The following was shared after a visit to Plymouth State Park from VAL English Language instructor, Jessie MacLean. This visit was made possible thanks to support from Vermont Parks Forever:
August 2, 2025.
On this beautiful, warm, and sunny afternoon, 3 o’clock to be exact, 3 Venezuelan families, a total of 12 people, met me at Plymouth State Park in Plymouth Vermont for a get together. The minute I found out from my Regional director, Karen Harker, that VAL had free state park passes to distribute to staff, I immediately started planning a get together for some of my ELL students. One of the three families that attended resides in Rutland, VT. They have been living in Vermont for 3 years.
Marly and I have been working together in person and remotely for approximately 2.5 years. She is married to Luis, and they have a vibrant, adorable daughter named Miranda, who recently turned 6 years old. Duman, Genesis, and their beautiful daughter Megan, who recently turned 7, landed in Woodstock, Vermont 2.5 years ago. Genesis gave birth to their son Niuman last November at Dartmouth Hospital. I have also worked with them remotely until their newest baby came along, which has resulted in their decision to take a break from participating in English classes for now. Johnaton, Mauri, and their three wonderful children, Jesus, Johnaton Junior, and Juan David, ages 18, 14, and 5, arrived in Vermont 2 years ago. They currently live in Queechee. I have been teaching all of them English for the past 9 months.
Our gathering on this day consisted of eating American food, such as pepperoni pizza, and traditional Venezuelan food, such as Arepas and plantain chips. Yum Yum! We rented paddle boats, which was a new experience for all. Being out on the lake was refreshing and fun. We even had races and got stuck in the algae. Conversations throughout the day covered a variety of topics in Spanish and in English. The most memorable was just before we packed up and headed home at 8:30 in the evening. All of us stood in a circle while I shared my heart with them, which consisted of saying how fortunate I feel to have the privilege of knowing them and being their English instructor. Genesis then spoke from her heart while holding her precious 9-month-old baby in her arms.
She told everyone how much this day meant to her. “No one can imagine how difficult it is to leave our beloved country of Venezuela, move to the United States, and try with all our might to make a new life here, except for our own countrymen and women. Being here with all of you brings faith and strength to keep going forward with hope.” As you can imagine, this brought tears of solidarity to us all.
Thank you, Vermont Parks Forever, for providing free park passes so that this experience could be so meaningful for those involved in this wonderful day.
With profound appreciation,
Sincerely,
Jessica MacLean
ELL Instructor