“A person’s name to that person is the sweetest sound in any language.” – Dale Carnegie
Winter 2026 (Volume 36, Issue 1) / Language Accessible Version
Student VOICES
June Hamilton Tutor of the Year
Partners In the Community
Fundraising
Board Update
Then and Now: Celebrating 40 Years of VEP
Get Involved
With Appreciation
STUDENT VOICES
The following stories are written by VEP students about their experience as immigrants. To submit a student-written story, essay or poem for future editions of the newsletter, email volunteer.english@volunteerenglish.org.
Moving On
Even though I had studied English in my home country (British English), the lack of practice & my nerves meant I could barely say “hello” when I arrived here. Not only did VEP listen to me when I first applied to the program, but you also made sure to provide me with a tutor who matched {my} needs, which I consider to be a sign of complete professionalism & respect.
I am deeply grateful to {my tutor} Jean, for the time you have dedicated to me over the past three years, quality time, a time of learning, where we have discussed all sorts of topics & shared experiences.
It hasn’t just been about learning English; it’s been a journey of learning how to navigate daily life in this country, its customs, its culture, & the emotional aspects of this enormous change that my husband & I have experienced.
You have shared your knowledge, your experience, your friendship, & your understanding with me, & you have become a role model, a mentor, & a friend.
You gave me the knowledge & confidence I needed not only to communicate, but also to do things I never thought possible, such as giving a talk on Psychology & Immigration two years ago at Let’s Talk Philly, or facilitating a group of immigrants for two months last year. These experiences even led to me being invited to become a Board Member of “Let’s Talk Philly.”
We had been talking for some time about the fact that I was ready to finish the program. Sometimes for us learners, it’s difficult to realize how ready we are to become independent & live without a tutor, since it’s hard to gauge our English proficiency when we hear a difficult accent or someone speaks very quickly, & we start to doubt ourselves, or we want to say something but can’t find the English words to express it. The reality is that I’ve been ready for this for a while now, & although my heart aches a little because you have been part of my life since I arrived here, it’s time to finish this stage & turn the page.
I truly hope I can find the time to give back to you someday, everything you’ve done for me. I hope that in the future I can also dedicate my time, experience, & knowledge to help with such a wonderful program as VEP.
Arriving here without knowing what to expect & finding you all was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I hope we can stay in touch, as friends, sharing life experiences, & that I can somehow repay you in the future for what you’ve done for me.
Best wishes,
Alejandra B.
Passing the Baton
I would like to sincerely thank you for the opportunity to participate in the Volunteer English Program. It has been a very meaningful experience for me. I am especially grateful to my tutor Cherie for her dedication, teaching, & patience with me throughout this journey. Over these years in the program, I have seen a great improvement in my communication skills, which has helped me significantly in my work performance & daily interactions.
Even though I know I still have much to learn, I plan to continue practicing English through other opportunities, such as conversation groups & meetings at local libraries, where I can also make new friendships & continue improving my communication skills.
I would also like to step aside so that someone else who has been waiting for a spot may have this opportunity. For example, I have a friend who has been registered for a while & has not yet had the chance to attend classes with my American teacher.
Finally, thank you to {Program Coordinator} Maddie {Geiger}, for your attention, dedication, & for managing such a wonderful & impactful program. I am truly grateful for everything I have learned & experienced.
With gratitude,
J.K.
Learning to Speak with Confidence
Continuing a four-decade tradition, tutors & students gathered this past November for an afternoon celebrating unity, diversity & friendship with an international potluck buffet. Student Ambassador Jana Bovanová was a featured speaker.
Before I lived in the U.S., I lived my whole life in Slovakia, a small country with natural beauty & many castles in the heart of Europe. And it is also in my heart. When we moved to the United States, everything changed. It was a difficult time for me. My husband had his job, & my daughter was busy with school. I was usually home alone, without family, without friends. Everything was new & unknown. I often felt isolated & wondered, how will I manage? I was able to understand simple English & watch movies with subtitles, but I wasn’t comfortable talking with people.
My early shopping experiences were awkward. Most store employees smiled & asked, “How are you?” or “How can I help you?” But I didn’t know what to say or how to answer. You could read on my face: “She is lost.” Sometimes I smiled, but honestly, my only thought was, “I just want to go home as soon as possible!” And sometimes, I wanted to run out of the store like I was escaping from a scary movie!
