English Language Learner Mentorship Program

Mouchefa Batcha senior student mentoring a fellow classmate

By: Lia Bradley, ELL Instructor at DHS

The Dickinson High School (DHS) English Language Learner (ELL) program prepares students to speak English as quickly and proficiently as possible to excel academically and partake in social activities. DHS currently has 42 students in the ELL program, and it's estimated that roughly 1/4 of all students in public schools by 2025 will be ELLs.

The DHS ELL students have been mentoring their peers, and it has turned out to be the beginning of an ELL peer mentoring program. Coming to a different country can be very intimidating to young people and having someone from their own age group show them around and be friends can be helpful and encouraging.

Student mentors have helped the ELL program tremendously because of the growing numbers. Sophomore Erika Paiz has been mentoring Larry Duarte, and Mouchefa Batcha, a senior at DHS, has been mentoring Francis Kodua, Genesis Nicaragua, and Helen Fernandez. Both girls are exemplary students. Mouchefa is the president of the DHS International Student Organization and a National Honor’s Society member. She is also in the nursing program. We are off to a great start and hope this continues for many years to come. 

In the following paragraphs, you can read a little about Mouchefa’s and Erika’s stories and learn why they enjoy being mentors to their peers.

Mouchefa Batcha is a 17-year-old senior from TOGO, a small country in West Africa. She moved to the United States in 2018 and lived in Aurora, Colorado for a year before moving to North Dakota in 2019. She shares, “When I first got to the United States, I had no knowledge of English, although, in my previous school, they taught us some English, it wasn't efficient as we use French in every subject. I was put into the ELL program at my middle school in Colorado. We all learned to read, write, and speak in English. By the end of the first quarter of the year, I begin to adapt to the environment and catch some words of English and even write a paragraph. At the end of the year, I got the Excellency Award in English.
When I moved here to Dickinson, North Dakota, I met Mrs. Bradley as my adviser. In my sophomore year, she became the ELL instructor. I was close to her, as she helped me to figure out any problem that I had. She gathered all the international students and helped them with any help they needed. This year she organized the ELL Mentorship program. Since the group is enlarging and the school has become more diverse with students from different countries, we thought it was time to help the incoming students.
On January 17th, 2023, the mentorship program began. I was Mentoring a new student named Francis Kodua, who I got to know while mentoring him. He likes soccer and is a good student. I helped him get into the DHS soccer team, and they will start in August of 2023. I also help Genesis Nicaragua and Helen Fernandez with their conversational skills as we sit around the table having informal conversations. I have gotten to meet all the new students from all different countries and learn about those countries. Unfortunately, this is my last year of high school, as I am graduating in March of 2023. I really had a good time here in Dickinson High School, and with Mrs. Bradley by my side, it was an even better experience. I don't know how to thank her for all her support and her everyday encouragement. She taught me how to get out of my comfort zone and start something that will remain in this school. I hope this continues for many years to come."

Erika Paiz Beltran comes from a beautiful country called Guatemala and arrived in the United States when she was 15. She shares, "My experience in the first year of school was a bit frustrating since I didn't know any English and I only had myself. I remember that I was a young girl in the middle of a big school, knocking door to door to find my first class. I felt very afraid and wanted to find someone who would help me since all the children just looked at me and laughed. When I finally found my classes, I felt more comfortable at school. With a little help in my English classes, I was able to express myself a little more. I stopped feeling "weird" and this motivated me to want to help other students. No matter if it was a girl or a boy, I felt very good when I started helping other students because I knew that they would not go through the same thing that I went through."

I hope with these stories you have learned about these two remarkable young ladies who have proven themselves to be great examples for the other newcomer ELL students. We’re very excited about the ELL mentorship program at DHS, looking into the future as families from different countries migrate to this area.