SPOTLIGHT 2022 by VALRC

2022

SPOTLIGHT

an anthology of work by Virginia adult education learners

Contents

SPOTLIGHT SPOTLIGHT is published by: Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center Virginia Commonwealth University 3600 West Broad Street, Suite 108 Richmond, VA 23230 valrc.org Send queries to vdesk@vcu.edu. Director, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Virginia Department of Education David S. Eshelman, Ed.D. Adult Education Coordinator, Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education, Virginia Department of Education Heidi Silver-Pacuilla, Ph.D. VALRC Interim Manager Kate Daly Rolander, Ph.D. VALRC Project Team Karen Ballengee Katherine Hansen Hillary Major Hali Dayberry Massey Elizabeth Severson-Irby SPOTLIGHT Editorial Team (April 2022) Autumn Bedwell Lindsay Brooks Casey Guditus Ninon Hentz Pierrette Lacoste Jeanne Nicholson Siler Debbie Tuler This product was fully created through a cooperative agreement to the Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center at Virginia Commonwealth University from the Virginia Department of Education, grant award numbers V002A190047 and V002A200047 under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The opinions expressed herein, however, do not necessarily represent the position or policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and no official endorsement by the Department should be inferred.

I Did Not Miss the Train ��2 by Fatima Hairane

I Don’t Need a Translator ��3 by Mohamad Al Darwish

Untitled ��3 by Samantha Lewis

Untitled ��3 by Mauricia Baskerville

Untitled ��3 by Clarenetta Carter

Where My Mind Goes ��3 by Sanja Williams

How My Life Changed from Childhood to Adulthood ��4 by Ingrid Torres Arevalo

The Power of Writing ��6 by Heidi Gao

Snow ��7 by the Intermediate Online English Class, Blue Ridge Literacy; Heather Simmons, Instructor

My Love For Nature ��7 by Imane Rammar

Untitled ��8 by Atiqullah Bana

The Saddest Persimmon ��9 by Soyoung Early

Love is Worth the Wait ��10 by Dina Gortman

Martin Luther King, graphite; ��11 Illustration by David Chambers

Untitled ��11 Anonymous

My Young Life ��12 by Saad Al Dulaimi

p. ii

SPOTLIGHT 2022

EQUALITY �� 13 by Harry by Ebony by Dewin

The Story of an Afghan Immigrant Girl �� 14 by Maryam Muradi

How War Changes Life �� 15 by Pooja Kapoor

Untitled �� 16 by Jadon Lehman

Autumn �� 16 by Ferial Abou Kalam

Climate Change �� 16 by Kyle Tian

A Woman I Admire �� 17 by Janine Boon

Learning English �� 17 by Ivone Vitorino Amosse

The Story Behind the Magic of “Encanto” �� 18 by Karen Ramos

Focus and Determination �� 19 by Rosa Hernandez

EQUALITY �� 20 by Brenda by Hung

I Am from Mexico �� 21 by Maribel Moreno Hernandez

Journey Toward Joy �� 23 by Siem Kidane

Untitled �� 24 by Anonymous

Letter to a New Student �� 25 by Andrea

My Difficult Life in Charlottesville �� 26 by Ziaullah Ishan

Home �� 26 by Adela Bana

Home �� 26 by Ree Mo

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. iii

Home �� 26 by Yong ge Gong

Love �� 26 by Gracie Jones

Untitled �� 27 by Jasmine Herrera

My Mirror �� 28 by Taeha Ahn

EQUALITY �� 29 by Lauren by Marie

Education For Adults �� 30 by Manal Abdelrahman

Understanding Teenagers’ Feelings �� 31 by Moises Cuizara

Untitled �� 32 by Nancy Ortiz

Winter Morning �� 33 by Satomi Hase

The Traditions of Romanian People �� 33 by John Moshanu

Diamond �� 34 by Mauricia Baskerville

Soccer �� 34 by Ivese Mabamba

Tomorrow �� 34 by Anitra Winn

Untitled �� 34 by Laquechia Carey

Illustration �� 34 by Karen Baynard

Dream Trip �� 35 by Anonymous

Earthquake In El Salvador �� 36 by Hilda Colato Perdomo

The Hidden Gift �� 37 by Fatima Hairane

p. iv

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Eid al-Adha: The Feast of Sacrifice �� 38 by Mursal Hewadmal

Dancing the Marinera �� 39 by Inocencia Toribio Garcia

The Love of Parents �� 40 by Meimei Liu

From Danger to Dreams �� 41 by Elizabeth Leiva Quintanilla

My Social Improvement Plan �� 42 by Alex Laheb

Eyes of a Dreamer �� 42 Anonymous

EQUALITY �� 43 by Janine by Richard

How to Make Cartoons, Then and Now �� 43 by Halima Naser

For The Love Of Exploring India �� 44 by Naresh Kumar

The Amazing Animal Time: Moffee Moth �� 45 by Stephen Solomon

That’s the Reason Why We Chose the Day �� 46 by Blanche Ko

Love Me �� 47 by Shadonna Carroll

Love �� 47 by Shadonna Carroll

Anitra �� 47 by Shadonna Carroll

Books �� 47 by Shadonna Carroll

Escape From Afghanistan �� 48 by Sediqa Mohammadi

My Journey to Becoming a United States Citizen �� 49 by Lizeth Mendoza

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. v

A note on language: The pieces appearing in SPOTLIGHT have been lightly edited by the editorial team with a focus on eliminating typos while preserving the evidence of adult learners’ developing writing skills and their authentic voices. The editorial team has also in many places made decisions about paragraph breaks and line spacing, as some formatting was not transmitted by the publication’s submission form. p. vi

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Welcome to SPOTLIGHT! an introduction from the editorial team SPOTLIGHT brings to your attention a powerful collection of work by adult education learners from across the Commonwealth of Virginia. This inaugural edition gathers the many voices of learners, both native-born and immigrant, putting their creative writing center stage. The variety of forms and topics is impressive: from haiku and acrostic poems to longer narratives, we find stories of dramatic escapes and longing for home, snapshots of daily life and goals for the future, accounts of treasured traditions, and even a playful tale about a silkworm’s adventures. When a group of Virginia adult education instructors first met by Zoom in fall 2021 to form the SPOTLIGHT editorial team, we hoped to collect a few suitable submissions to make up this initial issue. Instead, our call for learner work resulted in more than sixty submissions from a diversity of adult education and literacy programs. We thank the many adult educators who are supporting learners around the state in building language skills and finding their voices in writing. We especially thank the learners who have shared their work with us and, now, with you. Helping to find and “spotlight” these inspiring voices has been a labor of love: we hope you will enjoy reading SPOTLIGHT as much as we have enjoyed publishing it. While every learner who contributed to this volume has their own story, they largely share the common goal of improving their lives through adult education, whether by gaining a high school equivalency credential, learning new digital skills, strengthening core skills, or developing English language proficiency. Their stories and poems help us to understand the great common ambitions in every culture, that no matter where one is on their life journey, the desire to belong to a community and make a safe and meaningful life for themselves and their families is universal. It is part of the human condition. Founding father Benjamin Franklin is credited with the saying, “If you would not be forgotten, … either write things worth reading, or do things worth writing.” It is our hope that the writings in SPOTLIGHT will encourage you to remember and respect the incredible lives our learners have lived and are living.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. vii

I Did Not Miss the Train by Fatima Hairane At a Municipal Court in Ohio, I was very excited to finally become one of the many new citizens of the United States, just like my two fortunate daughters that were born here in the USA, where they had the right to a great education and a better life, a life supported by human rights. One of these rights that was most important to me was the right to education, but that was not within my grasp, because where I came from girls were destined to get married, have children, and serve their husbands. Unfortunately for me, I missed my chance for education. However, I made it my mission to make sure that my daughters have the best education possible as long as I live. While I was waiting for the judge to arrive at the courtroom, my memory took me back to my childhood when the word “judge” was a bad omen, because he can send you to jail or condemn you to death. I knew that would not happen to me, but still I was terrified that he might instead deny me citizenship or worse, deport me back to the country where I came from. When the judge entered the courtroom, he started to call the people by their names, one at a time. While I was waiting, my heart was pounding so fast that I thought I was going to faint. “Oh no,” I whispered in silence, thinking the worst of course. He yelled my name: “Fatima!” I stood up stiff like a log, staring at him with teary eyes begging for good news. “Why would you want to become a U.S. citizen?” he asked. With a sigh of relief, I answered. “Well, sir. Where I came from education was not achievable because everyone had only one chance to pass the exam; so, if you failed once, then you missed your train, sir.” At that moment, my tears made it all the way down with a splash on my shoes. Then, I raised my head to finally face my judgment. Surprisingly, I saw the judge smiling; then he said, looking at me, “I want you to know that in the USA you will never miss the train, because you can catch it as many times as you wish!” After that day, I made sure to go back to school to get an education to better myself, starting with getting my high school diploma and then my college degree. Also, one of my daughters is a doctor now, and the other is studying to become a history professor. After all, not only I didn’t miss the train, but I had the best ride I could ever have dreamed of. Author’s Note: My name is Fatima. I was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco. I came to the United States in May 1992 and I have been living here ever since.

p. 2

SPOTLIGHT 2022

I Don’t Need a Translator by Mohamad Al Darwish When I came to the United States, three years ago, I only knew a few English words. But on the day that I had an appointment at the hospital, I was so excited. This was my first appointment at a U.S. hospital. I arrived early, waited a few minutes, then, a nurse came and took me with her. She measured my blood pressure, height and weight. Then, she told me to wait for the doctor to come. A few minutes later the doctor came. She introduced herself to me and asked my name. She was smiling and very friendly. She asked me if I needed an interpreter. I said, “No thank-you. My English is very good.” Actually, it wasn’t, but I wanted to try speaking without a translator. The doctor started asking me questions with a smile and I always answered, “Yes” whether I understood or not. Then, she asked me if I have heroin. I said, “yes” and I smiled. I thought she was asking me if we have Halloween. She said, “What?” I felt her question was different. I asked her, “What do you mean by Halloween?” Then, she called an interpreter on the phone and he told me, “She’s asking you if you do drugs.” I said, “No, no!.” I felt embarrassed. But this was the motivation to learn English. I decided to go to school and learn English and now I don’t answer if I don’t understand.

