Chaquira Ortiz
I
was born in Puerto Rico and moved to Springfield with my family as a
young girl. I graduated from the Bilingual Program at Roger L. Putnam
High School in 2001 and enrolled in the English As A Second Language
(ESL) program at S.T.C.C. in 2003. The ESL professors at STCC and my
fellow students quickly showed me what the word “community” means at
S.T.C.C. I was so well received by everyone I met. The diversity of
the ESL program brought new friends into my life and not just the Spanish
students I expected to meet. I now count my classmates from Vietnam
and Russia among my closest friends.
My professors helped me improve my writing skills tremendously. The small classes and caring environment were just what I needed to succeed. I am now enrolled in the Executive Office Information Technologies Program at STCC with plans to graduate in December of 2007. I can't say enough about STCC's ESL Program. The learning community the professors create for their students is inspirational!
Chaquira Ortiz, Roger L. Putnam High School, Class of 2001 - STCC, Class of 2007