Although many of us are happy an early spring is coming, this winter showed one of ILI’s students his first snowfall!
This week’s #VoicesOfILI comes from the Dominican Republic. Felix Frias is a student in the Intensive English Program and a proud recipient of the Dean’s Beans scholarship. Since his time here at ILI started in December 2019, Felix has grown very comfortable in the environment ILI provides. He feels safe to learn in a place that embraces cultural diversity and has even extended the boundaries of the classroom to learn from his peers, such as how to say “Hello” in Japanese and Korean!
Back home Felix lives with his parents and two older brothers. Together, they attend church every Sunday. A basketball and baseball player himself, Felix brings his love for these sports with him. He is a fan of Boston sports just like the locals as he cheers on the Celtics – especially Kemba Walker and Jason Tatum, and he hopes to make it to TD Garden for a game!
Felix came to ILI to improve his English and communicate better with people that live here. In the Dominican Republic, Felix studies medicine and plans to further his education at UMass Amherst so he can become a doctor specializing in cardiology to fulfill his dream of helping others. He spends lots of time in the Forbes Library next to ILI and has visited Holyoke Hospital which he left very impressed! This use of free time is a great testament to Felix’s dedication to his goals!
Good luck with all you will accomplish in the future Felix, your hard-working and caring voice is one that ILI is proud of!