Untitled

by Samantha Lewis

by Clarenetta Carter

smell of sea water

The rain ran downhill

hot sand under my tan feet

The rain sounds so good outside

a glassy white shell

I sleep when it rains

Untitled

Where My Mind Goes

by Mauricia Baskerville

by Sanja Williams

Basketball is fun

Swaying in the wind,

One of the best sports ever

Rumbling like a thunderbolt

I say ball is life

Questioning myself

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 3

How My Life Changed from Childhood to Adulthood by Ingrid Torres Arevalo I was born in El Salvador on November 10, 1997. When I was a kid, my parents separated. Then my life started to change because I moved with my brothers to live with my grandma – my mother’s mom. When we went to live with my grandma, it was something strange and different from living with my parents. Her house was bigger than ours and we didn’t know the people around us. Our grandma had to adjust, too. She, a single mother, took us in even though my uncle, four years older than me, was still a child in her home. She was good to us and took care of us. After the separation, my dad was living in El Salvador and my mother moved to the United States. Soon after, my dad moved and got remarried. When I was fourteen, my mom sent for me to come to the United States because I was the oldest. That was when my life changed again. I was separated from my brothers and my grandma that I loved very much. I felt sad because I left my grandma, my brothers, and my country. I also felt excited and nervous to see my mom. Everything was different here - the place, the language, and the people. But, I felt protected because my mom was with me. To me, this country was full of opportunities and jobs. After four years, all my brothers and I were together again. They met their nephew, my son Diego, when he was a year old. Having a child is something beautiful and amazing.

Diego, my son

p. 4

SPOTLIGHT 2022

I’m excited to see my son grow every day: how he took his first steps, said his first word, got his first teeth and had his first day of school. I want to be in his life to see him grow as a person, see his achievements, and watch him grow professionally. I loved it when he said TE AMO MAMI. It is a feeling that I can’t explain and that cannot be bought, even with all the gold in the world. Then, we got very bad news, the worst news anyone can get. My grandma passed away. When she died, we felt a very heavy pain. The most pain we felt was not being able to go to El Salvador to see her for the last time. The one good thing about this was that all the brothers were finally together, despite the difficulties and time.

Me with Diego, my brothers Odil and Franklin, Mom Carmen, and my sister Nidia

The most important thing to remember about change is to get up if you fall. Do not stop. You must continue no matter how hard it is or impossible it seems. Sometimes we don’t want to continue because it is difficult. You are stronger than you think. I thought my life was hard, but now I am strong. I give thanks to life because I have laughed, cried and because I have met many people.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 5

The Power of Writing by Heidi Gao My name is Heidi Gao, and I was born in a poor Chinese family. I moved to the United States 18 years ago for a better future. Like many immigrant families, language differences often create barriers to communication with our family and society. I eagerly want to improve my speaking and writing skills, then take a GED class to get a better job and integrate into American life. Some people may be curious to ask me why I am taking an English writing class. In fact, it’s very simple. Besides learning English, writing is my habit. People can write, as long as we write our true feelings from the heart. Counting the benefits of writing, everyone’s understanding and perception are different. Writing is definitely a good thing for the body and mind. The key for writing is to observe, think, and write more. For me, who is learning English, writing in English is a great challenge. Because there is a big difference between Chinese and English grammar, grammar is the most difficult part for me to write English except for words and punctuation. Sometimes, Chinese cannot be translated directly into English. For example, sometimes I’m still confused about the use of verb tenses in my essay. When I write in English, I need to think in English. It is a wonderful brain exercise. There are a lot of benefits for being a good writer in English. In our daily life, we need to send messages, e-mails, and fill in worksheets in English, which all require us to strengthen our writing ability. Sometimes, good writing is also conducive to our promotion in the workplace. Thank you so much for the Literacy Volunteers providing me the opportunity to improve my writing skills – with my professional English teacher Dave, learning writing skills is fun! I really appreciate his kindness and time to let us learn English writing skills in a happy and interesting way! I think writing is a process of continuous thinking and improvement. For me, one powerful way to put my writing into practice is by keeping a gratitude journal. It makes me feel happier, sleep better, improves my mental health, benefits my relationships, and more. People who are good at writing are generally people who love life, are good at observation, and are diligent in thinking. The more you write, the deeper you will feel about life. Writing is a happy thing. May writing accompany us all our life. May each of us start, record every bit of life, write wonderful chapters of life, and create a better life.

p. 6

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Snow by the Intermediate Online English Class, Blue Ridge Literacy; Heather Simmons, Instructor Snow might taste sweet like pudding. Snow might smell like nothing. It doesn’t smell like anything to me. Snow might sound like our children playing. It is happy. Sound might feel like something good and cold and heavy. Snow might look like something good. It is so beautiful and clean and white. Sweet like pudding. Nothing else smells like it. Our children playing. White and beautiful and clean.

My Love For Nature by Imane Rammar I always dreamed of living in a house in a natural place. In my country, there are a lot of natural places, but they are far from the city where I lived. I love the sky, the trees and the flowers. I always wanted to wake up in the morning and see butterflies and hear the birds’ songs. This dream was realized when I came to the USA—specifically to Virginia where the sky is clear and blue, the leaves of the trees are different colors and the birds also have beautiful colors. I found here more than I had ever dreamed of. Virginia is for lovers!

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 7

Untitled by Atiqullah Bana In these days the birds sound like the spring seasons The ground takes its white blanket off and wakes up from its winter sleep The spring wind moves the trees and makes them wake up from the winter sleep All people are very happy and they get out of their houses And they feel the spring season; for that they party for it And children go to picnic and play games The spring season has a unique sound and each season has its sound If spring comes I will sing songs that are beautiful Sunny songs for the people who want to live their lives in peace

p. 8

SPOTLIGHT 2022

The Saddest Persimmon by Soyoung Early My mom has always hated everything about persimmons. Growing up, I never understood why until the day she told me the story of her family. It started when she was still in the womb. Her mom was happy then. Her husband would always bring home a bag of persimmons after work. Even though they ran a fruit orchard in northern Korea, they had to buy persimmons from the market, because persimmons could only grow in the south. He would always peel and slice them for her while asking how her day had been. However, one night, he peeled the persimmons and ate them all without a word. Soon after, two large men in suits barged in the door and dragged him away. It was the last time she saw him alive. It happened in the middle of the civil war during the 1950s in Korea. At that time, political executions were common. My grandfather was an anti-communist politician in the northernmost region of Korea, so it was only a matter of time before the communists would come for him. My grandmother held a miserable funeral alone with their unborn daughter, my mom, in her womb. This changed everything for my family; All the sweetness had gone with him, and only bitterness remained. A year passed, and my grandmother now had four children, including my eight-month-old mom. As the war dragged on, she decided to flee to the south. However, her children were too young to all travel hundreds of miles on foot. She promised that she would come back as soon as she could. She took her oldest daughter by the hand and carried her baby on her back. It was the last time she saw the rest of her children. Before she could return, the Korean War ended with her other children trapped in the north. The south, where the persimmons grew, became South Korea, and my grandmother became a missionary. She left for a remote mountain village for missionary work, helping those injured and orphaned by the war. She could not bring her babies to rough places for her work, so she asked her aunt to take care of her two daughters instead. When my mom was old enough to notice that she had a mom and that her mom chose not to be with her, she started crying day and night. She could not understand how her mom could take care of so many strangers, but not her own daughter. My mom grew up without her mom and resented her. She visited her mom only once, as a teenager, to ask why her mom left her. She thought, “What was the logical explanation for abandoning your two-year-old baby? Aren’t mothers supposed to take care of their babies?” She could have asked thousands of questions, but she didn’t. When she saw her mom’s eyes water, she could not bring herself to ask. Not long after that visit, her mom left the sweet taste of persimmons behind for Heaven.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 9

Love is Worth the Wait by Dina Gortman Do you have friends who are addicted to fishing? While you might run back and forth to the car a hundred times, he can sit in one position for hours waiting for a fish until the bobber starts to twitch, and pulls out of the water a big fish. What are some things that are worth waiting for? Special things come as a result of waiting, hard work, and faith. I met my future husband, Rudolf, six years ago in Russia, when I was sixteen years old. We were volunteers at a children’s camp in a village near Alatyr. We taught the children songs, and played outdoor games together. It was winter and we took the children sledding and tubing in the snow. I know it sounds unbelievable, but when I met Rudolf, I knew right away he was the one. We immediately felt something special for each other. I can’t explain it in words; my heart was overfilled with peace, joy, and happiness when we were together. Even though we were very young, we were on the same wavelength. We shared the same world view. Rudolf had me with his kind heart, high spirits, soft tone, and love of kids. He also played the guitar and sang. I could imagine us spending time like this always. But everything ended, when the camp was over. We left the camp and returned to Cheboksary where Rudy was staying with his host family. We had one more week together before Rudy had to return to his home in the USA. I was sixteen and I knew I had to wait. I needed to finish my high school. After two years, Rudy came back to Russia to return to the camp to work. During the two years apart, we continued to text and we felt our connection was even stronger. He proposed to me when he came back. We waited another year for all the travel documents to be processed. It ended up taking four years for the two of us to be together. It was very hard to be apart and had our future put on hold. You lived a life of experiences that cannot be shared with the one you love. I didn’t see how he was spending his time, and when I was with my friends, he couldn’t share my joy or sadness. Finally, I received a letter from the embassy in Moscow. I prepared for my interview. Rudolf wanted to be with me in the embassy. We passed! We were so excited we bought my plane tickets. We just needed to wait for the visa to arrive. My family and friends set up a wonderful celebration for us. They gave speeches wishing us all the love and happiness. We sang and prayed together. My heart was filled with love and gratitude for everyone in my life, and for everything that was finally happening. I was worried about the visa, but I had faith. We had already bought tickets to the USA. We had nothing left to do but wait. In the end, on the day of our flight, my visa came. It was impossible to describe, what a relief it was. It was dream-like. Everything happened so fast. I could not believe this was my life. I was in America. I met Rudolf’s family and friends. They prepared everything for our wedding. Our reception was beautiful and bright. Rudolf and I sang, exchanged our vows, and fed each other wedding cake. We were the happiest people on earth. Before I knew it, six years had passed, and two of those years spent in isolation in the midst of a global pandemic. We now have two children. Our love grew beyond what I knew was possible when I was sixteen. I appreciate the quiet and all the waiting. I’ve caught the best fish.

p. 10

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Untitled

Anonymous

I have a dream today.

For my family, I dream that they will be healthy. This is what my family needs. This is my dream.

For my family, I dream that my family is kept well. This is what my family needs. This is my dream.

For my community, I dream that our community will fight together for their rights. This is what my community needs. This is my dream.

For my community, I dream that it is always safe. This is what my community needs. This is my dream.

For my world, I dream for all the world to be safe and sound. This is what my world needs. This is my dream. And for myself, I dream that I will understand my English lessons. This is what I hope for. This is my dream.

