“There's something to be said about a student who leaves their home country and has to start all over somewhere else, and I can't imagine what kind of bravery and courage that takes,” said Xochitl Dueñas, a current Berkeley High School English teacher and former Multilingual Program (MLP) teacher.
MLP is a BHS program tailored for students who have recently immigrated to the US and lack English language proficiency. They are placed in an English Language Development (ELD) class according to their knowledge level, and given consistent support by MLP staff until they graduate the program.
The MLP Graduation was held at the Berkeley City College (BCC) on Friday, May 30, and was dedicated to the celebration of both graduating seniors and students graduating from MLP to a BHS Small Learning Community. Beginning with a buffet of curry and rice, the graduation maintained a heartfelt and inclusive atmosphere throughout.
“You guys aren't just a staff member to us, all of you are part of our family, my family. You guys make a school feel like a second home,” Russell Mou, a graduating BHS student formerly part of MLP, said in his speech.
Following the social hour, the graduation moved into the BCC auditorium where MLP students welcomed the audience in every language currently spoken in the program and several delivered speeches. MLP teachers then presented awards to students of every grade who demonstrated different aspects of the MLP learner profile and had exemplary achievements such as leadership skills and intellectual curiosity.
“In Mexico, I was so quiet… and here I'm more open, and I could talk with more people. So it was really good—coming to here,” said Edith Lizalde Lares, a graduate awarded the Economics MVP award who plans to major in business at BCC and dreams of one day becoming a businesswoman.
Later, Enrique Lopez—a former MLP student and alum of the BHS Class of 2016—gave a speech as a guest speaker, discussing how the supportive nature of the MLP community allowed him to pursue an education at UC Davis. Lopez now works in the Artificial Intelligence industry.
“It was the teachers and the friends that I made (in MLP) that really helped me realize what I was capable of and to work really hard to get where I'm at right now,” Lopez said.
Despite the overwhelming joy present at the graduation, attendees were faced with the bittersweet reality of the departure of a central figure of the MLP community: Ms. Cynthia Garcia. Garcia, or as her students call her, Ms. Cynthia, was an MLP student herself from 2012 to 2015 before returning as the MLP Interim Home-School Liaison. This position means that she communicates with families, but is also the first person that incoming MLP students meet when she administers their ELD placement test. For numerous MLP students, her office has become more than just a room on C1, it is a home away from home, and for some, the only home they have.
“I have a lot of students going through very difficult situations…like I have students that are unaccompanied minors. They don't have any family here. They're working until like, three in the morning, and they're still coming to school,” Garcia said, “...They go to my office and they take like, a five minute nap, and I'm like, ‘yeah, just be here,’ you know?”
Overall, MLP is more than just an educational program, it is a tight-knit community—a family—that offers international students otherwise unavailable opportunities and remains even after graduation.
“Never give up on your dreams, always work hard, (you’ll) get success one day. Inshallah,” graduate Mohammed Samir Ghafori said.