On May 16, the Center for Global Engagement’s English Language Institute held their Spring graduation ceremony in the Green Dolphin Lounge. The certificate ceremony represented the culmination of a semester where international students successfully immersed themselves in the English language and US culture. Having studied together 18 hours per week for sixteen weeks, the student cohort – representing 15 different nationalities and all continents – developed close bonds with one another and the CSI college community.

This connection was manifested in the words of the ceremony’s keynote speaker, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, Sarolta Takács. Dean Takács was familiar to many of the students who met her during the Bertha Harris Women’s Center “Puppies and Pizza” events. She spoke to the graduates about her own journey as a language learner in the US, and the gritty, intelligent character of the CSI community. She noted that what they have already accomplished is not easy, and the perseverance they have demonstrated bodes well for their future.

Several of the students raised their English level to meet the admissions requirements for CSI programs in Business, Nursing, and Computer Science. Others took motivation from the demonstrable progress in their TOEFL scores to continue studies at an advanced level with ELI for another term. English Language Institute Director, Christian Perticone, noted that degree programs at CSI are very attainable goals for all the students.

In his commencement speech, Perticone told the students that to speak a new language is to find a new part of yourself. He thanked the students for entrusting the ELI with their growth and praised the instructors for going the extra mile with them.  Turning the mic over to two students, he introduced Isabella Morantes and Thuy Vu, who were selected to say a few words to represent their classmates. In her remarks, Vu noted that this program has been her best experience in the US so far. Morantes said that the relationships she formed would last a lifetime.

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By: Center for Global Engagement