HSE recipients and ESL students honored at SCC’s Adult Education and Literacy Student Recognition Ceremony

Published: 06/12/2018

Magda Carbajal, English as a Second Language (ESL) honoree, is a civil engineer, former engineering professor and has even started one company in Peru. She came to St. Charles Community College looking for high-quality teaching and an ESL program that fit with her career goals. “When Mrs. Casillo (lead AEL instructor) introduced me to speak on behalf of the students of the ESL program at graduation, she reminded me of when I first arrived in this country and how far I’ve come.”

Magda Carbajal, English as a Second Language (ESL) honoree, will be studying engineering at SCC in the fall.

On Thursday, June 7, Carbajal was honored with 80 other students during a recognition ceremony for the Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) program at SCC. Some 40 students were recognized for receiving their High School Equivalency credential.

Carbajal, who was awarded with an Attendance Award and a SCC Foundation Non-credit ESL Scholarship, will be studying engineering at SCC this fall. “It’s not going to be an easy road, but I’m not afraid to make mistakes,” she said. “I want to learn everything I can and be an excellent addition to any team.”

Thirty-three students were acknowledged for their achievement, improvement and attendance in the English as a Second Language (ESL) program. One student was honored for becoming a U.S. citizen: Myle Brooks from Vietnam. Fourteen students received the Attendance Award for 220 or more hours of class attendance. Fourteen students received the Continuous Improvement Award for outstanding commitment to learning a new language, and five students received the Special Achievement Award for going far beyond the expected commitment to attendance and learning.

Students celebrate their achievement at the 2018 Adult Education & Literacy (AEL) recognition ceremony June 7 at St. Charles Community College.

During the 2017-18 school year, 387 students attended high-school-equivalency preparation classes, and nearly 100 students received their HSE credentials. Four hundred and thirty-five students from 57 countries took part in the ESL program. Three students were honored for receiving their Certified Logistics Technician workforce certificate. Four were honored for earning their Certified Nursing Assistant credential.

The Adult Education and Literacy program at St. Charles Community College teaches basic reading, math and writing skills to prepare people to take the HiSET (formerly GED) tests and to assist non-native speakers in gaining English proficiency. The program offers free day and evening classes in four counties; St. Charles, Warren, Lincoln and Pike.

Learn more about the HiSET at hiset.ets.org.  For more information about the AEL program at SCC, call 636-922-8411 or visit stchas.edu/ael.

St. Charles Community College is a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields. SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities. For more information, visit stchas.edu.