English Empowerment Center hosted our Annual Recognition Ceremony on June, 27, 2024 and we would like to express our gratitude to all who came out to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of EEC learners, volunteers, instructors, and community partners. It was such a great night to connect with the EEC community and remind us of the incredible work and growth happening around us each day. We are so fortunate to have such amazing students, volunteers, and community partners that we honored at this year’s Annual Recognition Ceremony.
This year’s essay theme was “A World of Opportunity” and our three student essay readers Jakeline, Juan Pablo, and Amina did a beautiful job sharing their stories of dedication and hope for the future. We are honored by their bravery and commitment to share their story with our community. It takes a great deal of courage to stand on stage and speak in front of classmates, instructors, friends and family, and many new faces. We are so grateful to have heard their stories and know that their dedication to their education and dedication to the community has inspired the EEC community.
Our guest speaker, Supervisor Andres Jimenez, delivered an impactful address that inspired our audience to make the most of the opportunities that life presents them and use their gifts to better the community. Supervisor Jimenez heartwarmingly stated that student essay reader, Jakeline, had inspired him with her essay and reminded him that every day is an opportunity. You can read Jakeline’s along with all other EEC student essays published in our Program Book.
We were joined this year by Saddam Azlan Salim of the Senate of Virginia who presented the Virginia Senate Resolution commending the English Empowerment Center. He shared a powerful story of his own regarding being an immigrant in this country and all that you can accomplish in the future. Additionally, the office of Congressman Gerry Connolly presented the Congressional Record listing each of our awardees.
At this year's Annual Recognition Ceremony, EEC was thrilled to honor lead teacher Jackie Corkins and present her with the special Mid Allen Ries Award. This award, named after EEC's founder and first president, is only presented in a year when a notable individual has executed exceptional work on behalf of EEC and may represent a body of work conducted over multiple years. We have been honored to have Jackie as a part of our EEC community for over a decade and have been so impressed by all that she has done for the community and for the English Empowerment Center.
Hear some touching words from Jackie and get a peek into the ceremony in this video from Fairfax County Channel 16: https://bit.ly/EECsARC2024
Congratulations to all of our essay writers, award winners, instructors, students, and partners! We are so grateful to have a community full of such incredible individuals.
Student Essay Spotlights:
Amina Abbasi
Jakeline Barahona
Juan Pablo Oporto
2024 Patricia M. Donnelly Merit Scholarship Award Winner:
Carminia Zurita
Mid Allen Ries Awardee:
Jackie Corkins
Volunteers of the Year:
Dan Clancy
Eva Kaplan
Kathleen McCleary
Community Partner Awards:
Fairfax County's Solid Waste Management
MainStreet Bank
Philip L. Graham Fund