced to seek political asylum in the U.S. two years ago. Now living here with his wife and daughter, Jorge trained at ECIW to become successful in the U.S. and simultaneously volunteered at Amnesty International in San Francisco. An experienced professional, he plans to become fluent in English to use my knowledge of human rights law wherever my work will be useful.
Htar Htar E was a recipient of the ECIW Board Scholarship as well as a scholarship from the Foundation for the People of Burma. Htar Htar was chosen by the Foundation because of her commitment to helping others, as a nurse and as a teacher. After ECIW, she pursued studies in Teaching English and will return to Myanmar (Burma) as a teacher-trainer. She will take back firsthand knowledge of American culture, including the roles of American women in politics, economics and social institutions. 
Ruslana L came to the U.S. just five months ago, winner of the green card lottery (just 50,000 people worldwide are winners of this lottery). She had worked as a nurse in Ukraine, and wants to improve her English so that she can be licensed to practice nursing here in the U.S. She had enrolled in adult school in Concord, but found that the classes there did not move fast enough, and at ECIW she is learning much more rapidly. She feels that here she is taking the first step toward her dream. Her husband is a student in the evening session.
Guadalupe A came from Mexico when she was 16 and graduated from an Oakland high school, but could not succeed in community college. Even the ESL classes were too difficult. After volunteering, then working at the Spanish Speaking Citizen’s Foundation, she heard about ECIW. When I came to ECIW my self esteem was on the floor. Many people looked down on me because I am a single mother, but at ECIW, people saw me with admiration because I was working, studying and taking care of my son alone. Now I feel like I can go to college and be anything I want to be. Also, I can be a role model for my son and my younger relatives.
Nguyen T came from Vietnam more than 2 years ago. But even though he managed to pass the new high school exit exam, he could not speak English well enough to begin community college academic classes. Also, he had no idea about a career goal. Now studying at ECIW, Nguyen says I realize that I am improving my new language very fast and also I have gained a lot of experience by working, studying and communicating with people here. I started to think about my future goal, which I had never thought about before. I think this is a place where I see a lot of opportunities and why I want to be a dentist in the future. 
Zaynab A arrived in Oakland in 2005, a refugee from Russia and the first of a large group of Meskhetian Turks at ECIW. She began in Level 1 at ECIW and by Level 2 she was working as our administrative assistant. Now an advanced, Level 5 ECIW student, Zaynab is working fulltime at a cosmetics company and planning to begin studies in a healthcare field next—her goal: Doctor Zaynab, the first Oakland doctor who can speak Turkish and Russian, in addition to English!|
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...and other typical students.
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