Highlight: ESL and Citizenship Interns
Published by Program Manager on
Highlight: ESL and Citizenship Interns
As we approach the end of the year at BIIN we can’t let the work of our interns and volunteers go unnoticed. Semester after semester BIIN functions with the selfless service of many students from Texas A&M and others in the Brazos Valley community. This semester we have had the privilege to welcome onto the team four young ladies who have worked deliberately to bring the best service to our ESL and Citizenship students.
Meet Elizabeth Alvarez Salsedo (ELLY) ESL Level 1 Intern
Howdy! My name is Elizabeth Alvarez Salsedo and I am from Huffman, TX. I am a class of 2024 Sociology major at Texas A&M with a minor in Spanish. I also help lead a community service student organization called PELDEM where we provide support to Latino/Hispanic families in BCS with a mom experiencing breast cancer and/or a terminal illness.
I am excited to continue giving back to the community because it’s always been something I loved doing. I am the daughter of immigrants, therefore this experience at BIIN is something I am truly grateful to be a part of because I get to support others as they navigate through adjusting to a new culture here in the States.
Meet America Jimenez
My name is America Jimenez. I am a junior Philosophy major from El Paso, Texas, and I plan to graduate May 2025 and go to law school. I am here at BIIN, because I like to get involved with my community and help out however I can. I have had the opportunity to help out in the level 1 and 2 class on Tuesday and Thursday. Here I have been able to meet many people in the community and learn about their cultures and stories. I have been able to learn their “why” and their motivation class by class as well as thorough individual interviews.
Meet Ana Vega Gonzalez
Hi! My name is Ana Vega Gonzalez. I was born in Mexico City but moved to a small suburb near Houston, Texas called The Woodlands when I was 8 years old. I am a political science major on a Pre-Law track. I am doing an internship at BIIN since my end goal is to become an immigration lawyer, and BIIN offers the opportunity to broaden my knowledge on this topic. As an immigrant myself, I am very excited to learn about the experiences of individuals from different countries and backgrounds. My biggest goal in life is to help others and knowing that I am helping due to the skills and mindset I have contributed to my future plans of becoming an immigration lawyer.
Meet Gabriela Arevalo (GABBY)
Howdy my name is Gabriela Arevalo I am from Houston, TX. I am currently a student at Texas A&M. I am majoring in Spanish and minoring in sociology. I came to BIIN through my sociology advisor who shared with me this opportunity. I was happy to apply and get accepted, because I wanted to help out the community and also wanted to learn more about the non-profit! I have been able to assist in both the ESL and citizenship programs and have learned about the functioning of programs like these in non profit organizations. I have been able to witness first hand the hard work that students put into learning English and learning the process of naturalizing in the United States. Being at BIIN has truly been a humbling experience.
We thank our ESL and Citizenship interns and we encourage all of the community to share some time to get to know the community and the individuals we serve at BIIN day by day.