Two former TCC English language learning students are now teaching current students how to navigate the challenges of learning English.
Mayra Mancera, who was once an English as a second language student at TCC, is an administrative assistant for NE Campus’ ELL department.
Originally from Mexico, Mancera holds a biology degree and a master’s degree in education. She deeply relates to the challenges students face when learning English in a new country.
“Coming to the United States without knowing English, or knowing very little, was a frustrating experience,” Mancera said.
The department offers courses ranging from beginner level to advanced. Mancera helps students with things like registration and placement testing. For her, helping students place higher than expected is one of the most rewarding parts of her job.
“My personal and academic journey helps me understand and connect with every student who comes through the ESL office,” Mancera said. “I know exactly what it means to start from zero in a new country, and I recognize how important it is to receive support, guidance and encouragement during that process.”
The department teaches students from a wide range of ages and backgrounds, from adults who were unable to pursue higher education in their home countries to younger learners starting their academic careers in the United States.
Elena Roa-Albert, an ESL and English for speakers of other languages instructor on NE Campus, shares a similar path. She moved to the United States in 2008 and enrolled as a student in 2011, while raising three children. She completed the program and continued at Texas Woman’s University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies.
She set the goal of becoming a bilingual teacher after volunteering in her oldest son’s classroom.
“I realized how much love, patience, dedication and support bilingual students need,” Roa-Albert said. “I deeply connected with their experiences because I was going through similar feelings of frustration, isolation and helplessness due to language barriers.”
After teaching elementary for the Keller and Birdville school districts, Roa-Albert returned to higher education. She is currently a doctoral student at Texas Woman’s University while teaching courses at TCC and tutoring high school students.
Instructors say shared experiences allow them to connect with students who may feel overwhelmed or uncertain.
“Helping them makes me feel that I am giving back all the care, love, support and guidance that I once received at TCC,” Roa-Albert said. “When I first started at TCC as a student, I never imagined that one day I would return as a professor.”
Parminder Avila, a fellow ESL instructor on NE Campus, teaches an intermediate level pronunciation course and encourages her students to practice daily. She advises them to immerse themselves in English media, especially music.
“Listening to music in English really helps the pronunciation, because then they’re only focusing on copying the sounds,” Avila said.
For these women, working in the English language learning department represents more than a career. It’s a chance to support students following in their footsteps.