I learned English by myself, but I knew that I needed real conversations. I was lucky I found a leaflet about VEP at my daughter’s school, & I decided to sign up as a student. I started meeting with my tutor, Martin, twice a week. Little by little, I began to feel more confident speaking with him & with other people.
Later I tried working at Wawa as a cashier. It was a very interesting experience! And now I work for my husband’s company, Promo4Brands, where we help businesses become more visible through promotional products.
I know I will continue learning because I am not perfect & I still make mistakes, but I am proud of myself. I never imagined that I would speak at an event & not in my native language! Today, I am a different person: I attend networking events, & I speak with more confidence.
Thank you to my family for supporting me. And a big thank you to my tutor, Martin, for giving me his time, preparing lessons with helpful notes, & always making learning fun with interesting quizzes. Thank you, VEP, for helping me grow as a person & for opening new doors in my life. Thank you all for everything you do. This program wouldn’t be possible without your kindness, your time, & your effort. You’re helping to create a space where people can learn, grow & feel supported & that’s something truly special.
-Jana Bovanová
JUNE HAMILTON TUTOR OF THE YEAR
Scottish-born Martin McNeil, VEP’s Tutor of the Year, spoke at VEP’s Global Gathering about living & working in France & learning the idiosyncrasies of American English – & how both of these experiences inspired him to become a VEP tutor.
{When I lived in France}, I was lucky, because at work, most of my colleagues could speak English, but outside of work, in my day-to-day life, I had to rely on speaking & understanding French. Going shopping, dealing with plumbers & electricians, getting a haircut, playing soccer– all that had to be done in a language that was not my own. So it very much gave me an appreciation of the challenges that people face when we come to a country & the language is not the one that we’re familiar with.
Then I moved to the United States. Brilliant, I thought. This will make it easy to speak my language. First day, I went to the hardware store, & the assistant came over to help me. I said, I need some polyfiller. He said, What’s that? I said, It’s like a white paste that looks like toothpaste, & you use it to fill holes in the wall before you paint. He says, Spackle. I said, Bless you. He said, No. Spackle. And I’m thinking, You can repeat this word as often as you want. It’s like a foreign language. He brings me the spackle, shows it to me, & sure enough, that’s what I needed.
I learned that in a hardware store, it’s like a completely different language, even for a native English speaker. I learned that I didn’t need a spanner to fix the taps in the bath; I needed a wrench to fix the faucets in the tub.
I go back to my apartment, & the next thing I have to do is arrange for all the insurance. So I called up the company. The agent asked me all the usual questions: What’s your name? Address? All good so far. And then he said, What state is the property in? I said, Pretty good. Actually, there’s a few repairs needed, maybe some paint, maybe some spackle. (I was so happy that I was using my new vocabulary word)!
He says, Very good, sir. Let me ask you the question a different way: is the property in the state of Pennsylvania, New Jersey or Delaware? And I thought, oh, no, I’ve been caught out in that English language trick where we use the same word to mean two different things. In my country, we don’t have the concept of states as part of your address. So this was a cultural change. Even though I knew the language, there are many cultural differences when you move to a new country.
Now, ultimately, my transition was easy compared to what a lot of people have to go through when they move here. I remember in 2017 when Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, & a lot of Puerto Ricans had to move to the mainland U.S. A lot of them ended up in Philadelphia with a need to learn English. I read about this, & I thought, I want to help. That led me to find out about the Volunteer English Program right here in Chester County. So I signed up & became a tutor, & it has honestly been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I think the unique one-to-one model creates a bond between the tutor & the student that goes beyond simply learning a language. We often become part of each other’s lives.
I’ve had some very interesting experiences with my students. You can call them field trips or whatever– but I took one student to a dental surgery where she was under anesthesia most of the time, & then when she woke up, she couldn’t speak. (So it was not the most productive lesson)! I took another student who was having a difficult pregnancy, & we had to go to the hospital, & I was just terrified, in case I was there when the baby was born! I also had the honor of being invited to a citizenship ceremony in Philadelphia with one of my students. 63 immigrants from 42 different countries. It was a wonderful, wonderful occasion if any of you are familiar with it. I’m sure every tutor here has got some similar stories or experiences with your students.
To our students: it’s you who make VEP – without you, the program literally would not exist. Each of you has decided that you want to be the best version of yourself that you can in your new country. You’re learning & improving your English to help integrate better into your communities, & at the same time, you’re sharing your culture with us. So we are honored that you have chosen us to join you in your journey to be part of your lives, in your new country, & to hopefully help you all to achieve your dreams.
