{"id":61204,"date":"2026-04-14T15:01:07","date_gmt":"2026-04-14T19:01:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=61204"},"modified":"2026-04-14T15:38:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T19:38:38","slug":"thank-you-for-being-my-stepping-stone-intensive-english-program-honors-two-fall-2025-graduates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/thank-you-for-being-my-stepping-stone-intensive-english-program-honors-two-fall-2025-graduates\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Thank you for being my stepping stone’: Intensive English Program honors two fall 2025 graduates"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

EMU’s Intensive English Program (IEP) celebrated the accomplishments of its two fall 2025 graduates at a ceremony in Martin Chapel on Wednesday, April 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The graduates, Alberto Mederos<\/strong> and Jany Carballo<\/strong>, completed Level 6, the highest level of classes offered at IEP. They received graduation certificates and stoles emblazoned with the flags of both their home country, Cuba, and the United States, along with hugs from their instructors. Each of the two graduates spoke during the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceremony was followed by a potluck meal held in EMU\u2019s Roselawn Building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alberto Mederos poses for a photo with Aram Hanson, an instructor with the Intensive English Program.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Mederos thanked his teachers for boosting his confidence, pushing him forward, and never letting him give up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Thank you so much for preparing us for life in this new country, the United States of America, where learning English is a vital necessity,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He shared a few words of advice for fellow students still in the program. “Never give up and keep pushing,” he said. “With resilience, determination, and effort, you can turn your own dreams into reality.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jany Carballo poses for a photo with Melissa May, curriculum coordinator and instructor for the IEP. <\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Carballo credited her IEP instructors with believing in her, supporting her, and helping her regain motivation and self-confidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis program is the best place to start when you are an immigrant learning a new language,\u201d she said. \u201cYou made me feel safe, supported, and as part of the family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The path wasn\u2019t easy, she said, with ups and downs and moments when she felt like giving up. But with the IEP\u2019s help, she faced her fears and reached her first goal: building a foundation in English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel confident knocking on any door and looking for new opportunities,\u201d she said. \u201cThank you for being my stepping stone to the next level of my life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jeremy Samsoe, director of EMU’s Intensive English Program, delivers his remarks during the graduation ceremony. He said the program’s tradition of holding a ceremony each semester began in spring 2023.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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In his address to the graduates, their families and friends, and others gathered for the ceremony, IEP Director Jeremy Samsoe<\/strong> reflected on the idiom \u201cgoing back to square one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt means to go back to the beginning of something,\u201d he said, and oftentimes, the phrase is associated with some kind of failure. \u201cMaybe you failed at a task, failed at a job, and now you must go back to square one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor many of you here, being in a new country and starting a new life can feel a bit like being at square one\u2014that you are completely starting over,\u201d Samsoe said. \u201cI like to remind students that you are not truly starting at square one. You are starting many new things, but you also bring with you many things: your language, your culture, your expertise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor both of you, Jany and Alberto, this is like moving one more square,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not the end of your education or your language learning, but it is a step forward. It is an accomplishment, one among many, that you will have in your life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Harrisonburg Councilman Nasser Alsaadun MA \u201917 (education) speaks at the IEP graduation ceremony on Wednesday, April 8.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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The ceremony also included remarks from Harrisonburg Councilman Nasser Alsaadun MA \u201917 (education)<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n