Stories

Featured Story

Now He Can Say, “I am Shimoy!”

Saying Goodbye to Shimoy the Rancher In another life, Shimoy was a rancher of goats, camels, and cows. He insists that he loved all the animals equally, keeping no favorites. The land was beautiful and green, situated between the two largest rivers in Somalia....

9 Things ELC Staff Have Learned During COVID-19

It's old news by now that COVID-19 has thrown most of our worlds upside down, as we scramble to meet needs during a global pandemic and create a new sense of normalcy. In the midst of what can feel like chaos, however, there's also an opportunity to learn. And...

Halima Takes Learning Online

Halima started as a student at the ELC in February 2020, taking English, math, and citizenship classes. Since then, she’s advanced an entire English level. We asked her how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted her life and learning. Here’s what she had to say: How has...

Forging New Paths as the ELC Goes the Distance

When COVID-19 Hit On the afternoon of Friday, March 13th, I [Jenne, ELC Program Co-director] was taking a walk with my dog while on a conference call with Jennifer, ELC Program Co-director, and David, OSCS Interim Executive Director. We had just decided to close the...

Herve’s Never Going Back

A Year Without a Home Herve will always remember the 2016 Minnesota Twins season—not because of the team’s losing record that year but because the end of this season marked the beginning of his homelessness. Herve had been employed with seasonal work at Target Field,...

Kamar Feels Free at Last

Kamar Returns to School Kamar is no stranger to the ELC. She first came to study English in 2011, shortly after arriving in Minnesota with refugee status from Somalia. Then, many years later, Kamar returned to school because she had a new goal—to become a United...

Small Steps Become Big Strides

Addiction Grabs Hold at an Early Age Lisa* was nine-years-old the first time she tasted a sip of beer. “I have been an alcoholic, I would say, since that first drink. I shared a beer with my sister and one of our friends. I immediately wanted a second beer. I remember...