For my world, I dream that there is safety everywhere all over the world. This is what my world needs. This is my dream. And for myself, I dream of getting a driving license in America and learning more English. This is my hope. This is my dream.

Martin Luther King, graphite; Illustration by David Chambers

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 11

My Young Life by Saad Al Dulaimi I entered primary school when I was 6 years old. My school was called Al Maaref Elementary School for Boys and it was located in the capital of Iraq, Baghdad, in the city of Zafaraniyah. It is still in the same place in this city. I used to love my school and love to study. My father was from the blue collar class. He was a worker in a soft drink factory in Baghdad. My father encouraged me to study and get a good future in order to help him and succeed in my future. That is why I worked hard in my lessons and did my homework one day before it was due. The teachers used a stick to beat and discipline the students who neglected the homework and this frightened me. I was avoiding and avoiding the teacher’s punishment. At that time, the teachers and students loved me for my diligence in studying and completing the homework in a timely manner. After I finished primary school, I felt that I had built a good character and I received the respect of teachers and students. They honored me with a box of dates as a gift and I took them and ate them in the evening with my parents, brothers, and sisters. My mother said to me, ”Saad, you are very clever, you did not disappoint me and I pray to God to protect you.” At that time, our house was small and not big enough for us. It was difficult for us to buy a house due to our poor financial situation, but my father decided to sell our small house and buy land in the city of Al-Ghadir in New Baghdad and set up a tent where we lived. In the meantime, I started middle school for boys,called Al-Jamahir Intermediate School for Boys. When I came back from school, I would first do the homework and then help the workers who were building our house. It took 3 years to build our house, and during that time I completed the intermediate school successfully and graduated with a very good degree. Here, at the end of the school year and completing the construction of our house, I felt happy, as I made an academic effort for a better future for myself, as well as in order to help my father pay off the mortgage loan. After school vacation, I went to study at the upper secondary school called Ibn Rushd Preparatory School for Boys, located in New Baghdad, which was about the same distance from our house as my current home is from the Adult Learning Center. My studies began and here I felt that my father was burdened with debts. To save money, I decided to go to school on foot. I had to leave our house an hour before the start of school. In addition, I decided not to buy food from school. My mother used to put barley bread in my school bag to stave off my hunger. After graduating from high school successfully with a very good degree, I rejoiced. My father, mother, sisters and brothers were happy. We gathered around a special dinner at home to celebrate. Then, after that, I went to study at the Air Force Academy and here began another story.

p. 12

SPOTLIGHT 2022

EQUALITY by Harry E–Everyone looks different but still the same. Q–Quit thinking you are better than others. U–Under our skin we are all the same. A–A person who walks alone will return alone. L–Learn to be nice to my friend. I–I want to be a good neighbor to everyone. T–Try to treat people fairly. Y–You should be kind to people always. by Ebony E–Enough people help other people. Q–Quickly to help. U–Uplift people. A–Always learn new things L–Looking for peace I–I am an individual. T–Trusting others. Y–You are the same as me. by Dewin E–Each of us have the same desires. Q–Quality in my life. U–Understanding of who I am. A–Allow people to do their thing. L–Life is too short. I–It is beautiful. T–To not be angry with people. Y–Yes be proud of yourself. SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 13

The Story of an Afghan Immigrant Girl by Maryam Muradi I am a girl from Afghanistan, from a land where I witnessed war and insecurity from childhood to adulthood, the country where most women did not have the right to education and work and could not even decide to get married to the person that they loved. But I was a lucky girl who was born into a family that respected women. Although my parents were unlettered and not rich, they were kind and understanding; they wholeheartedly supported me and my siblings in our studies and work for a better future and a better world. Life went on as usual, and I started working in an organization for building peace, women’s rights, and gender equality. In the middle of August, 2021, as usual, I went to Kabul, (capital of Afghanistan) for a new project and training for four days. When I left Mazar, I just said to my family, “I will see you all again in four days.” But I did not understand what would happen. We had only spent two days of training when I suddenly heard that fighting with the Taliban in Mazar had intensified and the Taliban had taken Mazar. Then, we tried to save our lives and tried several times to enter the airport, but it was very difficult because the Taliban were shooting at the people. Also, thousands of people were still rushing to enter the airport, and the soldiers were pouring tear gas on the people. After several days of insomnia and stress, we were able to enter the airport. Anyway, I left Afghanistan and my family without saying goodbye and with only the dress I was wearing. I left my homeland on a plane with a thousand people. We went to Qatar and spent two weeks in a very bad place that looked like a big garage. There were no bathing facilities and the temperature was about 50-55 C. After that, I found a chance to go to the United States, and I spent 45 days in a military camp. Now I am here in Virginia to start a new life, a new dream with new challenges and a new culture. I know it’s very hard to start a new life from zero without family, but I will never, never give up. I believe I can do it and everything will be good. One day I will see my family again, and I will hold my parents tightly in my arms forever.

p. 14

SPOTLIGHT 2022

How War Changes Life by Pooja Kapoor On the Russia and Ukraine war, February 24, 2022: Lots of innocent people are dying – soldiers are dying and kids. During the 1979-1989 war in Afghanistan, my parents were living there. Many other Hindus were living there as well. Since the current Russia-Ukraine war began, everyone started to evacuate the country, as they did from Afghanistan during that war. There was always a curfew in the city and nobody could leave their house. Everything was closed. My parents were always hiding in the basement because of bombs. Eventually, we had to run for our lives. We left the country without clothes, food, or money. We went to India, welcomed by other Hindus. We stayed in refugee camps in northern India and New Delhi. We were there for several months. All our friends and family had to go to different countries. I was about six years old when this happened, and I was with my sisters and brother. We were given food and money while in the camp, and my uncle in Germany helped us settle there. As a small child, I felt very sad when this happened. We were moving around, and I could not get any education. I had no friends during this time. My clothes were those discarded by others. When my mom talks about everything, it always makes me cry. I feel sad about whatever is happening right now in Ukraine. It reminds me of my old days. What we go through no one will understand. We were refugees in different countries. Finally, I have one home, the USA. This country changed my life. It gave me education, work, and a home. My uncle encouraged us to apply for German asylum. This would give us identification and protection under their government. My parents lived in fear every day, but we were finally granted asylum … after ten years. I was sixteen. I was then able to go to school, and my parents entered me into an arranged marriage at age 20. We had a son in 2009, and I came to the United States. I am glad that my family and I are still alive.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 15

Untitled

Climate Change

by Jadon Lehman

by Kyle Tian

Leaves are falling down Wind blowing across the fields Warm sun shining down

Autumn by Ferial Abou Kalam Autumn tastes yellow Sounds quiet

I took a walk along the coast of Center Island. The breeze from the sea was warm and weirdly exciting. I walked on the beach barefoot. I felt the warm water under my feet and forgot I was in Canada in December. It was warm as mud, fire or breath. I checked the weather information; the app showed that the temperature of the water was 59 degrees. I realized that this weather was unusual and that the water temperature of the sea was warming due to climate change. December of 2021 was the hottest month in Canadian history. I love a warm sunny day, but it is a brittle gift. Be careful to open it. Like wildfires and droughts, extreme and unusual weather events warn us we need to protect our environment. Use green energy before the world boils over.

Smells nice I feel winter is coming.

p. 16

SPOTLIGHT 2022

A Woman I Admire by Janine Boon I have met so many women in my life that I admire. But today it’s not about them, it’s about me. I admire myself. I have been through the storm and I have learned how to dance in the rain. Growing up wasn’t so perfect at times. I lost people close to my heart that meant the world to me. I raised two young men by myself as a single parent. That wasn’t an easy task. Yes, we struggle at times. I had major surgeries in my life. It’s this thing called a brain aneurysm. I had five of them. I used to suffer from major headaches. One night, I hit the floor and woke up to a doctor telling me that I was bleeding in the brain. No, I didn’t know anything about aneurysms, until after the fact. I’ve learned that it can cause you to have a stroke, brain damage, and even death. I’ve also learned it can happen again. They say it’s hereditary. Yeah, life’s crazy, right? That’s not the only thing. I also had open heart surgery a couple of years ago. Your heart and brain are two of the most important organs you need. And after all that, I’m still standing. “God is so good!” even though I have setbacks at times, I still manage to push through. I admire myself. I am a phenomenal woman. I am so thankful for God’s grace. From a quote I have read: “God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers.” I guess I’m just one of those soldiers!

Learning English by Ivone Vitorino Amosse Reading and writing in English was always my desire and dream, but when I came to the United States in 2019, learning English became a matter of survival. Learning a new language is like a baby when it starts to crawl: sometimes he can fall, or get tired, even forgets how he did the day before, but he never gives up until one day he can learn and start to walk. English was especially interesting and challenging to me, because I come from a country, Mozambique, where there are more than thirty Bantu languages, and my official language is Portuguese. My first contact with English was in 2019 when I came to the United States had my first classes at Literacy Volunteers in Winchester, Virginia. I remember having trouble understanding what the teacher was saying, and sometimes before class, I had to google and translate the pages of the book we would talk about. I wanted so much to improve my speaking, reading, and writing, and to have a better understanding of the country as well as its cultural habits. I also want to improve my career by doing an MBA while I am in the United States, and one of the requirements is to master English at an academic writing level. During my first months of learning English, I was focusing on achieving my goals, and I was motivated and happy with classes because they matched my expectations. During this time, I have learned how to write an effective essay, how to use punctuation, how to express an idea in writing, how to write a complete sentence, and how to avoid grammar errors. As important, I realize that I have also gained good friends, who have been helping me to face real life in the United States and learn how things work in American culture.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 17

My main challenge is grammar and writing, but I am positive that with the continued help from Literacy Volunteers, one day I will be a better speaker with fewer errors in my writing. Author’s Note: My name is Ivone Vitorino Amosse, and I was born and raised in Mozambique. In 2019, I came to the United States and have been here ever since.

