私たちの学生
学生は私たちの組織を非常に成功させるものであ り、彼らが達成するすべての成功は私たちと一緒に祝う成功です。このビデオで、生徒の成功事例をご覧ください。
他の学生のような成功例も見ることができます。今すぐALCに参加して、目標に向かって旅を始めましょう！
Students' Success Stories
“When I first came to the Adult Literacy Center, I could read and write English well enough for my graduate coursework. Speaking was a different story. I would hesitate before raising my hand, rehearse sentences in my head, and worry about how I sounded. I came to ALC hoping to build the one thing textbooks couldn't give me, which was the confidence to simply talk.
That's where Nick came in. Every week, we met one-on-one for conversation practice, and somewhere along the way, those sessions became the part of my week I looked forward to most. We talked about everything: my studies, American small talk, the things that confuse newcomers, and the things that slowly make a place feel like home. Nick was patient, encouraging, and genuinely curious about my world. He wasn't just helping me practice English. He was a friend in a country where I was still finding my footing.
This May, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee with my master's in economics. This fall, I'll begin a Ph.D. in political science at Rutgers University, standing in front of classrooms and presenting my research, doing it with a voice I wasn't sure I had a year ago.
I want to thank Olga for opening this door for me, and Nick for walking through it alongside me. The Adult Literacy Center gave me far more than language. It gave me a sense of belonging.”
- ESL Student from China
When I first came to the U.S. from Russia, my English was very basic. I could read simple texts, but speaking was really hard. About a year later, I joined the Adult Literacy Center (ALC), where volunteers help people like me learn English for free. They matched me with a wonderful tutor Kathleen and over the next few years my English got much better.
Thanks to that, I was able to enroll at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I’m now finishing my last semester of my undergraduate program, and in January 2026, I’ll start my master’s in accounting.
I’ve worked hard and earned all A’s, received two scholarships, and was named one of the top students in my major more than once. It means a lot to me when professors notice not just my grades, but also how much extra effort I put in because I’m learning in English, which isn’t my first language.
I’m really thankful for the support I got from ALC. Without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
- ESL Student from Russia
Challenge to Myself. Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone.
I never dreamed about America. I never imagined that this is where I would search for my happiness. I lived my life in my own country. I had everything I needed. A home. A job. Friends. Stability. A comfort zone.
Then the war came. The war didn’t just change my life — it tore me out by the roots. It forced me to leave everything that was familiar and understandable. It put me in front of a choice: either stay in fear or take a step into the unknown. I took that step. I arrived in this country with absolute zero. Zero language. Zero connections. Zero job. Zero status. When you find yourself at that point, you either break or you start building yourself from scratch. One day, I honestly asked myself: “Are you satisfied with your life?” The answer was — no. And then I realized: if I don’t step out of my comfort zone now, in 20–30 years, I will be ashamed of myself. Ashamed that I didn’t try. Didn’t risk it. Didn’t believe in myself. It was scary. Very scary. The fear of the unknown. The fear of failure. The fear of starting over from zero as an adult. But even scarier is staying in a place where you don’t grow.
In this country, I fell in love with the smell of the air. When I breathe it in deeply, I feel something special. Some say it’s the smell of freedom. Maybe. But for me, it’s the smell of the jungle. You can’t relax here. It’s constant competition. Movement. Pressure. And you know what? I like it. Because it is in this tension that strength is born. It is in discomfort that progress is made. This country is different. It’s not like mine. It’s tougher. Faster. More demanding. But it gives you a chance. And I don’t want to lose that chance. Will I stay here forever? I don’t know. Time will put everything in its place. But today my goal is simple — to grow. To learn the language. To become stronger. Because without the language, you are voiceless. And I want to have a voice. I want the opportunity to get a job that gives me not just money, but a sense of dignity. A feeling that I made it. I still don’t know where this path will lead me. But I know one thing for sure — I am no longer the person I used to be. I have already stepped out of my comfort zone. There is no way back. There is only forward.
- ESL Student from Ukraine