SALISBURY, Md.- A mentorship program at Pinehurst Elementary in Salisbury is offering students a chance to fit in. Latino students from Salisbury University are mentoring local kids who are new to Delmarva.
"For the students, this has been the most amazing thing," says ESOL teacher Lori Shockley.
Pinehurst Elementary has about 90 English Learners Students, and a significant number of them come from Spanish speaking countries. However, the school doesn't have many staff members or teachers that speak Spanish. That's one of the reasons why this mentorship program has made a huge difference in the lives of everyone involved.
"Some of the students have mentioned they don't really like to speak Spanish," explains Karen Jimenez, a student at Salisbury University and member of OLAS (Organization of Latin American Students). I think this could make a huge difference if they see that someone else that is Latino or Hispanic is proud to speak it and embrace its culture."
Once a week, OLAS members visited the school to spend time with their mentees. On Tuesday, the students spent the day at Salisbury University expanding their horizons. Shockley says the experience truly made a difference in the lives of the students.
"We have brand new students, that know very little English, and today they were participating and talking. Their faces just lighting up, it's just amazing." says Shockley.
OLAS and Pinehurst are hoping to continue the program for the upcoming school year.