September '08
Leyla’s shyness was almost painful to watch when she first joined the Refugee Youth and Family Program. Her teachers expressed concern to me regarding her mental health because Leyla did not respond to questions and she very rarely initiated conversation. In her living room, however, Leyla would open up to me like any average twelve year old would and even ramble about things she did over the weekend. So, I talked to Leyla on multiple occasions about showing her teachers what she’s really capable of regarding her English skills. I urged her to simply ask the teacher how her weekend was. Finally, on her 5th grade graduation day, Ms. Everett said to me, “Leyla’s really opened up; she asks me about how my weekend is going- it’s a complete turn around!”
Over the course of the summer, Leyla has been attending weekly study groups at the library. Last Monday, she was worried about an item that she had ordered and wondered where it was. Before I had time to coach her on what to say, she had already approached the front desk and was having a conversation with the librarian. I was so impressed as I listened to her converse with the librarian who had no problem understanding Leyla. It was a defining moment for me to see how far Leyla has come with her English speaking confidence.
-Tressa Weyer
