MCAEL Advisory Group Spotlight: Cindy Newland

February 22, 2022

Tell us a little about yourself and what was your entry point into Adult ESOL.

I am originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, but didn’t grow up there.  As a young child, I moved around the world with my family as diplomats. I have lived in Thailand, Venezuela, Mexico, Bolivia, and the United States.  I learned to speak Spanish while living in various Spanish-speaking countries.  After receiving my BBA in Business Management from Howard University I found my love of teaching English when I volunteered teaching ESOL to adults after work.  A few years later, after my first daughter was born, I decided to leave my job as a Senior Sales Manager at a large drug science organization and pursued teaching regularly. I taught every level from literacy to advanced. After teaching ESOL for close to 14 years, I became the program coordinator at Sheppard Pratt’s Linkages to Learning English Literacy Program.


Where are you now teaching (or working as an ESOL provider) (at what levels and for which organizations)?

I stopped teaching ESOL a couple of years ago when I started working as a full-time program coordinator. However, through my connections from teaching ESOL, I was offered the opportunity to help immigrant students gain their citizenship. In 2018, I began teaching citizenship classes for Montgomery County and have helped countless number of students become U.S. citizens.


What unexpected successes or previously unknown capabilities have you and the learners you serve experienced during the pandemic?

When the pandemic happened, we were forced to transition in person classes to virtual only.  I for one, wasn’t familiar with online platforms, but quickly learned how to use them. It was difficult for our teachers as well as learners to navigating classes online. I thought this was the end of our program. But to my surprise the opposite happened. Online registration and surveys were easier for our students to use. Our registration numbers almost doubled, our students and teachers love the convenience of online classes, and our approval ratings increased. Teaching virtually, at least in some part, is the future and we will continue to do so.


What role do you play in MAG [committees, roles]?

I am new to MAG. I am still learning my role, but I hope to work with others on my committee to find better ways to keep students engaged and motivated to attend class, educate them online, and help them achieve their personal goals.


What do you find most rewarding about your work?

The most rewarding part of my job is seeing how our ESOL classes touch and change the lives of our students. Hearing success stories from students how learning English has given them their confidence and independence back. They found financial independence with better paying jobs; social independence because they can write notes to teachers, ride the Metro, or connecting more with their community; and personal independence because they can buy groceries or speak with doctors without their children as interpreters. Learning English has improved lives and brought families closer together. Their successes are the reason I love my job.


What brings you joy outside of your professional life?

I enjoy reading mystery novels or watching a good Who Done It show on TV. I love dancing especially to salsa music.  I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes and I love traveling with my husband and two beautiful daughters.

Tell us a little about yourself and what was your entry point into Adult ESOL.
I am originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, but didn’t grow up there.  As a young child, I moved around the world with my family as diplomats. I have lived in Thailand, Venezuela, Mexico, Bolivia, and the United States.  I learned to speak Spanish while living in various Spanish-speaking countries.  After receiving my BBA in Business Management from Howard University I found my love of teaching English when I volunteered teaching ESOL to adults after work.  A few years later, after my first daughter was born, I decided to leave my job as a Senior Sales Manager at a large drug science organization and pursued teaching regularly. I taught every level from literacy to advanced. After teaching ESOL for close to 14 years, I became the program coordinator at Sheppard Pratt’s Linkages to Learning English Literacy Program.

Where are you now teaching (or working as an ESOL provider) (at what levels and for which organizations)?
I stopped teaching ESOL a couple of years ago when I started working as a full-time program coordinator. However, through my connections from teaching ESOL, I was offered the opportunity to help immigrant students gain their citizenship. In 2018, I began teaching citizenship classes for Montgomery County and have helped countless number of students become U.S. citizens.

What unexpected successes or previously unknown capabilities have you and the learners you serve experienced during the pandemic?
When the pandemic happened, we were forced to transition in person classes to virtual only.  I for one, wasn’t familiar with online platforms, but quickly learned how to use them. It was difficult for our teachers as well as learners to navigating classes online. I thought this was the end of our program. But to my surprise the opposite happened. Online registration and surveys were easier for our students to use. Our registration numbers almost doubled, our students and teachers love the convenience of online classes, and our approval ratings increased. Teaching virtually, at least in some part, is the future and we will continue to do so.

What role do you play in MAG [committees, roles]?
I am new to MAG. I am still learning my role, but I hope to work with others on my committee to find better ways to keep students engaged and motivated to attend class, educate them online, and help them achieve their personal goals.

What do you find most rewarding about your work?
The most rewarding part of my job is seeing how our ESOL classes touch and change the lives of our students. Hearing success stories from students how learning English has given them their confidence and independence back. They found financial independence with better paying jobs; social independence because they can write notes to teachers, ride the Metro, or connecting more with their community; and personal independence because they can buy groceries or speak with doctors without their children as interpreters. Learning English has improved lives and brought families closer together. Their successes are the reason I love my job.

What brings you joy outside of your professional life?
I enjoy reading mystery novels or watching a good Who Done It show on TV. I love dancing especially to salsa music.  I enjoy cooking and trying new recipes and I love traveling with my husband and two beautiful daughters.
 

Still Buzzing About MCAEL’s 11th Annual Spelling Bee

By Emma Starr • May 12, 2026
With the correct spelling of funambulism (noun: the act of walking on a rope between two points elevated from the ground), the Montgomery College Spelling Bee team secured the Honeybee Trophy at MCAEL's 11th Annual Grown-Up Spelling Bee.  The competition was robust, with all five teams demonstrating impressive spelling skills. Along with Montgomery College, this year’s team line-up included Burness, Bethesda Magazine, GBCC NextExecs, and the Rockville Chamber of Commerce. Even the audience proved their prowess, spelling zenzizenzizenzic (noun: a number to the eighth power) during the Audience Spell, with a group of four audience members winning the prize (once they chased down the Bee, who had taken off with it). The event was buzzing with energy and good spirits. At the reception, guests posed in the photo booth and enjoyed refreshments while donning antennae headbands and bee sunglasses. This year’s People, Power, and Potential Award went to two women who were once English language learners themselves. Bibi Mohamed is the force behind the English language program at ISWA (the Islamic Society of the Washington Area). As Program Director, Bibi goes above and beyond to remove learning barriers for women, including childcare, housing and food insecurity, and transportation. Likewise, Milagro Flores, the CEO, Founder, and Executive Director of Mujer Fuerza y Coraje, is focused on women. She started her organization 16 years ago, when she realized that many women were facing the same challenges as she was – “difficulties communicating, limited job opportunities, and a deep fear of speaking with their children’s teachers. Many of us were also afraid to visit the doctor because we could not fully understand what was being said. We felt frustrated, isolated, and, at times, invisible.” Milagro’s words remind us of why adult English language learning is so vital. “We aren’t just supporting English classes,” MCAEL Executive Director Gerard Etienne explained in his remarks at the Spelling Bee. “Learning English is essential to workforce development, economic stability, healthcare access, safety, community connections, equity, mental health, and so much more. So, when adults learn English, the impact extends far beyond the individual – it strengthens and benefits the entire community.

From Learner to Instructor: My Journey with ESOL at ISWA

By MCAEL • March 26, 2026
Story written by Tamana Mehran

MCAEL on TV

By Emma Starr • February 18, 2026
MCAEL Executive Director Gerard Etienne sat down with Cheryl Hawkins of MMCTV’s Solutions to discuss all things MCAEL. Learn out about what MCAEL does, why it’s important, and Gerard’s own experiences as an English language learner. Watch the full 30-minute program by clicking the link above!