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ILI

The International Language Institute of Massachusetts (ILI) promotes intercultural understanding and diverse communities by providing high-quality language instruction and teacher training.

You are here: Home / News / LISTEN UP: #VoicesOfILI is here!

February 24, 2020

LISTEN UP: #VoicesOfILI is here!

LISTEN UP: #VoicesOfILI is here!

ILI’s FIRST inspiring voice is that of Amy Ben-Ezra!

This new initiative is brought to you by our Social Media Intern, Payton Wright.  Payton is a Business Administration in Marketing major at UMASS Amherst.


Amy Ben-Ezra

Before moving out to the farm covered, home grown countryside that is Northampton, Amy was born and raised in Philadelphia. High school gave her a glimpse of the world as she spent five weeks studying French right in France. She headed off to college in Binghamton, NY and attended the State University of New York where she spent a semester studying at the University of Costa Rica.

At ILI, Amy wears many hats.

She acts as the school’s social worker, volunteer tutor program coordinator, home stay program coordinator, and helps with fundraising whenever needed! What is even more impressive than the extensive list of services she provides? In my opinion, it’s how she landed the job (or jobs). When Amy found herself feeling burnt out from the social work she was doing, her sister-in-law asked her a very existential question: “When were you the happiest?” Amy’s mind took her to all the world experiences she had from small language schools in Mexico, to home stays in France and Costa Rica, some of the happiest times of her life were spent in other countries studying languages. This is when Amy was introduced to ILI.

Amy was offered a six-month 20 hour/week volunteer position at ILI and decided to take the risk. Six months later she was offered a job, that was thirteen years ago! Amy says that her absolute favorite part about working at ILI is the positive environment and stresses that people want to be here, which makes work infinitely more enjoyable! Every day she is exposed to international culture and meets people from all over the world who always have something to share and learn from.

Outside of ILI

Amy enjoys spending free time solving crossword puzzles, interior designing, and listening to all types of music (minus pop and most classical pieces). Although she loves and appreciates all types of world music, some of her favorites are blue-grass, jazz, and folk. She has even attended multiple music festivals including the Newport Jazz Festival, Rhythm & Roots Festival, Green River Festival, Grey Fox Music Festival and more!

Thank you for all you do for ILI Amy, keep rockin’!

Follow this series on Instagram with the tag #VoicesOfILI.

Article by ILI Staff / News

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  • Massachusetts State Senator Jo Comerford visits ILI October 17, 2022

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ILI on Instagram

Students in ILI’s Intensive English Program visi Students in ILI’s Intensive English Program visited the Northampton Police station yesterday. Students asked Officer Lauren Bolduc questions about topics from animal control to traffic to violent crime to the job of a cop. The tour took us to every corner of the station from the detention center to the evidence room to Chief Jody D. Kasper in her office. Thanks NPD for an unforgettable experience. ⭐️

#ili #internationallanguageinstitute #massachusetts #northampton #northamptonpd @northamptonmapd #studentlife #iep #intensiveenglishprogram #english #languagelearning #community #ialc #ialcschools
Congratulations to new U.S. citizen Ayça! ✨ Ori Congratulations to new U.S. citizen Ayça! ✨ Originally from Turkey, Ayça studied with us in 2016 and then received a Master’s in Communications and Information Management at @bay_path (ILI university pathway partner). Now she is Director of Marketing and Communications at the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley. 

#ili #internationallanguageinstitute #congratulations #studentlife #congratulations #citizenship #northampton
“Music is the universal language of mankind.” “Music is the universal language of mankind.”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

ILI English and French instructor, Josh Owsley is also a musician! He will be playing bass with @landownerband tonight at @thedrakeamherst . 🎶Hope to see you there!

📸Photo by @vagabundodeltiempo 

#ili #internationallanguageinstitute #massachusetts #northampton #landowner #livemusic #teacherfeature #thedrakeamherst  #community
Congratulations 🎉 to our graduates  Jeffrey ( Congratulations 🎉 to our graduates  Jeffrey (Peru), Azhar (Kazakhstan), Ruveyda (Turkey), Andrei (Russia) and Yasemin (Turkey). Every month we have an international potluck to celebrate our graduates. You might have seen Azhar’s cakes before, but the cake that she made, as you will say, is truly over the top! We are sad to say goodbye to the students, but excited about the next steps that they will be taking in their lives.

Cake by @_azhar_bakery 

#ili #internationallanguageinstitute #massachusetts #northampton #studentlife #azharbakery #potluck #education #internationalstudents #ialc #ialclanguages
“We must risk everything for the raw recipe of o “We must risk everything for the raw recipe of our passion” 

We had such an engaging afternoon at @parlorroommusic with ILI Board Member + former president of @gccgreenfield Bob Pura. Bob led a reading and discussion of his new book The Community’s College: The Pursuit of Democracy, Economic Development, and Success, which he co-wrote with Dr. Tara L. Parker. Audience members also got the chance to learn more about the process behind the creation of the book. 

Thank you for joining us! 📚

#ili #internationallanguageinstitute #massachusetts #bobpura #authorevent #reading #discussion #communitycollege #thecommunityscollege #northampton
Today Bob Pura and Tara Parker read from and lead Today Bob Pura and Tara Parker read from and lead a discussion of their book The Community’s College: The Pursuit of Democracy, Economic Development, and Success! 📚 Join us at @parlorroommusic at 2pm. 

In their book, The Community’s College: The Pursuit of Democracy, Economic Development, and Success, co-authors Dr. Robert L. Pura and Dr. Tara L. Parker explore the extraordinary impact of this country’s community colleges on people, communities, and our democratic traditions.

As the book’s foreword by Lynn Pasquerella, President of the American Association of Colleges and Universities, states: "[T]he analysis offered by Dr. Pura and Dr. Parker unveils how community colleges—distinctively American institutions—are more essential than ever to fulfilling our nation's historic mission of educating for democracy."

Pura, a member of the ILI board of directors, retired in 2018 as president of Greenfield Community College after 17+ years in that position. Parker is the recently appointed Dean of the College of Education and Human Development at UMass Boston.
 
#thecommunityscollege #authorevent #ili #bobpura #taraparker #theparlorroom #northampton #community
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