MCAEL Advisory Group Spotlight: Pam Wilbur

May 20, 2022

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

My name is Pam Wilbur. I grew up in Massachusetts and have lived in Maryland for the last 30 years. I spent 15 years working on trade issues for the federal government and left the workforce for several years to raise my son. When he reached school age, I started to volunteer in our church’s ESOL program. Over a short period of time the program grew rapidly, and this led to a new job as the program’s director. 


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

I am the program director for Covenant Life Church’s ESOL program. We hold English classes at South Lake Elementary School in Gaithersburg, and teach classes to SLES parents and other community members that live close to the school. Covenant Life has been teaching English classes at SLES for the last 9 years, and our volunteers have taught over 1300 students in that time. I am not an ESOL teacher, but rather serve as the manager and “details” person for our program.  


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

Our teachers had no experience – zero, zip, nada! - with online teaching prior to the Covid lockdowns. Some of our volunteer teachers were very, very hesitant to continue teaching their classes using Zoom. But I was amazed and encouraged by the ones who said “yes” to tackling Zoom and taking on this big new challenge. And they were successful! - teaching 127 students online in the FY21 school year. We count this as a big success for the program and for our students. Also, the pandemic, and the move to online teaching, allowed us to teach and continue relationships with students who had moved out of the area. Students and teachers got a lot of joy from this, and were very grateful for this unexpected benefit in a difficult time.  


What role do you play in MAG?

As a member of the MAG, I serve on the Conference Planning Committee, helping to plan the upcoming MCAEL conference, and on the Learner Leadership Advisory Group Committee.


What do you find most rewarding about your work?

As a church-based ESOL program, we have the opportunity to show “faith-in-action” by welcoming and serving the “stranger” in our midst (which is how some bible translations refer to immigrants). It is very rewarding to have the opportunity to express my faith through service and to work alongside our group of volunteer teachers and assistants.  It has also been very rewarding to watch our students struggle, learn, and then succeed. We have had the opportunity to see students put their English skills to good use, getting better jobs because of improved English, working out problems with landlords and employers, and becoming U.S. citizens.  


What brings you joy outside of your professional life?

I have a husband and 19-year-old son and they bring me a lot of joy. We enjoy traveling together. We are also committed Star Wars and Marvel nerds. I am also a photography hobbyist and love getting the perfect shot. Finally, I took up making paper flowers during our COVID lockdowns, which I enjoy very much and find both challenging and relaxing.  

Fiona Glade Joins MCAEL’s Board of Directors

By MCAEL • January 29, 2026
MCAEL is delighted to welcome Fiona Glade to the Board of Directors. Currently interim dean of the Honors College at Montgomery College, Fiona started her career in higher education more than twenty years ago. Since joining the Montgomery College community six years ago, she has led the department of English Language for Academic Purposes, Communication Studies, and Linguistics; directed the Paul Peck Humanities Institute; and served as interim Campus Dean of Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus. She previously served as Assistant Provost at the University of Baltimore, and prior to that as Associate Professor and Vice Chair at the California State University, Sacramento, where she taught undergraduate composition and writing-in-the-disciplines courses as well as graduate courses in the theory and practice of composition, rhetoric, second language reading and writing, and pedagogy. A first-generation college student and immigrant to the United States, Fiona earned her A.A. in English from Antelope Valley Community College; her B.A. in English from the University of California at Santa Barbara; and her M.A. and her Ph.D., with distinction, in Rhetoric and Composition from Washington State University. Fiona believes passionately in the capacity of higher education to be transformative, and she remains fiercely committed to access, high quality, and affordability. She is proud to have spent her career serving students, faculty, and staff at public institutions, where her highest priority is to contribute to academic excellence and lifelong learning, and to support students’ achievement of the goals they have set for their own education pathways. She is excited to continue her work in this area, now as a member of the MCAEL Board. Fiona lives in Silver Spring with her husband, Walt, and their tiny chihuahua, Wilson. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, and volunteering. ๏ปฟ

Executive Director Spotlight: Where Does Language Fit in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs?

By Gerard Etienne • January 21, 2026
Learning English changes lives. You’ll hear me say this over and over again because it’s true. But recently, something occurred to me that illustrates clearly why. A few months ago , I attended an event organized by the City of Rockville and participated in a group discussion with leaders from other organizations. We talked about how challenging it can be to address the needs of the people we collectively serve. I mentioned that needs can vary greatly, based on each person's specific situation (housing instability, childcare, computer literacy, language, and so on) and that sometimes, these needs must be addressed in a particular order, before progress can be made. This instantly reminded me of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs – the theory proposed by Abraham Maslow in the 1940s that organizes human needs into five levels. Maslow's model suggests that people must meet lower-level needs before moving on to higher-level ones, starting with basic physiological needs (food, water, shelter), then safety, belonging, esteem, and finally, at the top, self-actualization. As I thought more about it, I realized that without language – without the ability to communicate effectively with those around you – it becomes much harder to move up that pyramid. Take “safety needs,” for example, which includes employment, health, and security: how much harder is it to obtain a well-paying job and financial security, or navigate daily life confidently, without a strong command of the language? Or consider “belonging”: how connected to their community can someone feel if they struggle to communicate with neighbors, teachers, or coworkers? And if these needs are harder to meet, then self-actualization – the top of the pyramid, that sense of fulfillment and purpose that comes from realizing one’s potential – becomes ever further out of reach. This is why learning English changes lives. It opens the door to progress at every level of Maslow’s hierarchy, from meeting basic needs to achieving personal goals and dreams. Without that access, people may struggle to move beyond the lower levels of the pyramid. Of course, there are exceptions – language alone does not define one’s path to fulfillment. But for many, learning English greatly increases their chances of reaching higher, of feeling secure, connected, and empowered.

Executive Director's Spotlight: Fear in Our Community

By Gerard Etienne • November 24, 2025
Recently, a colleague of mine shared a story from one of the ESOL classes he teaches. A learner told him that every time he leaves his home, he looks out of his window to make sure there aren’t any vehicles nearby that might be ICE. Every day, he has to scan for signs of danger before stepping outside. And that’s just one story. I’ve also heard reports that people who are in the US legally, including American citizens, are carrying their documentation with them every day in case they are racially profiled and targeted by ICE agents. This should give everyone pause. Imagine looking out your own window every morning, not to check the weather or to see if the bus is coming, but to make sure it’s safe to go outside. Imagine carrying that fear while trying to earn a living, care for your family, or simply pick up a loaf of bread and some eggs. No one should have to live that way – especially in a community that prides itself on being welcoming and inclusive. Yet for some of our neighbors, this fear has become part of daily life. It shapes whether they go to work, attend classes, or let their children walk to the bus stop. For those of us working in adult ESOL, it’s a reminder that learning English is never just about vocabulary or grammar. It’s about safety, belonging, and the ability to move through the world without fear. When someone decides to come to class, they’re not just learning a language – they’re choosing hope over fear. When we talk about supporting English learners, we’re really talking about supporting our neighbors’ right to live with dignity and to participate fully in community life. We may not be able to change every policy, but we can make sure that every classroom, every program, and every interaction reminds people that they belong and are welcome here.