"Ivy Tech Changed My Life" H a r mee t K a ur , AAS ' 13 , s a y s s he w o u ldn ' t be w he r e s he i s t oda y w i t ho ut I vy T ech I ndiana p oli s . Before entering high school, Harmeet Kaur had changed schools close to 10 times. As a non-native English speaker, the constant moving made her English as a second language (ESL) courses even harder than they already were. Not to mention being taught standard American elementary and middle school classes entirely in her second language. “I relied on books that I bought for a couple of cents at garage sales to learn English and fix my reading and writing,” Kaur said. Neither of Kaur’s parents matriculated past grade school while in rural India. So when they immigrated to America, Kaur’s mother and father depended on her to learn English while also expecting her to keep up with their native tongue. “I was expected to not only keep up with the culture and customs of our native country but also to learn the new ways of America, all while moving several times,” Kaur said. While in seventh grade, Kaur’s father passed away, making her home life and the pressures of being a first-generation immigrant even more challenging. “I had a completely wild home dynamic to deal with, it's safe to say,” Kaur said.
Alumni
8 | Ivy Indy
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker