The ESL City Government Academy: Wendy's Story

Wendy Samayoa, Morning Student Council President, writes about her experience in the ESL City Government Academy. 

Wendy trying out a
police motorcycle

Hi, my name is Wendy Samayoa and I’m from Guatemala. I came to the USA in July, 2016 and in August of the same year I started studying at San Mateo Adult School. I was a High Intermediate ESL student when I started in this school.

A couple of months ago my teacher Stephanie Kriebel told me we were going to participate in a new project called ESL City Government Academy. Although I could not understand at that moment what she said in her presentation, she left a great impression and although I had some doubts, I joined this project.

This is my first experience with a project like this. I know that the objective of this project is to show us how the government of our city works, and to learn the appropriate processes to request help or to report an emergency.

At first it was difficult for me to understand the whole process and the amount of communication skills involved; but now I understand the sense of obligation between the members of a community and its government. With this project I have acquired a greater knowledge about the work carried out by the city government and the complexity it entails.

On our first class to Fire Station 23 in San Mateo, we received a binder to keep all our information organized, and also a bottle of water with the logo of the City of San Mateo. Over the course of the program I’ve learned how to respond correctly to an emergency, how to reserve an area in the parks of San Mateo, how to request the help of the police if it is not an emergency, and how they treat the wastewater to send it back to the ocean.

Throughout these weeks I have had the opportunity to collaborate with my classmates from other classrooms and learn from them. This project has given me many benefits in terms of group work as part of the teaching and learning activities. Working as a team can greatly facilitate the work and involve the students. By getting involved in this group I increased my participation, began putting in more effort, and got more satisfaction because I believe working in groups can be challenging at times and requires a set of skills.

Being part of this project is very pleasant for me since it has made me aware of the things we must do to improve our lifestyle for the benefit of all of us. Another lesson I’ve learned is that things can change very quickly and dramatically if we do not make a change now; it is in our hands to give a better future to the new generations. This project has given me a new vision about the work done by the city government and I appreciate the opportunity my teacher has given me to be part of this project.