This month, we're spotlighting volunteer Umelo Ugwoaba. You may recognize his friendly face from being our Evening Office Manager (EOM) on Monday nights. He also taught Online Learning last summer. 

LS: Where are you originally from?

UU: I was born and raised in Burien, which is about 15 miles south of Fremont. My parents are Nigerian immigrants.

LS: Please tells us something of your life so far and maybe what you would like to do in the future.

UU: I graduated from the University of Washington last spring with a B.S. in Psychology, but I'm still working with the athletic department there as an athletic training intern. In September I'll be leaving for Morocco, where I'll be serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in youth and community development. After my service, I'm planning on pursuing a PhD in Counseling Psychology and aiming to become a sports psychologist.

LS: Why did you choose to volunteer at LS?

UU: I wanted to gain experience while I was waiting to hear back from Peace Corps, and I wanted to volunteer somewhere off-campus to get my mind off of classes for part of the week. I was interested in teaching ABE or ESL. I found out that Literacy Source offers both and it was a short bus ride from UW, so it was a perfect fit.

LS: What do you like about volunteering at LS?

UU: The students are all so eager to learn and the staff and other volunteers here are very supportive. Also, since so many different cultures and backgrounds are represented, there's always a chance to learn something new.

LS: Do you have any stories or highlights from volunteering at LS? 

UU: One highlight that comes to mind is teaching the students in my Online Learning class about e-mail. It was one of my first lessons here and they were really excited. It always feels good teaching something that can be used right away.

LS: What might people not know about you?

UU: I'm attempting to teach myself how to play the violin.

Aseffa, one of our dedicated ESL students, speaks seven languages!

It turns out that Literacy Source currently serves 25 students who report speaking more than two languages! One such individual is ESL 3 student, Aseffa Woldeamanuel. Originally from Ethiopia, Aseffa speaks seven languages with varied proficiency but speaks fluent Amharic, Oromo, Italian, French, and English. When asked about whether he agrees with researchers' hypothesis "that the cognitive multitasking involved in speaking more than one language may act as a protection against dementia," Aseffa nodded. "I am a very lucky guy," he said. "I can remember from the beginning [of my life]" and "if I see one thing now, I can remember it forever." Aseffa, it should be noted, is 80 years old and passed the US citizenship exam last month. He attributes his multilingual skills and strong memory to 40 years of employment at the Grand Hotel of Harar, where the majority of interactions happen in French or Italian. On his perception of multilingualism's academic benefits, Aseffa explained, "I am 80 now, but I ... never forget a word once I learn it because I can speak more languages. Most friends my age don't even remember what they ate for dinner last night." Asked about his memory of last night's meal, Aseffa was quick to report, "A very nice meal - mixed salad with avocado, tomatoes, and cucumber!"

Maryna is from Ukraine and speaks three languages!

Maryna Yesakova, a new ESL 5 student, is trilingual. Like many Ukrainians, she speaks Ukrainian and Russian, but she has also been studying English for the past 10 months. She believes speaking three languages has most improved her economic opportunities: "If you don't know English, we couldn't have come here. We were born in a small city with not many opportunities." In Ukraine's capital, Maryna worked in purchasing and had regular correspondences with Chinese and Pakistani workers - always in English. She hopes someday to earn an engineering degree here in the US.