Arzu moved to Lancaster with her husband and two sons from Turkey in August 2019. She was amazed by life here: “It is not very crowded, so I like living here. Also, the weather is similar to Turkey; a lot of rain and there are a lot of trees.” Her biggest adjustment has been getting used to the speed of life, but she has met people who are very friendly and helpful. Arzu thinks that living in the U.S. will give her “bigger opportunities for a better life, especially a better future for my children’s education.” 

In Turkey, Arzu obtained two college degrees--one in government and the other in health administration. Now that she is in the U.S., she would like to improve her English pronunciation, conversation, and medical vocabulary with the ultimate goal to take an accelerated class in nursing to earn her certification.

Currently a student in IU13 Community Education’s ESL level 2 class at Brightside Opportunities Center, Arzu is thankful for her ESL teacher Kevin and enjoys practicing conversation, which helps her listening comprehension. She is also fascinated to learn about U.S. life, culture, history, and in her words, “a lot of information.”

In addition to the instruction she receives, Arzu is encouraged by the community that is formed in her classes. She is excited to see people with big smiles from different countries and cultures come together, getting along to learn English. She shares, “My school offers yoga, coffee at break time, and individualized support services by the student advisor.”

Outside of her interest in taking classes, Arzu likes walking with her family in her neighborhood, comparing her country with the U.S, and reading books in English. This summer, she plans to visit her friends in Delaware and D.C.

Arzu’s advice for people thinking about studying English is to start regular classes. She explains, “There are a lot of opportunities to take advantage of different conversations and hear people with different accents.”