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September 1, 2020Explorer Gains Global Perspective Through Capital Region BOCES Adult Ed
A fearless explorer who scored a perfect grade on her English competency exam is in the fast lane to success in the United States while also helping others thanks to her studies in the Capital Region BOCES Adult Education program.
Lea Mengel arrived in the Albany area from France with her husband, Emmanuel, in February of 2019 and has already created a business helping others. She accomplished this while enrolled in the English as a Second Language Program offered by BOCES and “earning a perfect score on our ESL reading and writing test the first and only time she took it – which is quite unusual,” said Tarin Bready, vocational case manager at Capital Region BOCES.
“I teach French immersion after work. I like to give everyone the gift of a foreign language. I believe that my immigrant experience helps me to succeed in my work and I’m glad to meet people from children to adults who are interested in the French language and culture as I’m interested in the American language and culture,” said Mengel, who runs her business through the website – https://joyoffrenchlearning.wixsite.com/frenchcuisineclass.
The East Greenbush resident said the Capital Region BOCES program helped her have a “global perspective” of the English language and American culture.
“I learned English in high school but American English is quite different – a lot of contractions and some words are different. Learning a new language and the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of a new culture is challenging. … The class helped me have a better understanding with a global overlook,” Mengel said.
She said the class was more like a family than a learning experience.
“It was not only a class, I felt like I was part of a group of helpers. If anyone needed advice, we were also free to talk about it in class and bring some ideas. I also like the students I met there. I am still in contact with some of them. They are good friends,” she said.
Mengel, who also works at the Little Ones Montessori School in Schenectady, said she and her husband moved to the U.S. to complete one goal of her life’s “bullet list.”
“I came with my husband because we wanted to work in an English country. It was in our bullet list — it’s a long list actually,” she said.
As to her future, the 28-year-old said she wants to explore and share her love of France.
“I always like to say: “Carpe Diem” because we never know what could happen next, right? But, right now, my future plan it’s continuing to explore America and get more people interested in French through immersion, by the lessons I provide or through cooking classes,” Mengel said.
