When the College of Charleston moved online in the spring, English Language Institute students, like everyone else in the U.S., moved to an online format. For their final project, every student was asked to write a letter to their future child or grandchild sharing their experience about this time. The students also gave brief oral presentations – through zoom, of course – about the lessons they learned.
Here are a few of the beautiful lessons ELI students have learned.
“I learned that I can change to fit a situation (online learning) and that if I work hard, I can succeed.”
“I can tell you that we made lemonades out of lemons! Spending time with our family meant we learned to appreciate the small things together.”
“Open your eyes and realize what you have around you. Love and respect the people around you.“
“The inconvenient and uncomfortable situation… made me realize what a peaceable world we live in.“
“Even if you are experiencing hard times, all you need to do is just do your best, do what you can and never give up.”
“Life is so beautiful, we must know the value of every moment and be happy.”
“I learned to have a family- even if they were not like your color, gender or religion. I learned the value of friendship.”
“We have to let the earth breathe, to let the animals enjoy the areas we are invading, and that it is necessary to give hugs and kisses to the people that we love every time we see them.”
“I learned how many good things we have around us. No matter what happens, our family is around us.”
“I learned that if I want to achieve something, I don’t really need to give up. I have all the values from home and I’m sure that God (is) with me all the time.”
“I can be sure that our lives will no longer be the same for what we have lived in recent months. We have learned, we have cried and above all we have overcome this great moment as a family, and I am happy to have lived it and to continue living until it ends and when everything returns to normal.”