The Story Behind the Magic of “Encanto” by Karen Ramos A little piece of Colombia and its culture has reached movie theaters. Disney, the animation giant, has set its eyes on a Latin American country and gives life to “Encanto,” the movie. Encanto breaks all the stereotypes of blonde princesses and castles. This time the main character is Mirabel, a Colombian girl with curly brunette hair, who wears typical clothes made by natives and lives with a big family, “the Madrigals,” in a very peculiar house in the Colombian mountains. The house is near a beautiful town with colonial architecture. But what catches my attention is more than the fact that “Encanto’’ is a movie full of colors and traditions which show the joy of Latin people. Beyond the movie the important event to me is the way an ordinary girl, recently graduated in Literature, became the inspiration and cultural adviser to the Disney team. Alejandra Espinoza left Bogota, Colombia’s capital, running away from the noise. Her destination was a scenic town, Barichara. She wanted to write and paint and this town was a perfect place to do it. Alejandra never imagined that when she got there, her life was about to change. Shortly after settling in the town, she became the town’s tour guide. One day, Alejandra received an unexpected phone call from Disney; they were looking for somebody to be their cultural adviser to produce “Encanto.” Alejandra could not miss the opportunity of a lifetime. Deep inside she was afraid of not being able to make a good impression on the Disney team to get the job, but this did not stop her. After all, if your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough. Therefore, she did her best, and it was because of her sincere and determined attitude, she got a contract to be the official Disney cultural adviser. After 4 years of hard work, the movie hit the theaters, and Alejandra attended the movie premier just like she said: “I had that dream of going to Hollywood like this, and to turn a peasant skirt into a princess dress.” She was wearing a colorful peasant skirt, feeling so proud to represent native Colombians. Her life changed; now Alejandra owns a bookstore as well as a coffee shop in Barichara. Also, she is recognized by the town people, which makes her happy. Alejandra is an example, that no matter where or who you are, you cannot stop dreaming and believing in yourself. She was not only the inspiration for Mirabel’s character. She is the inspiration to all the women who don’t consider themselves having the ability to do important things in life. Also, she shows us that beyond big castles and princesses, dreams can come true! Author’s Note: My name is Karen Ramos, I was born and raised in El Salvador, I have a bachelor’s degree in business administration. In 2016 I moved to the United States, and I have been living here ever since.

p. 18

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Focus and Determination by Rosa Hernandez I am from El Salvador, and this is my story about being in the United States of America. I was born in a small village, La Hadura, near the border of Guatemala. I have a wonderful family with my father, mother, brother and sister. My life in my village was very happy because of them. But things started to happen when I was 13 years old. I noticed that other families had better food and more comfortable homes than I had. Also, I began to hear people talk about going to the United States for a better opportunity. I also heard that it cost about $10,000.00 to do that. I had no such money. I only went to third grade in school. When I was nine, I got up at 4:00 in the morning to help my family by selling tamales. I was able to provide breakfast for my family, especially for my brothers, who were younger than me. My father grew corn and watermelon, and at one point a flood washed away all of his crops … and profits. I regularly saved money from my sales when no one else in my family did. I was able to help my father and my family through that time. Then I decided to escape. I wanted a better life – for myself. I wanted to go to school. I started my journey by walking and first crossed the river to the border of Guatemala. I had to look out for the immigration people. I made it to the United States because someone helped me at the border and I went to their home in Texas. Once in the United States, I spent a large amount of time working and then became an adult and mother. I thought of something else: There is more to life than just work. Part of my Spanish culture is to work every day as the only purpose of life. This should not be. We are ruining our kids. I was 17 when I had my son. I had to leave him with a babysitter very often so that I could go to school. I also had to work to have money. I knew that I needed to help my son be successful. I couldn’t help him if I couldn’t help myself by getting my education and earning money. I had to be available for school meetings sometimes. This meant that I must miss work … and miss earning money. I found a way to make it work to help my son. I was determined. I joined the PTA and took part in activities that were held during after-school hours that I could attend and not miss work. My son was able to see me involved, which made him proud. I also learned new parenting skills that were different from my culture but that were very helpful for my son as well. I enjoyed that time.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 19

EQUALITY by Brenda E–Everyone is equal. Q–Quick to learn what’s right and wrong. U–Understanding other people. A–Always forgive other people. L–Love your neighbor. I–If you understand them. T–Try to love one another. Y–Yes the world would be a better place. by Hung E–Everyone should be equal. Q–Question the treatment of all people. U–Understand we are all alike. A–A family L–Like brothers and sisters. I–Instead of strangers. T–Try to be kind to everyone. Y–You can do it!

p. 20

SPOTLIGHT 2022

I Am from Mexico by Maribel Moreno Hernandez Mexico is a wonderful country full of beautiful, cultural and fascinating places to visit. I identify with all of the different traditions, places, food, culture, history and beliefs within my country. When most people think of Mexicans, they picture the parties and all types of festivities, social occasions, cultural events and religious ceremonies. We celebrate all types of holidays with Mariachi, gastronomic parties, Cinco de Mayo, Dia de Muertos, and Las Posadas Navideñas. Mexican culture is a mix of its traditional practices and those from colonial Spain. Mexicans also celebrate special holidays. The Me, for Dia de Muertos reason we celebrate Cinco de Mayo is because Puebla Mexico won the victory against the French. We celebrate Dia de Muertos because when a loved one in someone’s family dies, it is important all over the country. The family of the dead put out food offerings with fruit drinks and candles called an ofrenda. Lastly, Las Posadas Navideñas is Christmastime. Throughout all of the eight days, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, sing Christmas songs and pray in different houses, offering fruit punch, bunuelos, candies and pinatas.

Food for Las Posadas Navidenas—Christmastime

The food in Mexico offers a variety of dishes, but the most important ingredient is corn, “Maize.“ It is used to make tortillas and with that you can make more dishes like tacos, quesadillas and enchiladas. It can be used to accompany other foods. One of the most popular is mole poblano made with nuts and different types of spices. Pozole is a soup-like dish with corn and chicken or pork. You can then add toppings like lettuce, onion, pepper and lime. Another really popular dish is tamales. You first prepare the corn flour and then add meat in the middle. Next you wrap it with a corn leaf, and finally you cook it, and it’s ready to enjoy! Other appetizers include guacamole, which is avocado with cilantro, onion and pepper. You can enjoy guacamole with tortilla chips. Mexico is a territory between the US to the north, with Guatemala and Belize to the south. My country has a diverse range of tourism, with beautiful places to visit. You can enjoy beaches like Cancun, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Escondido and others. You can also visit Mexico City and the tiny cities – Pueblos Magicos. SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 21

Fabulous Mexican Guacamole; Festive Dia de Muertos food

I now live in the US, but I will continue to preserve my culture. A tradition that I keep is this: When I cook Mexican food, my family enjoys my special dishes when celebrating something like a birthday or Christmastime. I enjoy every celebration with my family even being far from my homeland, MEXICO.

p. 22

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Journey Toward Joy by Siem Kidane It was in April of 2018 that I decided to change my life. I made a brave decision to escape from my country, Eritrea, to Ethiopia. I had to cross the border. I start with this: The decision was brave because I understood that what could happen to me was no joke. If someone crossed the border illegally, the first thing to remember is that you broke the law in our country. Second, if border guards saw you, they would think you were an enemy escaping. Maybe they would shoot you. Or, if you gave your hand peacefully, they might take you to prison instead. So, your life is in your God’s hands. I made a deal with a guy on the internet anyway. I’d pay him to guide me across the border. After two days, he gave me instructions with the time and place to meet him. Then we were going to escape. We started our travels after the sun went down, hidden from people’s eyes. My younger brother was with me. There were seven people at the meeting place that we didn’t know. After two more days, we started the trip and began to cross the border on foot. We were caught. Our guide ran away. We were deserted in an unknown place, surrounded by guards. One of them shouted at me to not look at his face. I wanted to protect my brother and didn’t do as he said. The guard then pointed his gun at me. My brother silently cried. I looked away and prayed that they didn’t hurt him. They beat us, but we were not shot. My brother, a minor, was sent back home. I was taken to a military prison, where I was held for one year. It was a very bad place. I never gave up on my plans. After one month in prison, I began my research. One morning at 2:00 am, it was dark, but the moon was out. The time felt right. I could escape from the military base. I ran and ran. Then I froze. I couldn’t make my legs move. When I slowly turned my head, I saw a hyena. In that situation I felt fear and frustration, but an idea came to my mind. When he passed by me with his scary laugh, I searched my pocket and found a yellow light. I flashed it in his eyes, and he ran away. I thanked God at that moment. After a few hours, I reached Ethiopia, and I was there for three months. My brother joined me again. We then went to Nairobi, Kenya, for six months and finally arrived in the United States, and I could help my family.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 23

Untitled by Anonymous I have a dream today. For my family, I dream that my family will get better opportunities. This is what my family needs. This is my dream. For my community, I dream for everyone to be more generous and kind. This is what my community needs. This is my dream. For my world, I dream for a cleaner environment. This is what my world needs. This is my dream. And for myself, I dream of learning really good English. This is what I hope for. This is my dream.

p. 24

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Letter to a New Student by Andrea Dear New Student, My name is Andrea, and I am from Germany. We moved to Charlottesville, VA, four months ago – how time flies! Maybe you are in a similar situation like I am? Moving to the United States means using this chance as an unique opportunity to get to know the American culture, the way of life, and at least a part of this huge, diverse, and impressive country. I am in the fortunate position of having a lot of time on my hands here in America, so breaking out of my daily routine in Germany is a gift I appreciate as much as meeting new people and learning English in depth during my stay here. I did some research on the internet before we came to Charlottesville and read that it is a beautiful little college town with a great historical background. I was impressed by the architecture of the university complex and the big “memorial to enslaved laborers” on the green area next to the “Rotunda” of the University of Virginia. Charlottesville was the home of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. You will still notice his legacy of influence everywhere in the city. In Germany, we are used to a wide network of public transport, as well as pedestrian and bicycle paths. So I was a bit astonished that Charlottesville does not have much of this. Buying a car and a navigation system are two of the most important tasks after your arrival. In addition to attaining housing, an American phone number, and a bank account, signing up for the TJACE “Learning Circle” is a wonderful start. I have received so many helpful tips about Charlottesville and the surrounding area, as well as personal tips. It is nice to meet people who are as new to the area as you are and know that there are teachers who care about you as a newbie. Even though it is very hot and humid during summer, Virginia has great weather. In fall and winter, there are many bad weather days in Germany that challenge your mood. Here you can enjoy the sun and warm days until late November. I am very excited to see what December and January will bring in terms of weather. By the way, we immediately fell in love with the Shenandoah National Park. If you like to be outdoors, this lovely area is only a stone’s throw away from Charlottesville and offers a lot of easy to challenging hiking trails and impressive views along the skyline of the Shenandoah National Park. Washington is also not far away. You can make a day trip there. It should be particularly beautiful in April and May because of the cherry blossoms. There is so much more to tell, but for now I will leave it at this brief glimpse. Feel free to contact me if you want to learn more. Best regards, Andrea SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 25

My Difficult Life in Charlottesville by Ziaullah Ishan I am Zia. I am a new refugee from Afghanistan. I am living in a hotel with my wife and my kids. We have no home. My kids are not happy in the hotel. My kids say “when do we go to the school? We like school. We are not feeling happy because we have no home.” It is hard to live in a hotel. We are in the hotel now 45 days. I want a home and work and lessons. I need English language. A volunteer, Sheila, helps my family. Sheila goes to the supermarket and brings food for my family every Tuesday and Thursday. She brings me to English class every Tuesday and Thursday. She helps us a lot.

