Celebrating Diversity: Milwaukee Area Technical College’s Fifth Edition of ‘Sharing Our World’ Book Showcases ESL Students’ Personal Journeys

Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) celebrated the release of its fifth edition of the “Sharing Our World” book on Friday, April 26. The book features personal journeys of over 200 MATC students from the English as a Second Language (ESL) program, expressed through poetry, essays and more.

“I think students feel a very strong sense of pride like wow, my work is published, look at this, and not only that, I can read my story in English, in front of people,” said Erin Helland, ESL instructor at MATC. The book represents forty-seven different countries and showcases the diverse experiences of MATC’s ESL students.

The event drew a large crowd of students and faculty who gathered to celebrate the achievement of their peers. The “Sharing Our World” book is just one example of how MATC’s community education pathway supports its students in reaching their full potential.