-Martin McNeil
PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY
Open Hearth’s Family Savings Partner Program
Open Hearth’s Family Savings Partner Program (FSP) is a financial management assistance program that provides a match of a family’s savings to be used toward the purchase of an asset goal such as a car, post-secondary education, or first home (based on available funding). Saver must be a resident of Montgomery or Chester County & must have an income with adjusted gross income less than 400% of the Federal Poverty Level or the household must qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. Those accepted into the Family Savings Partner Program are required to participate in 8 hours of financial education. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. For more information, click here.
Chester County United Way & Life Transforming Ministries’ VITA Tax Help
For thousands of hardworking families in Chester County, tax season isn’t just about filing forms—it’s about survival. It’s the time of year when access to refunds & credits can mean the difference between financial stability & hardship. Recognizing this critical need, Chester County United Way, in partnership with Life Transforming Ministries (LTM), is proud to offer the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. By providing free tax preparation by IRS-certified volunteers, the VITA program helps residents keep more of their earnings & gain access to essential tax credits, giving them the tools to build a brighter financial future. For more information, click here or call 610-380-9099.
International Friendship Month Social
VEP students, tutors, staff, & board members shared stories, made new connections & enjoyed sweet treats with friends old & new earlier this month in celebration of International Friendship Month. Thank you to St. Francis-in-the-Fields for hosting & to Urban Scoop Exton for their delicious handcrafted ice cream!
FUNDRAISING
Dragonfly Supper Club to Benefit VEP
Chef Matt Stone & Dragonfly Catering will donate a portion of proceeds from their Thursday, March 12th Supper Club. For tickets, click here.
“Our Dragonfly Supper Club series was created to bring the community together around a shared table while highlighting meaningful local causes. Each dinner is seasonal, chef-driven, & intentionally designed to foster connection, & VEP feels like a beautiful fit.
We have a deep connection to the Hispanic community here in Chester County, both personally & through our business. Supporting language access & education feels like one of the most impactful, non-political ways we can uplift & empower our immigrant neighbors. Food has always been our way of building bridges, creating space for understanding, dignity, & shared experience, & partnering with VEP aligns perfectly with that mission.”
-Matt Stone, Dragonfly Catering
Philadelphia Union Raffle
Soccer has a unique way of bringing together people from all over the world, uniting diverse cultures & backgrounds through a shared love of the game. Thank you to everyone who participated in February’s Philadelphia Union Raffle & congratulations to our lucky winner—ticket #5!
Thank you to the Philadelphia Union for generously donating this premier package. Valued at $1,000, the package included admission for four people to their choice of a home game, parking, Primepoint Club Access & Pregame Passes.
Third Annual Virtual Silent Auction
Items are now being considered for donation for our Third Annual Virtual Silent Auction. To submit an item to be reviewed by our auction committee, complete & return this form. Items must be submitted by April 1, 2026.
Bidding opens at 9:00 am on Friday, April 17th & continues through 6:00 pm on Sunday, April 19th.
Visit vepauction26.auctria.events to view our catalog – new items are being added every day!
Sixth Annual Chester County Tennis Open
The Sixth Annual Chester County Tennis Open returns to play on Thursday, August 13th through Sunday, August 16th 2026 at Westtown School in West Chester.
This annual event benefitting VEP & the West Chester Food Cupboard was conceived six years ago by local residents who sought to combine a passion for tennis with a spirit of goodwill, bringing people of all backgrounds together in the spirit of sport for a common good. For more information, visit www.ccopen.org.
BOARD UPDATE
We are excited to welcome four new members to VEP’s Board of Directors: Fred Akl, PhD, PE (VEP Tutor; Dean Emeritus & Professor, School of Engineering, Widener University), Edward Michael Cawley, MBA (VEP Tutor; Semi-retired Consultant, Marketing Analysis & Contract Management for the Commercial Aviation Industry), Lisa A. Hesse, Esq. (VEP Tutor; Independent Attorney), & Myla Kaplan, Esq. (VEP Tutor; Independent Counsel; Retired Corporate US & International Business Attorney).
We wish Mary Vilter, Esq. well as she concluded her term as 1st Vice President of the VEP Board this past December. While we will miss her insight and expertise at the Board level, Mary continues to be a valued tutor & supporter.
THEN AND NOW: CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF VEP
40 years ago, through the passionate work of Mrs. June Hamilton & fourteen community volunteers, the first adult ESL students living in West Chester began their language journey.
