NYC’s English Language Center is where many students get their start

 

POSTED ON Jun 15, 2022

 

The City University of New York announced recently that Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez joined LaGuardia Community College President Kenneth Adams for a visit to the city’s largest English as a Second Language program. Since 1971, the center has served more than 275,000 LaGuardia students from over 80 countries.

During the pandemic, LaGuardia introduced online classes at The English Language Center (TELC). Currently, TELC is serving students in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and other countries.

“I’m thrilled to visit LaGuardia’s campus in Queens, one of the most ethnically diverse urban areas,” said Chancellor Matos Rodríguez at the event. “It is only fitting that LaGuardia hosts the most comprehensive English language program in New York City. I am also thrilled to join President Adams and the LaGuardia community in celebrating the outpouring of gifts received as part of the Tomorrow Campaign, and I was privileged to personally speak to many of the people who are leading the way for the college’s future.”

The college recently celebrated a fund-raising record when it exceeded the $10 million fundraising goal of its Tomorrow Campaign, unlocking a $5 million donation pledged by an anonymous donor and tied to meeting the goal.

“This is an exciting time at LaGuardia Community College—with our Foundation having brought in $15 million to help our students recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and robust enrollment in critical programs like The English Language Center where so many of our students get their start,” said LaGuardia President Adams. “It was a pleasure to have Chancellor Matos Rodríguez visit our campus and to introduce him to some of the board members, faculty, staff, and students involved in these accomplishments, and to show off what makes LaGuardia a wonderful place to learn, teach and work.”

TELC helps international students obtain a visa to study in the U.S., and foundation scholarships cover up to 80 percent of ESL tuition for low-income students, opening up the doors of TELC to recent immigrants who need to learn English and get a job.

During the visit, the Chancellor and President Adams spoke with some of the student mentors who support LaGuardia’s First Year Seminar classes as part of the Student Success Mentor Program. The mentors, who guide new students in their acclimation to college life, are a mix of current LaGuardia students and alumni who now attend four-year colleges.

The campus visit wrapped up with a celebration of the Tomorrow Campaign, LaGuardia’s fundraising drive, which garnered an unprecedented $15 million to help students recover from economic turmoil caused by the pandemic. The campaign met its ambitious goal to raise $10 million, which unlocked a $5 million gift from an anonymous donor. Chancellor Matos Rodríguez and President Adams were joined by Suzie Scanlon Rabinowitz, LaGuardia Foundation board chair; and Ernie von Simson, LaGuardia Foundation board treasurer.