Introduction

Language is power.
Having a voice creates space to be known.
Yet, learning a new language requires great humility.

Communication opens opportunities.
Cross-cultural communication creates bridges for understanding.
Yet, sharing your story requires great bravery.

This humble little book shows the bravery of my amazing adult immigrant and refugee ESL 4 students at Cascadia College. Even with limited English language abilities, they willingly chose to share snippets of their stories, experiences and opinions with you. I hope these short paragraphs create bridges for understanding and an eagerness to learn more about the people around you. I firmly believe this country (and our world) is a better place when we seek to understand one another. In doing so, we also acknowledge and respect the lives of those around us. We all have more in common than we may initially think. (At least, I know that my class discovers this every quarter as we learn language and create community together.)

Also, I would like to say a special “THANK YOU!” to my UW Librarian colleague, Chelsea Nesvig. I have worked with her over the last decade, and I was excited to find out that we shared a passion for this project. Chelsea, thank you for the extra time and effort that you spent publishing our students’ stories.

-Emily Dvorak
College & Career Foundations Faculty
Cascadia College

It has been exactly three years since I attended the Washington Library Association conference and saw librarian Sue Wozniak from the Lake Washington Institute of Technology present her work to publish English language learner student stories. I was more inspired than I had been in a long time, and knew I needed to bring a similar project to my campus and the students of Cascadia College.

After becoming more acquainted with Sue’s process and seeking out a faculty partner at Cascadia, Emily Dvorak and I worked together to publish her students’ stories. It has been an honor to work with these students, to teach them the basics of open publishing, and to offer the opportunity for their stories and experiences to be read more widely.

These students come to Cascadia College from all over the world, and bring a fascinating variety of experiences and perspectives that strengthen our campus. I am humbled that they have eagerly chosen to share their stories beyond the classroom and allow us to learn about their cultures, traditions, and lives.

Thank you, Sue, for your guidance, encouragement, and answering of questions as I worked on this project. Your work and dedication are so inspiring! Thank you, Emily, for your interest in trying something new with your class and encouraging your students to make their voices heard. I am so grateful for our partnership!

-Chelsea Nesvig
Global & Policy Studies Librarian
Cascadia College Campus Library
May 2025