AWC San Luis students invite public to attend Multilingual Student Expo on Monday

SAN LUIS – English Composition students at Arizona Western College’s San Luis Learning Center (SLLC) are inviting the community to attend a Multilingual Student Expo on Monday, Oct. 11 from 3–4:30 p.m at SLLC’s Multi-Purpose Room 104 in San Luis, Ariz.

The expo is being presented by multilingual students in Dr. Sara Amani’s First-Year Composition II (ENG-108) and Freshman Composition II (ENG-102) courses. Meant to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, the students hope to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity at AWC’s campuses.

“AWC is very proud to be a Hispanic Serving Institute and recognizes the richness of the cultural identity that runs deep within our students,” said Amani, who is a professor of Multilingual Composition Specialist.

With cultural identity a key theme, students will be presenting on topics such as: the benefits of multilingualism; challenges of changing attitudes towards learning multiple languages; multilingual students’ expectations from AWC faculty and staff; and ways multilingualism and multiculturalism can be further embraced at AWC.

AWC’s press release on the event shared that Amani has worked hard to encourage dialogue on multiculturalism as a means to support her students. Having had to overcome barriers with stereotypical views of Iranians in the U.S., Amani has expressed understanding what it’s like to feel excluded and discriminated against.

“My own experiences have informed my practice of teaching, research, and service,” she said in the release. “Being a minority and belonging to ‘the other’ group has been challenging for me on a personal and professional level, but it has also helped me build a toolkit for empowering my multilingual students who may face similar challenges based on their identity.” With this event, Amani encourages her students to celebrate their cultural and linguistic identities.

“When I learned about my multilingual students’ struggles, I felt obligated to actively encourage them not to surrender to the vast inequities that continue to shape our world,” she said. “I’m here to help celebrate diversity and stay inclusive and tolerant of differences.”

Everyone is invited to attend. For more information, contact Amani at sara.amani@azwestern. edu.

LOANED PHOTO FROM AWC MULTILINGUAL STUDENTS FROM DR. SARA AMANI’S ENG-108 CLASS part of Hispanic Heritage Month at the AWC San Luis Learning Center. on Sept. 16 during a recent salsa contest that was held as