July 7, 2006

Education is the key to success for graduates

As a world-renowned health care institution, the MGH attracts employees from all across the world, and many of these MGHers do not speak English as their primary language. Through the MGH Workplace Education Program, the hospital offers free literacy and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes to these employees. The achievements of the 103 students in this year's program were honored at the annual "Celebration of Achievement" graduation ceremony June 23.

The program began with welcoming remarks from Carlyene Prince-Erickson, director of Employee Education and Leadership Development, who served as mistress of ceremonies for the event. She invited some of the graduates to the stage to share excerpts from personal essays they had written. Jeff Davis, senior vice president for Human Resources, introduced keynote speaker Sam Yoon, Boston city councilor-at-large and the first Asian-American to hold elected office in Boston. Yoon congratulated the graduates for making education a priority in their lives. "Everyone in this country is from a family of immigrants," he said. "They had to do what you are doing now, work hard and educate themselves for a better future." He also commended the MGH for making the commitment to helping employees for whom English is not their native language.

Every student received a certificate of recognition and a yearbook. Two of the students — Amarillis Pina, a nursing assistant on Ellison 12, and Maria Cardoso, of Environmental Services — received special recognition at the ceremony for recently earning their high school graduation equivalency diplomas (GEDs). Other honorees were the program's volunteers and class instructors, who also received certificates. The ceremony concluded with special thanks to Jane Ravid, lead ESOL teacher, who celebrated her last year with the program.

Graduates, above, read from personal essays. Yoon, right, congratulates participants.