Merna was born in New York City but spent the first four years of her life in the Middle East, speaking only Arabic. When her family moved back to New York last year, Merna enrolled in a local public school as a kindergartener and was designated an English Language Learner (ELL). On her teacher’s recommendation, she joined the GO Project in summer 2018 to improve her reading and language skills.
In just a few months, Merna’s reading improved dramatically. Before GO, she struggled to sound out words and barely spoke English. By the end of the summer, she felt more comfortable speaking and writing in English. Her mom, Zuzu, praised her hard work and transformation.
Merna also made social-emotional learning improvements! She used to miss her relatives abroad and was very attached to her mother. She’s since been a classroom helper for other students that were new to the country or to the English language. Merna enjoyed being a GO student, often assisting others, and has grown much more confident inside and outside the classroom.