Home by Yong ge Gong Tastes like honey Sounds like music Smells like flowers Looks like a painting I feel happiness

Love by Gracie Jones Love, sweet like candy Love, an incredible force Love, it’s everywhere

Home by Adela Bana I live in Charlottesville, Virginia with my family. We are 6 in a family. I cook for my family and my family loves the meals that I make. My daughter thinks that my meals and the food I make tastes delicious. I feel happy that she likes my meals.

Home by Ree Mo Tastes delicious Sounds like a monkey, nice and beautiful Smells good, like flowers Looks like my kids Feels happy and good

p. 26

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Untitled by Jasmine Herrera She spent year after year building up her internal castle. Layer by layer, brick by boring brick. Anyone who tried to enter knew it was just a hassle, To try and save the fair maiden was time wasted after. Tick-tick. Each room was designed so divine, so precise, You knew which room held passion, love and her sad cries. It was quite a sight, how very large the walls were built Upon which rejection, resentment, and obviously guilt. The sunrise bloomed and sunset glowed. But it made no difference for she was alone. So alone her thoughts echoed into each echo, And this was not how she pictured to grow. So without a care, she bulldozed that colossal castle. She triumphed at the fact she had won this battle. Every square inch, and everything she had known. She started from scratch, and built her house on her own. She threw in some white picket fence, love and finished with a bow. She rested at the thought her thoughts didn’t echo anymore. Because she was finally home.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 27

My Mirror by Taeha Ahn I haven’t seen myself in the mirror for 26 years. I became a Christian about three years ago. I grew up in a Catholic family but, at that time, it did not have any meaning to me. I went to Catholic church on Sunday out of habit, but there was no faith. It was like a clamshell of Catholicism. If you opened the dead and hollow clamshell, there was no faith in it. The turning point was when my older sister converted to become a Christian. She invited me to a Christian conference in August, 2018. I decided to go with her because I wanted to figure out if the Church was a cult or not. Even though I had no idea about what Christianity was all about, I went in as a detective. I was worried about my sister. On the first day of the conference, my pastor was talking about homeless people. He said that while there were a lot of situations, the one thing they all did that led them to their path was that they made a mistake. They made a bad decision somewhere. Homeless people never dreamed to become homeless. They would have had a different dream. Everyone started with an ideal dream, and while some people tried to achieve it, others could not. The moment I heard that story, I looked back on my life, and I realized that I had also made many mistakes. Then he said, “Assume that you live your whole life believing that there is no God and die and face God in front of you.” I used to believe there was no God. But when I heard that, I began to think, ‘I may be wrong,’ and I began to listen to the pastor’s stories. The pastor taught me what the Bible is about, who Jesus was, whether he actually existed in history, whether he really died, and whether he really resurrected. I started to believe in the Bible, and Jesus, especially why Jesus matters to us today, two thousand years later. I attended his lectures for the whole conference for four days. I was reading the Bible every day. One of my favorite Bible passages is from John 3:16-17. “Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world. He did not send him to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.” When I read this, it touched my heart. I never thought about God this way. I thought God was not interested in humans. But it was not true! God really cares about all of us! I misunderstood who God was, and I could not see his truth because my mirror was dirty. If my mirror is dirty, it can’t reflect things as they exactly are. When I stand in front of my mirror, it reflects dirty on me because the mirror itself was dirty. So, that was why I kept seeking other things that can make me clean, that can bring happiness to me like drinking, chasing women, and fame. But those things cannot bring true happiness. Whatever I was holding in my hand, the mirror showed me a dirty appearance. But after I accepted Jesus as my savior, God wiped the dirtiness off my mirror. So now I can see myself as the OG version, that God made me. And that is enough. It was okay not to hold anything to look like a clean me. My mirror is wiped clean by Jesus. This is my story about why I couldn’t see myself in the mirror in the past, but now I see my true self and purpose.

p. 28

SPOTLIGHT 2022

EQUALITY by Lauren E – Everyone can be equal. Q – Quit treating people bad. U – Understand people A – Always be good. L – Love and laugh. I – I will be nice to people. T – Trust others to treat me nice. Y – You are a nice friend. by Marie E – Everyone is created the same. Q – Question is, do we all believe that? U – Unique we are, but also the same. A – Always consider others with kindness. L – Love is always the key. I – In everything you do, give love. T – Treat others as you would like to be treated. Y – You and I were created to make this world a better place to live.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 29

Education For Adults by Manal Abdelrahman My name is Manal. I am married and a mother of four children. I spent my childhood in a beautiful city called Wad Madani, which is the largest city in Sudan. When I started school, I was seven years old. I remembered my first day at school, and I was very happy that I would finally go to school like my older sisters that I looked up to at the time. Just carrying my backpack made me feel like them. We had uniforms and I wore a beautiful green dress and white socks with black shoes. At the time, I had two other sisters in the same school, close to home. My older sisters were always there for me and held my hands throughout school and chose a seat for me in class. There were about forty or more students in my class. In school, everyone was separated by gender. When I came to America, all my thoughts were about my family and my children. They were in early stages of life. It was difficult to think about studying or working. After they were in school, I had time to catch up with my education. I completed elementary, middle and half of high school. I did not complete my studies. When I found out that there was an adult school near my area, I was very excited and happy. I immediately and easily registered. I received amazing help and encouragement from the school. I was impressed by their good treatment toward the students. I had a language barrier, but I did not feel that way, nor did my English teacher make me feel that I was not good in English. I felt very welcomed by everyone. I struggled with my grammar. At one point, I remember using past, present, and future tenses at the same time in one sentence. I liked and appreciated all the teachers in the US, especially my teacher. Everyone has goals and dreams that they wish to achieve, but you are supposed to work on them and seize the opportunities and chances that help you to do so. One of the most important things to always keep in mind is to never give up or doubt yourself when things get difficult. That’s what makes the journey amazing and beautiful. No matter what, we have to keep going ‘till we achieve our goals. Adult education has a lot of obstacles. Many students face several problems, including lack of full-time study due to other responsibilities they have outside of education. Education is a very important aspect of life which can make people’s lives very successful. Education has no age or time limit and there is no excuse for education, especially in today’s society. Technology makes education easier than it was many years ago. When I came to the United States, I realized that I had educational opportunities here that I did not have in my home country.

p. 30

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Understanding Teenagers’ Feelings by Moises Cuizara Hi! I’m Moises, I’m from Bolivia, and I am 27 years old. I came to this country 11 short months ago. I want to talk about the behavior of adolescents because once I was also an adolescent, and because some young people and adolescents behave with bad attitudes. Since I am not much older than them, and I am much younger than their parents, I thought both teens and parents could learn something from what I have to say. High school is often the stage where teenagers start “acting out.” It is a moment where they want to be right at all times. We want to be conspicuous in any way both at school, at home and among our friends. Many times, we feel that nobody understands us. We receive pressure from the teachers and from our parents. Sometimes we are afraid to put up with many things which can feel like psychological abuse in our homes. I mean psychological abuse because in our house is where we spend most of the time of our lives far apart from friends from school and teachers. There, we can experience so much pressure about life. Parents at this stage feel that a young adolescent should pay more attention to them than to their friends. The teens are at a stage where they want to experience everything and know more, that is where one looks for friendships of all kinds depending on who you identify with or with whom you feel more comfortable. Many of our teachers sometimes are not our friends since they only come to teach classes and return home, few are those who sit and share with the students. Some students have many things that they hide, perhaps they do not bring to light for fear of what people will say. Adults should listen more to teenagers. The teens are growing and don’t know what to do. They need guidance.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 31

Untitled by Nancy Ortiz When I was certified as a teacher, I had to go to a small town in Mexico. It took 4 buses. When I arrived, there was no one. Looking for someone to ask about the school, I found it inside a family’s property. They made it clear to me that they didn’t like educators there. The children arrived alone at school. I didn’t see their parents in two months. The school was a square building with a cement floor. Inside, there was a chalkboard and wooden benches. I only had some students, first grade through sixth. One afternoon, I prepared for class, and I heard: “Teacher..!” It was my student. “What’s going on?” There was Gustavo, Samuel’s brother. His back against a tree, his body rigid, and kids surrounding him. Gustavo was silent but remained strong while everyone shouted. “Thief!” The crowd yelled. “What’s going on?” I asked. “Gustavo stole something!” they said. Looking over, Gustavo said, “I have nothing.” Jesus said, “Rosa caught him!” I looked at Rosa, she nodded. I approached Gustavo, “Can I check your pockets?” I said. His look told me yes. I checked his left pocket. I turned and said, “It’s empty.” I checked the next pocket; I slipped my hand into it and could feel something. Gustavo looked sad, his cheeks red. I squeezed what I found and put it in my pocket. I said, “He has nothing.” “I saw it!” Rosa exclaimed. The boys ran to check him— nothing. I went to the classroom. It was a piece of chocolate – bitten. This chocolate was known to be bitter. They stayed after class and I took out the chocolate, “I want to talk about this.” Samuel looked at his brother and yelled. “Don’t you know that it’s bad to steal?” Gustavo told me with terror, “I was hungry!” Samuel told me, “Yesterday Dad said to graze the cattle. Gustavo didn’t take some of the cows out. Father realized and was upset, and being drunk, he left us without eating.” Gustavo continued, “Later when father left, Gustavo got on my shoulders and grabbed the food my dad had put in the loft. He didn’t want to help but I was hungry too.” We lowered the basket, grabbed two tortillas but my father came, he fell while squeezing the tortillas. My father whipped us. Samuel’s back was bloody and swollen. Gustavo had arrived at school with a bruised cheekbone. Samuel continued, “After beating Gustavo, father said he would sleep outside. This morning he was asleep in the cow trough. Then we came to school. He hasn’t eaten anything.” It was painful to hear what these two children were experiencing. “You will have to return the chocolate,” I said. That week I had to collect money for books, and the parents had to pay a fee. I had to visit each family. When I arrived at their house, their father had a machete. I said I was collecting a fee. The father pointed the machete at me. He said, “No, we’re not interested in teaching them to read or write. I just want you to teach them numbers and counting. I’m not giving money for books. Don’t overstep.” “Ok!” I said and left. The experience frightened me. I reflected on the chocolate theft and how hard it is for children without education or supportive parents in a place far from opportunities.

p. 32

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Winter Morning by Satomi Hase A cell phone shakes with all its might, issuing a grunting noise. The numbers on the white clock face appear dimly. As I take a deep breath in the cold crisp air and stretch out in the cottony futon, my feet dip into an icy pond. I pull the futon over my head to make a fluffy hidden place. I think about how many more minutes I will stay in this heaven. As I take one breath, cool dry air is exchanged for moist warm air. Soon, the three elements of germination get together inside: temperature, moisture, and oxygen. For these three reasons, I admire how brave and diligent a seed must be to germinate. Humans need more to begin our morning: I wait in my comfortable dirt for a clinking sound and toasty scent.

