Our ESOL students come to the United States as teachers, doctors, professors, and lawyers. Their expertise and knowledge add diversity and depth to our organization. That being said, it is especially appreciated when that expertise comes in the form of Guatemalan tacos! Brenda is not only one of our most dedicated students, having perfect attendance for four straight months, but she is professional chef hailing from Guatemala. There, she worked for a Canadian human rights organization as their in-house chef, serving up delicious Guatemalan cuisine to staff and clients. A proud mother of four and grandmother of six, she brings her smile and fearless attitude to class with her everyday. Resilient in her commitment to learning, she befriends students and staff with ease, diving headfirst into trying out new sentence structures and vocabulary to deepen her relationships in English.
We were lucky enough to get a taste of her cooking at our Christmas potluck. True to her trade, everyone was enjoying food in the dining room while she meticulously plated each taco to perfection, commanding an assembly line in the kitchen as head chef. We miss all of our ESOL students and hope to see their smiling faces soon, and maybe we’ll even be lucky enough to try some more of Brenda’s dishes!
