annualreport-2022v9 - Flipbook - Page 23
Guiding Through the Culture Shock
One of the clearest statistics that showcases the diversity
in KCKPS is that 72 different languages are spoken in the
homes of our students. That number doesn’t reflect the experiences many of those families endured before they got
to the district.
When Kumar Monger moved to the United States in 2011, it
was the last step in a journey that began when his family had
to flee Bhutan in 1994 due to ethnic persecution. Monger
spent over a decade in a refugee camp in Nepal, living in a
bamboo hut with his parents and family. Eventually, Monger
was resettled in the U.S., separated from most of his family.
“We were helpless at the beginning. It’s very hard to end
up in a new environment, new culture, new law, new
everything,” said Monger.
Kumar Monger
Bilingual Outreach Worker
That feeling of helplessness inspired Monger to dedicate
his career to helping others. Now, as a Bilingual Outreach
Worker in the English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)/
Migrant department at KCKPS, Monger helps families struggling with language barriers.
“Many times, we have parents that enroll, but their students
aren’t caught up with their immunizations, and they don’t
know where to go,” said Director of ESOL/ Migrant
Programs Jacqueline Rodriguez. “So the team will help that
parent find a place and even schedule an appointment for
them. And then they follow up to get the documentation.”
When ESOL Family Advocate Saw Kaw moved to the U.S.
from Myanmar in 2006, he only knew one person. “I knew
that I needed education because I spoke zero English, so I
went back to college,” said Kaw. “Then I started to help in
the community with a little interpreting.”
Like Monger, Kaw realized that he could help others who
move here in similar situations. “Families have a lot of
barriers, especially when they first move and migrate here,”
said Kaw.
Kaw Saw
ESOL Family Advocate
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Rodriguez said the life experiences of her team help them
relate. “I think that’s the most important thing and what
makes them so unique and vital for the district,” said
Rodriguez. “They go above and beyond because they
have that connection to the lived experience.”
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