The Traditions of Romanian People by John Moshanu I came to live in the USA from Romania in Eastern Europe. In this story, I will tell you about the traditions of the Romanians. Romania is a country of Latin origin. The Romanians are descendants of the Dacians and have a history of 2,000 years. A traditional Romanian family is a big family with many (7 - 8) children. The birth of a child is a great joy for the whole family. I remember from childhood, in the winter evenings, several families gathered at a meeting called a “sitting.” At these sittings, the young girls learned to process sheep’s wool to knit woolen socks and gloves. The young boys learned woodworking from the village craftsmen. Here, too, girls and boys sang, told stories and danced. The young teenaged girls and boys who wanted to get married were blessed by their parents. They chose two of their relatives to be their godfather and godmother. Their relatives were very close to the young married people. They helped them and gave them advice for life. Their parents gave them a piece of land which was helpful for the young family. Each family in the country has a vineyard sector. Men are masters of winemaking. The barrels would be ready to store the wine since August. Every house in Romania has a wine cellar in the basement where the barrels of wine and other food products are kept. After the grapes are harvested, they are passed through a crusher and placed in a large bowl in which the fermentation takes place. After fermentation, the grapes must be separated, and the wine poured into barrels. The wine is clarified in the barrel for two months. It is very good to drink at Christmas and New Year. When you are invited as a guest to a party, you are served a glass of wine because every family’s wine has its own taste. This is just one of the Romanians’ occupations, but they have many trades, such as carpet weaving, woodworking, and stone carving. These crafts, along with making clay jugs and sewing national costumes, have made Romanians famous all over the world. SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 33

Diamond by Mauricia Baskerville My dog is active She is a very spoiled dog She’s very playful

Soccer by Ivese Mabamba Soccer Tastes good when you try to play, Sounds like people enjoy when they watch the match, Smells like sweat on the ball, Looks like handball but is the opposite; soccer is played with the foot.

Illustration by Karen Baynard

Feel so happy when my team scores the goal.

Tomorrow by Anitra Winn Life is to live for? Cherish your Dreams of today? Live like no Ending?ase

Untitled by Laquechia Carey I like reading class Ms. Cherry is my teacher She’s so cool and fun

p. 34

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Dream Trip by Anonymous A place that I would like to visit is Italy. I always imagined myself going to Italy since I was in my 20’s. Now I’m in my 40’s. I feel that my dream trip will happen soon. I don’t like to travel because I do not like getting on a plane. I feel worried about getting to my destination safely, but I love it when I get there. When I travel I like to be comfortable. I like to wear sweatpants and a hoodie. The reason why I want to visit Italy is because I would like to see Milan. Milan is the center of the fashion industry. I love to shop for clothes. I feel that the style of the clothes will be different. There’s a town named Andretta in Italy. That is my name. I would like to visit there too. I would love to try authentic Italian food. I love pasta and cheese. I also would like to visit some wine vineyards. When I see pictures from Italy, I see that it’s a beautiful place. I can’t wait to get there. I would like to take my family members or friends. Whoever wants to come. I can not wait to go.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 35

Earthquake In El Salvador by Hilda Colato Perdomo Twenty years ago, in January 2001, there was an earthquake of magnitude 7.6. It struck hard in El Salvador. I was a young woman. My family and I were home when the earthquake happened. It was something unexpected, because the earth moved, the trees moved, some trees fell, and the light pole moved. During the earthquake, the volcano that is near where I live erupted with black smoke and ashes. The ashes fell onto our home. Everything around us was covered in ashes. We ran into the middle of a field where there was nothing dangerous. Cars that passed on the road stopped, because the street was rolling up and down in front them. The cars were moving by themselves, like someone was pushing them. Everyone was scared. Next, we watched the news and learned that the magnitude was worse in other areas, which was more distressing. For example, the sea overflowed for nearly two miles, and many people drowned. Also, the houses, buildings, and hotels around the sea also sank into the water. The news also reported that some cities’ houses, buildings, schools, and hospitals were destroyed. Also, the streets cracked and people were trapped inside of debris such as brick and dirt. More people died. At one moment, the mountain collapsed and fell on an entire town. Many people were trapped underground, but some people survived. As a result, my family and I slept like farm animals in a place where cows slept. Trees could have fallen on us there. We built a camping house, built like a tent, with plastic. We were very scared. Because of the aftershocks, the ground was still moving. After a few days, my father inspected our house. It had little damage, so we moved back into our home. One month later, there was another earthquake! Again, we searched for a safe place to live. El Salvador was in an emergency red alert state for a long time, because the earthquake’s effect was felt in the economy, society and in the environment. A few hours after the disaster, a state of National Emergency was declared. The country received help such as clothes, food, shelter materials, and blankets from other nations. The government closed. Schools and many other places were also closed to avoid more accidents. The United States helped El Salvador by giving “TPS,” Temporary Protected Status permits to Salvadorans. This allowed 2001 earthquake victims to support their families by working. I was a child, and I could not directly receive that help. You may never be prepared for what might happen in this life, such as a natural disaster like the 2001 El Salvador earthquake. It was an experience that I will never forget. It is always present in my mind, because it was something unexpected. I still feel its emotional aftershocks. p. 36

SPOTLIGHT 2022

The Hidden Gift by Fatima Hairane When I was a child, I had the privilege of being bilingual, and as a teen I spoke and wrote five languages. But the English language was the hardest by far. Unlike Arabic, French, Spanish, and Italian, which are spelled as they are pronounced, the English language spelling depends on memorization. When I finally decided to go back to school to learn to write English, I expected to start from the basics and work myself up. However, I was forced to start with English Composition instead. The challenge was debilitating. But how could I run my home-based business, write notes for my daughters’ teachers, and fill out medical forms? Once I was in class, the professor explained how to write essays. He said, “As your reader, I expect to see imagery, feelings, and emotions. I don’t want you to tell me you have a headache, but show me instead; if you are sad, in pain, or happy, show me so I will feel exactly how you feel.” Then, he asked the class to start writing two pages about any subject we chose. An hour later, the professor asked, “Who had any trouble writing the essay?” I could not help but raise my hand. Then he said, “Good, bring your chair by my desk, face the class and read your paper loudly!” Suddenly, I felt like I was hit by a train and unable to move. At that point I knew I had no choice but to obey. I dragged my chair beside the professor’s desk and sat down. While I was reading, I could hear my trembling crying voice; my head felt hot as if someone poured a bucket of boiling water over it, and my hands were shaking the essay paper. When I finished reading, the students started to clap and whisper to each other. I thought it was the college tradition just like at my daughters’ elementary school: whenever they do something, everyone claps for encouragement. Suddenly, I heard “Stop! I have been teaching for thirty-five years, and I have never witnessed this. So please, I want each one of you to tell me what made you clap.” Several students replied that they were moved by the story, some said that they felt like they were watching a movie, and others said that they felt as if they were reading a story out of Time magazine. “Now, you just witnessed the perfect example of how to write your essays from now on.” Then he looked at me smiling and said, “Do you realize that this kind of writing is publishable?” And just like that the class ended. During that semester I had A’s on all my essays and was encouraged to publish my writing. I am glad that I finally recognized that writing was my hidden gift that I never knew I had until I tried it. Author’s Note: Fatima Hairane was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco. She came to the United States in May 1992 and has been living here ever since.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 37

Eid al-Adha: The Feast of Sacrifice by Mursal Hewadmal Afghanistan has two major festivals or “Eids”—a big Eid and a small Eid. I want to tell you about the big Eid. It is called “Eid al-Adha” or the “Feast of Sacrifice.” I am always happy during this Eid because it gives us a good feeling. Those who are angry with each other will be reconciled. On this Eid all people buy new clothes, dried fruit, fresh fruit, and, those who have money on this day, buy a sheep or a cow to slaughter. Then, they distribute the meat to their family, friends and to the poor. The big Eid is three days long. On the first day the sheep or cow is slaughtered. On the next two days, people wear new clothes and go to the homes of their relatives and friends. The homeowner serves tea, dried fruit, fresh fruit and cake. And adults give money to children. On this day, children and adults are all happy.

p. 38

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Dancing the Marinera by Inocencia Toribio Garcia The Marinera is a wonderful dance, and it is a symbol of being Peruvian. Don Abelardo Gamarra, known as “El Tunante,” named this famous dance. It is an elegant couples’ dance and shows loving conversation between the partners. The Marinera Festival is held every January in the city of Trujillo. This event is very important and includes parades, horseback riding and dance presentations. I love the Marinera because I am from Peru and my nephew is a Marinera dancer. There are schools for Marinera, and my nephew, Brian Flores, attended one. He began at age five and graduated at age eighteen. He now performs at parties, dinners, and birthday celebrations. Brian has a small performing group of 8-10 dancers, with girls and boys, who range in age from five to eighteen. He may perform alone, with a female partner, or with a group – depending on what the guests wants. He’s sometimes paid for this, sometimes not. He loves dancing the Marinera. Peruvian Independence Day is July 28, and he performs everywhere that day, as a celebration. Also, La Marinera was given the honor as the Cultural Heritage of the Nation. I love La Marinera because it’s from my country. It’s my native dance. I’m very happy when I hear it. I am so happy that my nephew is a part of this Peruvian tradition. Our family is extremely proud of him, and I love my nephew!

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 39

The Love of Parents by Meimei Liu The cold air stretched from night to day. It has rained for many hours. Gradually, the rain changed to snow. The snow slowly covered the houses and cars. Finally, the world outside was blanketed in white. Inside, a house is decorated with red paper scrolls, red lanterns, and calligraphy. A family gathered together, making dumplings. The children stirred the flour to make the dough, while the adults wrapped the fillings in the rolled out dough with a light twist. The fragrance of ginger, garlic, chives, and minced meat covered the house. Suddenly, I woke up. Chinese New Year was approaching; I had been dreaming of this scene several times. I told myself, ‘You are not one of the members of that house; You are in the USA now.’ I haven’t spent Chinese New Year with my parents for seventeen years. Seventeen years is long enough to make a person from middle age to old age, from a father to be a grandfather, from a worker to be a retired person. Seventeen years is also long enough to make one person from a teenager to a mother of two children, from a student to a working person. Since the pandemic began, the outlook for international travel is grim. I haven’t gone back to my hometown for three years. Last year, I moved to the USA because of my husband’s work. The physical distance between my parents and I got further and further away. I am the one always absent at Chinese New Year. Going back to my hometown has become a luxury that neither time nor money can buy. When I was nineteen, I didn’t want to spend all of my life in a small town in China. I wanted to see the world outside, I wanted to learn a new foreign language, and I wanted to meet different people who came from diverse backgrounds. So I decided to go abroad to satisfy my curiosity. I couldn’t forget my parents’ expressions after I told them my idea. There was a great weight in their faces, but the shock and hesitation lifted almost instantly. My father held my hands. ‘Do what you want, we are not familiar with the outside world, but we support you.’ Then, with their support, I quit my university in China and began a new life in Japan. I enjoyed the years living in Japan. I went to a new university. I found a suitable job, met my husband. We had two kids. But at the same time, the time I spent with my parents became shorter and shorter. I never imagined that I would only see them once a year for a short week. I had many reasons that I didn’t go back home. My job was busy; I was traveling a lot for work. My kids were young. Yes, all of these reasons were excuses. I was so selfish. I had forgotten the days my parents called me every night when I was lonely and scared, in Japan; I had forgotten they encouraged me a lot when I failed job interviews. I had forgotten how they used up their severance pay to support my life in Japan, and supported my dream.

p. 40

SPOTLIGHT 2022

I didn’t know a love like this until I became a mother. Being a mother, I always think about their best interest. Being a mother taught me that there isn’t anything that I am not capable of doing to help my children. My relationship with my daughters is such a blessing. I am sure my parents felt the same way toward me. They supported my dream instead of persuading me to stay with them. Someone once said, you have to find your own rainbow. There is no gold at the end of someone else’s rainbow. Will I be able to let go when my children grow up?

From Danger to Dreams by Elizabeth Leiva Quintanilla Everyone has a different story regarding coming to this country. For many it was difficult, and for others, it was easy. It was a normal day. Suddenly, an opportunity to come to the United States came. Before I knew it, I headed out of my home country, Honduras. The journey started off by crossing two countries on foot, by car, and also by cargo truck. My feet felt like they had fallen off. They had never felt like that before. We walked for three days nonstop, and we had not had food or water. We crossed over a river and fields. At many points during my journey, I wanted to go back home. It was a risky trip for me as a nineteen-year-old girl. I traveled with my cousin, and in a matter of nine days, we were at the Mexico border. Getting there, however, was one of the most dangerous experiences I’ve ever had. Suddenly, we were in front of a desert, and no one was around. We stayed there for two nights. All I could think about was my family and whether I would ever be able to make it back to them. I had hopes of new opportunities. We then crossed the border into the United States of America. Time here seemed to go by fast. I lived in Texas for about two months. Everything was a huge change. I then moved to Virginia, but at that time I did not have the opportunity — I worked for a period of time, but soon after I found love, and a new chapter of my life started. Along this journey, I have learned and strongly believe that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes there’s a point where you realize that the years have passed, and all your dreams and your goals have been left unfulfilled – even those that were within reach. Sometimes, thoughts come to our minds that we can’t make it. Some people have had everything since they were born, and other people have to fight for what they need throughout their lives. We often have to sacrifice everything many times. When you think it is impossible to achieve, just remember that if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything. Everyone has a gift, but most people don’t know how to put it to use. How you grew up shouldn’t interfere with your dreams. Also, don’t compare yourself with others. These thoughts may bring you down and you may never try. I have learned to stay focused. I am now trying to become the better version of myself. Something to keep in mind is to not blame your surroundings if something doesn’t go your way. Be who you want to be.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 41

My Social Improvement Plan by Alex Laheb During the past two years of the covid-19 pandemic, I saw that America had systemic racism in every state. When George Floyd was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, protesters were upset because of the systemic racism it showed. There were riots in all states. At that time, I decided to work to improve human society—to help solve social and cultural problems. Every minority racial group has suffered because of police brutality, racism and hate speech. In California and New York Asian-Americans were assaulted—victims of hate crime. That was sad. The United States has a history of racism. People believe that race and ethnicity are in the DNA—maybe because they believe in eugenics. Eugenics is a type of social biological science that has the goal of improving the human race. It has been discredited as “unscientific and promoting racial inequality.” It came from ancient Greece. The name was created in 1883 by the British scientist, Francis Galton. I believe that race, ethnicity and gender are socially constructed and not biologically based. That is why I have decided to do something to improve human society. I plan to do this by learning about sociology, anthropology, social science, criminology and social darwinism. I hope to take a social studies class at the Adult Learning Center and to eventually get an MA and a PhD. I would like to understand how race and ethnicity are socially constructed and how they are biologically based. I want to be a sociologist to solve the problems of racism and to help those who have suffered hate speech, racism, discrimination and police brutality. I am getting ready to help improve society.

Eyes of a Dreamer Anonymous A day in the life of a dreamer In my eyes looking for hope Someday to find confidence To succeed in real life Dreams are just dreams And they don’t come true Real life does come true When you work hard towards it It has setbacks, disappointments, Disagreements, and lost loved ones This is the difference between a dreamer and real life p. 42

SPOTLIGHT 2022

EQUALITY by Janine

How to Make Cartoons, Then and Now by Halima Naser

E – Enough hate and more love. Q – Quit judging each other. U – Understanding people’s struggle. A – Always be kind. L – Learn to love. I – I just wish the world could get along. T – Treat people how you want to be treated. Y– You and me can make a big difference in the world. by Richard E – Everyone has a heart. Q – Question unkindness. U – Understand feelings. A – Always be respectful. L – Learn about others. I – Individual T – Truth not lying. Y – Yet always love.

Many years ago, animators made cartoons by drawing a lot of pictures and by using paper. In the past, it was a lot of hard work to make a cartoon, show, or movie. The cartoons they made back then were only made in black and white ink. Cartoonists had to draw animation sequences on separate sheets of paper. First, each character’s action was drawn on a separate sheet. Next, each paper was placed in order for the cartoon. Then, a storyboard was created of the characters’ movements. A storyboard is a series of cartoon sheets. The drawings had to be changed often in order for them to be properly organized. It took a lot of hand work to show a cartoon or movie. It was difficult for animators in the past because there was no technology. Animators flipped the cartoon pages by hand. Now animators can change colors or edit characters’ motions using software. Because of technology, everything is more convenient for animators. Organizing and making colorful scenes has become so much easier without the use of papers or the need to redraw each scene. Using technology in cartoons or movies is more interesting for the audience. For example, cartoons and movies can be very educational. Some parents use cartoon animation for their children. It can help a child learn their ABCs or numbers.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 43

For The Love Of Exploring India by Naresh Kumar Today I will share with you my feelings about India. India is a very beautiful country, and a little bit crazy too. I started working with an Indian travel agency in 2004 as a chauffeur. I started my own company in 2015 and it is still operating. During this time, I met people from different parts of the world on each tour, and I also explored my country. They shared with me information about their country, like tourist spots and what is good or bad. I didn’t learn English in school. I studied in a government school that focused only on Hindi. It was very difficult for me to speak and understand English. But when I started working with the travel agency, I was able to learn by myself with an English dictionary in my pocket. As a result, each client was very happy with my service, and enjoyed speaking with me in English. I explored India with tourists, seeing my country’s history, traditions, religion, and monuments. I drove around the whole of India; to many different parts and I learned that India is one of the oldest countries in the world. Yoga was developed in India, and also Ayurvedic medicine which is one of the world’s oldest medical systems – a form of medicine developed a thousand years ago, and still practiced today. India is a beautiful country with a lot to offer – travel, driving, shopping and markets. In India, everything is possible. Here’s an interesting story. Once, I met a Russian family. I picked them up from Bihar in Eastern India – quite far from New Delhi. When I met them in the airport with flowers, I noticed that they could speak only Russian. I traveled with them for one week. We did not speak the same language, but I accepted this challenge and continued my tour, using body language and Google for translating. Afterwards, they said to my company boss, “Naresh is a wonderful person, and he has a lot of knowledge about every city, monument and road.” My boss invited me into the office and all the staff appreciated my work, and were very happy with the service I gave clients. On one tour in 2014, I met my dream girl – my wife. She was in India for the first time with her family. I was a travel desk manager at her hotel. I made the trip itinerary for them and, at their request, I personally drove the car throughout Delhi. One reason my English is so good is that my wife and I speak English each day. She’s from the USA, and she is the role model of my life. Sometimes in life, this type of challenge comes but you have to accept the challenge and continue to move forward. Things became easier when I met my wife, who showed me what real love is about. Real love is about helping others and always being of service to others.

p. 44

SPOTLIGHT 2022

The Amazing Animal Time: Moffee Moth by Stephen Solomon This is a story called “Moffee Moth.” Moffee was born in China on a mulberry tree and he was a silkworm. But one day the wind started to blow. Moffee was tumbling on the branch. “Oww! What the heck?” cried Moffee. He’s safe. And Moffee just found a pile of leaves and it’s good enough to eat a lot. Moffee lived in the new tree. Then he was full and ready to make a cocoon. But Moffee saw an old nest and it was empty. “This is a good place to sleep,” said Moffee. Then he yawned and he took a nap. He started to wrap up, and there you have it. But suddenly two birds got married. They came home but the birds thought Moffee’s cocoon was an egg. “Somebody kept that egg in our nest,” said the blue bird. “Whose egg is that?” said the pink bird. Nobody came so they kept the egg warm. One day, the cocoon came out and the bird saw Moffee Moth. The bird gasped and flew around the circle. Moffee said, “Why am I taking a nap so long?” The bird said, “This is the tree called, Home of the Birds, where all birds live.” So the birds may keep him for their family.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 45

That’s the Reason Why We Chose the Day by Blanche Ko Many of my friends often asked me, “Why did you choose to get married on February 22, 2020?” It started in the winter of 2019 in Taipei, during a period when it would rain constantly. That day after work, my boyfriend (now husband) and I went to the hot pot restaurant we would frequently go to for a quick meal. After having a bowl of soup to warm up our stomachs, we chatted as usual. Like most couples who have been dating for years, the topics we talked about were just random things that happened at work or the trivialities of life. We scrolled through our friends’ wedding photos on Instagram and started to talk about their wedding. Inevitably, this led to us discussing the next step of our relationship. I forgot who brought up the topic, but we made a rapid decision to marry. However, we took a lot of time to decide which day we would get married. In the beginning, he was like, “How about February 29?” The year 2020 was a leap year. There were 29 days in February. We all knew what he was planning to do. He wanted to spend as few wedding anniversaries as possible. That was so sneaky! Of course, I refused. Then he was like, “How about my birthday?” Almost instantly, I asked him back, “Why not my birthday?” and he readily agreed. Suddenly, I felt like I had fallen into some trap, alarm bells ringing in my heart. While we finished our hot pot, our conversation, which was boiling like broth, finally concluded. The wedding day was planned to take place between our birthdays - not one day more or less, precisely in the middle. Just like our relationship is balanced and fair, I think it is significant to be equal in the couple’s relationship. A basic rule to a healthy relationship is respecting each other’s feelings and needs. If you have respect, you can face any difficulties together. In addition, the number 2 represents a pair, which in the traditional culture of Taiwan is a blessing for the couple. Good things come as a pair, and we believe with many 2s on our wedding day; our married life will be very smooth. So, we got married two months after we stepped out of the hot pot restaurant. There is no romantic reason to choose this date, but we made the day romantic. Here comes our 2nd wedding anniversary! February 22, 2022, might be the most “twos” we have in future anniversaries. Do you have a good hot pot restaurant list in your pocket? Please let me know!

p. 46

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Love Me by Shadonna Carroll You sleep in my arms. Everyday with you gives chills. I’m a fool for you.