These students faced challenges similar to those our students face today: the need to be understood as well as to understand others. VEP’s founders faced the dilemma of how to meet the interests of many while working with limited resources. Hence, the beginning of what would become our hallmark: our volunteers.
From the original fourteen to the nearly 250 volunteers who now serve annually, it is our volunteer tutors who remain the distinguishing feature of VEP’s model for teaching English to speakers of over 45 different languages who live throughout Chester County & the surrounding region.
How We Work
Program staff are our daily “door openers.” Their professional experience as English language teachers, combined with their graciousness in welcoming people from around the world, cannot be overstated. They respond to every student request, bridging language gaps as bilingual speakers & through translators, to ensure that every applicant receives a confidential interview & proficiency assessment.
While it may take several months to match a student with their tutor, we remember everyone. Once active, if a student needs to take a break in weekly instruction, they are considered priority-level participants until they are able to return. This personalized attention to those in need is a distinction of the 1:1, individualized approach.
As a team, we stand on the shoulders of many who have shaped the program, including those who have developed our proprietary research-based Tutor Training Guide. It consistently supports VEP’s interactive, customized training workshops, which ultimately lead to the best outcomes for students. Our tutors, who are themselves lifelong learners, often remark that it seems to be the only place they can find all of this information in one place.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of people have found success in their lives because of the dedication of VEP. The dedication of volunteers & tutors who contribute their wealth of personal & professional experience to students are mission-focused & demonstrate a generosity of spirit that results in years of commitment to the program.
Students themselves are natural ambassadors for the continuity of the program. Even after a student moves on from weekly instruction, they continue to promote the program to relatives, friends, & coworkers. They become mentors for their children & extended family. Taking what they have learned, some teach English within their communities. Others share their skills as new tutors for individuals on VEP’s waiting list. Their interest in giving back speaks volumes.
100% Philanthropically-Supported
VEP’s fundraising efforts have always made it possible to go beyond free instruction. This includes proficiency-level companion books for all tutors & students, online subscriptions that support remote learning, & an ongoing professional network of partners for as long as they remain with the program. For people reestablishing themselves financially, access to these vetted materials is a game-changer. The free books that students receive from VEP are often the first they have ever called their own.
As an independent 501 (c) (3) non-profit, VEP is 100% philanthropically supported. This freedom enables us to remain focused on our mission & to adapt quickly to better serve today’s adult student needs.
As we developed our strategic priorities this year, we considered that there are over 20,000 individuals living in Chester County who reported “they do not speak English well” in the 2020 census. This figure does not include those without access to the survey, or who live outside Chester County but work locally & qualify for participation in VEP. For those who wish to learn English, the VEP approach still remains accessible, affordable, & attainable after 40 years.
We invite you to get involved!
Terri Potrako, Executive Director
GET INVOLVED
At the Volunteer English Program, we witness how English language skills unlock access to opportunity: the ability to choose where to work, where to live, & how best to raise a family. Our students—newcomers from around the world—gain confidence and agency through language. With each lesson, they grow their ability to speak, read, write, & listen in English. This work is not easy. But it is meaningful. And in these times, it is absolutely essential.
Thank you to our supporters who have helped us “say yes” to every student request. Last year, more than 70 new individuals participated in our Tutor Training Workshops & Information Sessions. We are excited to welcome these new friends into the VEP family. We are also grateful to the numerous seasoned tutors who have accepted new students & others who have returned to active service.
Register for a Tutor Training Workshop
VEP’s highly successful virtual, interactive Tutor Training Workshop, using our proprietary training materials, is designed to fully prepare volunteers. Workshops are held several times a year. Materials fee is $40. To participate, register online.
Next Tutor Training Workshop:
March 24th (Tuesday), March 26th (Thursday) & March 30th (Monday), 2026
6 to 8 pm each evening
Attend an Information Session
Interested in learning more but not yet ready to commit? Join us for a virtual, interactive information session led by our program staff. Sessions are held several times a year. Email us for more information or join our mailing list for future invitations.
WITH APPRECIATION
We are grateful to all who support VEP through our various fundraising activities.
The Philadelphia Mandolin and Guitar Ensemble performed during our Evening Around the World fundraising gala this past October. Click here to enjoy the video provided by Bozekin Creative/Productions.
Congratulations to our fall Eagles Raffle Ticket winners, Cecilia & Marco De Freitas! Thank you to the Philadelphia Eagles, Kreston Wines & Craig Loundas for their generous contributions.