Meet Karen Menichelli, Benton Foundation program liaison

A friend who teaches ESL at a local middle school often tells me of the struggles and triumphs of her students in learning a new language, new subject matter, and new social skills in an atmosphere of financial hardship and legal uncertainty. The economic crisis has hit these young immigrants particularly hard. Recently a counselor exploring why a bright immigrant student’s grades had suddenly plummeted discovered that his mother lost her job, and the only meals her children were consistently getting were free meals at school. Neighbors are trying to figure ways of helping identify and resolve these hidden tragedies.

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My family's annual visits to Maui (granted, it’s now in the US) have impressed me above all with the sacred spirit of nature and the land and ocean as being in our trust. Under the belief of the Hawaiian natives, we don’t own the earth, we are joint caretakers – we share and protect it for future generations. I’d like to see that spirit inform and drive our policies on the environment.

Topics: New Routes Leaders