Love by Shadonna Carroll I love my husband My husband loves me to death He treats me like gold

Anitra by Shadonna Carroll Anitra helps me. I have learned so much from her. She is a good girl.

Books by Shadonna Carroll Books are my best friends. I love to read books all day. How cool books can be!

SPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 47

Escape From Afghanistan by Sediqa Mohammadi August 14, 2021 Everything was normal in Kabul. Like me, everyone woke up at the usual time, took a shower and went to school, college or their jobs. I went to my law classes at Kabul University. Suddenly, the professor came and said, “The Taliban are in Kabul. Everyone go home.” It was so hard for us to believe that the Taliban were in Kabul, but it was true. Everyone was running because no taxi would pick up female students. Everything was scary until I arrived home. My sister worked for the special forces and my mother worked in the Ministry of Defense. If the Taliban found out, my family would be at risk – especially my sister. We didn’t sleep well until my sister got an online visa from the US. She was told to be at the airport at 3:00 am and to take nothing with her – no documents, no smartphone, no suitcases. When my sister arrived at the airport, her colleagues asked her where her passport was. She didn’t have her passport. She called me and asked for her passport. I couldn’t go to the airport without a man. My father was not home and my brother was too young. I said to my mom, “Let’s go.” But my mom said, “You are young. You can escape from the Taliban. I am too old, I can’t.” I decided to go alone. I left home, but no taxi driver wanted to pick me up without a male escort. Finally one driver said, “I can take you, for a price.” It would take all the money I had to go to the airport. I wouldn’t have any money to return home. I didn’t have another choice, so I accepted. When I arrived at the airport, the Taliban and people who wanted to leave Afghanistan were everywhere and the US Army was firing so much. I found Rebecca, a friend of my sister in the US Army. She said, “I’ll try my best, but I‘m not sure I can help you.” Rebecca was very worried. It was midnight when my sister and her colleagues got a text telling them to go to the next gate where an American soldier would identify the special forces girls and help them enter the airport. We all went to the next gate, but there were a lot of problems. The Army and the Taliban didn’t let us go through. We tried and tried until we found the American soldier who identified us and let us enter the gate, but most of the girls didn’t have passports. The Army kicked us out. My sister was separated from her friends, but she didn’t give up. We tried again to enter the gate. We saw our contact, but he couldn’t see us because there were a lot of people there and they were all shouting. We kept shouting our password until he heard us and, at last, we entered the airport. Ahhhh.

p. 48

SPOTLIGHT 2022

My Journey to Becoming a United States Citizen by Lizeth Mendoza Thank you for the opportunity to share my experience becoming a United States citizen. It is my hope that I will encourage someone else who is thinking about becoming a citizen to never give up, finish the process, and become a success story. My name is Claudia Lizeth Romero Mendoza. My native homeland is Mexico, and my primary language is Spanish. I have been in the United States approximately seven years. In Mexico, I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering and was a manager with a small crew for The Environmental Health and Safety Department of Mining Areas. When I first arrived in the states, I traveled from Maryland to the New Jersey area with my husband for his job. During the fall of 2016, my husband and I settled in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is a beautiful university town. During that time, I received my conditional permanent residency and work permit. I started working with a contractor at The University of Michigan in one of their dining rooms. I prepared, cooked, and served food. I was so happy to have a job, but very tired after long hours, and wanted to find something in my field. I applied to work directly for the university. After months of taking tests, I was approved for a new university position. Unfortunately, my husband said it was time to move again with his job. I was disappointed because I wanted to stay employed in my new position. We went to Richmond, Virginia. For about a month we stayed in a hotel before we found a place to live. Knowing my English language skills were not strong, it was very difficult to find a job, but I never stopped looking. I took additional classes at John Tyler Community College and received certifications with OSHA as a manufacturing technician. At the end of the day, I believed nobody wanted to hire a foreigner with English language barriers. In October of 2020, I went to the library and decided to attend an ESL class at RPS Adult Education, where I met my Instructor, Ms. Janice Riley. She helped me to increase my confidence and improve my second language English skills with speaking, reading, writing, and listening in her class. I remained in the ESL program for over one year and took several classes with Ms. Riley to develop more English skills. A new Customer Service class was starting at RPS Adult Education where I could add another certification on my resume to gain employment. I worked with Ms. Riley, passed the test in April of 2021, and received the additional certification. Yet, I always wanted to remain in my profession. During the summer of 2021, Ms. Riley was preparing to teach a new Civics Citizenship Prep class. I decided I no longer wanted to have a conditional residency, but to become a permanent United States citizen. I wanted to take this class as much as I wanted to become gainfully employed. Becoming a citizen will allow my voice to be heard through the privilege of voting. Foreigners are not allowed to vote unless they are a registered citizen. There are steps, conditions, and specific types of permanent residency applications that foreigners must fill out correctly before taking their test. It is very important to fill out the correct category (such as single, married, divorced) and provide the appropriate verification document that applies to your personal sitSPOTLIGHT 2022

p. 49

uation. The application could be rejected and have a longer waiting period if it is not properly submitted. For anyone that wants to apply, my suggestion is to review the website www.uscis. gov to see what type of requirements are necessary. During my application process, there were so many difficulties going on in the United States. It was the start of the pandemic, caravans of refugees crossing at the border, and a shortage of administrative help to process citizenship applications. I could not become overwhelmed with complications. I absolutely had to remain focused on learning the deep historical foundations of the United States in order to pass the test. I was ready to take the test after my ten weeks of intense classroom studying. However, my confirmed interview appointment in late August of 2021 was canceled with no plans of being rescheduled. I remained hopeful. I continued studying my language skills, citizenship interview questions, and building my self-esteem. I received my new citizenship interview confirmation for the second week of January 2022, passed my interview test, and became a United States citizen. I continued going on job interviews, but I knew there were conflicts because of my language barriers. I went on an interview for a laboratory technician position at Coca-Cola and was hired. January of 2022 has been a great start for me. Nobody could ever tell me that this journey was easy, but I can tell anyone that I never gave up. I am very happy becoming a United States citizen, starting a new position in my field, and improving my English language skills with RPS Adult Education classes. Author’s Note: My ESL Instructor, Janice I. Riley, M.Ed., from RPS Adult Education, assisted me with my SPOTLIGHT submission.

p. 50

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Editorial Team SPOTLIGHT would not be possible without the efforts of our editorial team, including current team members: Autumn E. Bedwell is a GED® instructor/student recruiter with Southside Programs for Adult Continuing Education (SPACE) Region 19 and librarian with Chesterfield County Public Library. She is a former adult education coordinator; family literacy specialist; high school, middle school, and alternative education teacher of English and core subject areas; and instructor for family literacy, correctional center, army education center, and historical park programs. Autumn writes, “I cannot think of a better way to celebrate my 30 years as an adult educator than serving on the editorial team of SPOTLIGHT, a publication that honors the written and artistic creations of Virginia’s adult education students!” Lindsay Brooks, Program Coordinator for Rockbridge Regional Adult Education in Lexington, Virginia. Lindsay has taught in the adult education field for more than years, working with the ISAEP program at Rockbridge County High School and coordinating the adult education program for Buena Vista, Lexington, Bath, and Highland counties. Casey Guditus is the program specialist at Peninsula READS, a community-based literacy organization (CBLO) on the Virginia Peninsula. Casey also instructs English Language Learners at Tidewater Community College and volunteers with the prison education program Humanities Behind Bars. Ninon Hentz is a part-time ESOL instructor at Blue Ridge Literacy in Roanoke, Virginia. She retired in 2018 after 35 years of teaching middle and high school English in Illinois and North Carolina but wanted to continue teaching in a less stressful and more community-based setting. Pierrette Lacoste has been an ESOL tutor volunteer with Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville/ Albemarle (LVCA) for the past five years. She has worked in the education field with people of all ages, from toddlers to elders, and languages continue to amaze her after more than 25 years in education. Jeanne Nicholson Siler is a freelance writer, editor and photographer as well as a Literary Volunteers Charlottesville/Albemarle (LVCA) board member and tutor. She enjoys words more than numbers, and speaks English, Dutch, and a smattering of German. Debbie Tuler is ESL instructor/specialist with Thomas Jefferson Adult and Continuing Education at Piedmont Virginia Community College (TJACE@PVCC) in Charlottesville. She has been working in the field of adult ESL since 1988, in Charlottesville since 1998.

SPOTLIGHT 2022

SPOTLIGHT 2022

Articles inside

My Journey to Becoming a United States Citizen � � � � � � � � � � �

Escape From Afghanistan � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

The Amazing Animal Time: Moffee Moth � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

That’s the Reason Why We Chose the Day � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

For The Love Of Exploring India � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

From Danger to Dreams � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

The Love of Parents � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Dancing the Marinera � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Eid al-Adha: The Feast of Sacrifice � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Earthquake In El Salvador � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Dream Trip � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

The Hidden Gift � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Understanding Teenagers’ Feelings � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Untitled � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

My Mirror � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Education For Adults � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Letter to a New Student � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Untitled � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Journey Toward Joy � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

I Am from Mexico � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

The Story of an Afghan Immigrant Girl � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

Focus and Determination � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

The Story Behind the Magic of “Encanto” � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

I Did Not Miss the Train � � � � � � � � � � � �

How My Life Changed from Childhood to Adulthood � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �

The Saddest Persimmon � � � � � � � � � � � �

The Power of Writing � � � � � � � � � � � � �

How War Changes Life � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