GUS Community Conversations: Diane Portnoy '86 '88
“Know the facts, and spread the facts. Share the stories! You can play a powerful role in changing the narrative around immigration.”
As we work to Mean Well, Speak Well, Do Better, we were honored to welcome special alumni parent and former trustee guest speaker, Diane Portnoy P ’86 ’88, founder and CEO of the Immigrant Learning Center in Malden, MA, and Denzil Mohammed, Director, ILC Public Education Institute for a community conversation this week.
If you missed our webinar, hear Diane’s story of becoming an American citizen and why she founded ILC, the impact ILC is having on the communities it serves, and learn practical ways to become advocates for positive change in the recording above.
Learn more:
About Diane Portnoy: Diane is the winner of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor; the author of “Immigrant Struggles, Immigrant Gifts” which discusses the contributions of 11 immigrant groups in America. She is an expert in the adult education profession, a Massachusetts certified teacher in adult basic education and in grades K-8. She received her BS in Elementary Education from Boston University and her MA in Curriculum and Instruction from Cornell University. She is also the only child of Holocaust survivors from Poland. Learn more.
About Denzil Mohammed: Denzil joined The ILC in 2011 and directs the work of The ILC Public Education Institute including specialized online education, research initiatives with the Institute for Immigration Research, conference presentations and collaborative events that promote immigrants as assets to America. He has a decade of experience in journalism and previously worked for swissnex Boston/Consulate of Switzerland. Denzil has an MS in Global Communications from Northeastern University and a BA in Communication Studies/Literatures in English from University of the West Indies.
About ILC: The Immigrant Learning Center, Inc. (ILC) of Malden, MA, is a not-for-profit organization that gives immigrants a voice in three ways. The English Language Program provides free, year-round English classes to immigrant and refugee adults in Greater Boston to help them become successful workers, parents and community members. The Public Education Institute informs Americans about the economic and social contributions of immigrants in our society, and the Institute for Immigration Research, a joint venture with George Mason University, conducts research on the economic contributions of immigrants.