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January 2004, Vol. 13, No. 1| Return to Table of Contents
MBL Employees Help Colleagues Transition to Life in the U.S.
Hole to work at one of the village’s scientific institutions, including the MBL. For over a year, MBL employees have helped ease their international colleagues’ transition to American life through volunteering their time as tutors. The informal tutoring program, in place since the fall of 2002, aims to assist MBL foreign nationals with learning to speak and read English. In addition, the tutors help their colleagues with everyday affairs such as setting up a bank account, obtaining a driver’s license, or shopping for groceries. Pat Micks, a Research Assistant in the MBL’s Ecosystems Center has coordinated the effort.
Tutors and their students arrange their own meeting schedules, according to Micks, and typically get together once a week or once every two weeks for six months. Many lasting friendships have been made as a result of the program, she says. “It’s a nice opportunity for employees to get to know not only a new colleague, but a new culture.” MBL employees Linda Amaral Zettler, Debbie Scanlon, Matthew Person, and Laura Reuter have served as tutors in the past.
Micks and Matthew Person, Serials Librarian in the MBL WHOI Library, are members of the WHOI International Committee. The group’s mission is to make internationals at the two labs feel more comfortable and settle into life in Woods Hole, says Micks.
The Committee is currently looking for MBL employee tutors to instruct their MBL colleagues. Experience is not necessary, says Micks, “Tutors don’t need to know a language,” she says, “ they just need to have a willingness to help.” Interested employees are asked to contact Matthew Person at x7345, or <mperson@mbl.edu>.
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