People of MCAEL - Meet Ana Packer

August 10, 2022

It’s MCAEL’s 15 year anniversary, and we’re celebrating with a “People of MCAEL '' series featuring first person insights and photos from some of the wonderful people involved in English language learning in Montgomery County, MD. You’ll find stories here and on  Facebook,  Instagram,  LinkedIn, and  Twitter; please share and use our hashtag #MCAEL15. We know this coalition thrives because of committed people like you; thank you!

Today we’re introducing our seventh profile:  Ana Packer .

“I tell my students how I felt when I started learning English: it was like wearing high heels, I wanted to take them off right away and be comfortable. Some of my students want to switch right back to Spanish. I understand, but they need to stick with it, practice. It’s a long journey, not months, or one year. They’ll get it!


I can see how Montgomery County had evolved as a more diverse and inclusive society. As an immigrant who came 30 years ago, people were not always patient when I was learning. My first English words were useful ones: please, help, and I don’t know. If I see someone struggling to communicate in a store, I always offer to help. I remember.


The teachers were not well paid in Peru, so I chose to study economics. Then I switched to Sacred Heart University and heard from the different professionals there and thought, I want to be a teacher, that is my path. 


In America I opened a home childcare; I also got my Master’s in Special Education from Towson University. Right after I finished I was wondering what was next, and four new children enrolled. One was my miracle baby with Joubert syndrome who learned to walk at age 3. I knew I was supposed to be there. 


Cecilia Rojas wanted me to teach English to adults at the Community Reach LOP program. I said I would volunteer and I really liked it—there was such a nice community there. After a year I said yes to a position and then COVID hit less than a month later. It was so hard during COVID; many people lost family members. We went to Zoom and I was unsure, I’m not so tech savvy. But then we went to a MCAEL workshop and you realize everyone is in the same position, we are all learning. Now we can all use it, and I can connect with family in Peru over Zoom! I’m on a MCAEL advisory group now.

After Spanish mass the church members gather and bring food, like tamales, pupusas and dishes from their home countries. We don’t have tortillas in Peru—if I’m bringing something it might be causa rellena, a traditional Peruvian dish that’s layers of potatoes and chicken salad. I have a prayer group with some members from Brazil, so I understand some Portuguese now.  

While the adult learners are trying to learn English, the little ones at childcare want to learn Spanish. They ask me ‘Miss Ana how do you say this in Spanish?’ One of their favorite words is gracias.”

As told to Kristin O'Keefe

Executive Director Spotlight: Channeling Frustration into Purpose

By Gerard Etienne • July 23, 2026
Over the past several months, I’ve found myself avoiding the news, not because I don’t care—quite the contrary—but because the sheer volume and constant stream of “bad” news can feel overwhelming. It’s easy to feel exhausted and frustrated by problems that seem far bigger than any one person can solve. When I’m in that place, I try to remind myself that the work that my team and I do every day, the work that the nonprofit community does in MoCo—which is fundamentally about helping others—is a way to combat the harmful impact of what we see happening in the news and in our community. I may not be able to solve every problem or change harmful policies, but I can choose how I respond. I can help a neighbor, donate my time, work for a cause, advocate for someone, or support my community. Those actions may seem small, but I know for a fact that they can matter a great deal to the people receiving them. And I know they mean a great deal to me.  Helping others doesn’t solve everything, nor does it make the world’s problems disappear. But it can help to channel frustration into purpose. Even if we can’t control all that is happening, we can still have a positive impact on the people around us and on our community.

2026 MAACCE Conference

By MCAEL • June 24, 2026
Last month, MCAEL sponsored three adult ESOL professionals from the coalition to attend the Maryland Association for Adult, Community and Continuing Education (MAACCE) 2026 Conference. Centered around the theme, Empowering Communities Through Education: Empowering People Where They Are, the conference brought together adult education professionals from across Maryland for workshops, resource sharing, networking, and professional learning. Anieta from Gaithersburg Beloved Community Initiative (GBCI) particularly enjoyed a session on scenario-based problem solving. The session "emphasized the importance of going beyond grammar and helping students become problem solvers—giving them opportunities to find their voice and advocate for themselves. This is something I am excited to continue building into my classroom." For Tanya from Identity, a standout session was Invisible Luggage: Leading with Emotional Intelligence, Not Emotional Weight. "The workshop emphasized that everyone—clients, teachers, staff—carries some form of emotional baggage, whether it’s a carry-on, a checked bag, or a whole conveyor belt. It began by prompting us to reflect on our own emotional “luggage” with the question: 'What emotional weight are you carrying right now, and has it been making decisions for you without your permission?' The concepts introduced shifted many participants’ perspectives.” Tanya appreciated the reminder that while learners and colleagues may share parts of their stories, much of what they carry remains unseen. The session reinforced the importance of approaching others with empathy and understanding.  MCAEL is grateful for opportunities to support adult ESOL professionals in accessing continuous professional development and bringing back new ideas, resources, and perspectives to their programs and the coalition.

Executive Director Spotlight: My First Year

By Gerard Etienne • June 24, 2026
It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a year since I arrived at MCAEL as Executive Director. Time has flown by in the best way possible — a sign that I’ve been fully invested in the work. I could write a 20-page essay on what I learned and observed this past year, but I won’t do that to you! Here are a few thoughts from year one: I’m happy to be past the initial learning curve! Starting any job with this level of responsibility can feel daunting and overwhelming at times. While there is no question I still have plenty to learn (I always will), I no longer feel like the “new guy". And that feels good. Managing a coalition of ESOL organizations can be challenging, particularly when needs can vary greatly from one organization to another. The upside is that our relationship with coalition partners is collaborative, constructive, and supportive. Everyone is working toward the same goal, even if the path sometimes looks different. One of my favorite parts of the job is attending community and coalition partner events, especially ESOL graduations. These events help me stay connected to the people behind our work. They also remind me of what it was like to arrive in this country not speaking English and how limiting that was. Every graduation is a reminder of why MCAEL’s mission matters and why we should never take it for granted. Thinking back to arriving in the United States without English, I still have moments when I can’t quite believe that I am leading an organization like MCAEL. My path here was anything but straightforward, and I feel a great deal of gratitude for every challenge, every opportunity, and all the people who helped me along the way. As I look forward to the coming year, I know I am in the right place doing work that is very meaningful to me and that I am proud of. The next fiscal year will undoubtedly bring more challenges, but with an exceptional staff, a supportive and engaged board of directors, and a cohesive coalition, we have a strong foundation to meet them.