Article by Sarah Whitesel, ORMC Graduate Assistant | January 6, 2020
At the start of a new year and a new decade, we find ourselves full of anticipation for what the future will bring. Yet, we also take time pause and remember the past year, which was full of special moments.
ELI Turns 40
One of the biggest causes for celebration in 2019 was the ELI’s 40th anniversary. During the year, we held alumni celebrations in New York City, Bogota, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo, and Newark, DE. We were so glad to reunite with our alumni across the world for these special celebrations.
Full albums for each event are available here.
A Festival of Nations
In November, our current students brought the world to Newark with our annual Festival of Nations event, where participants in the fashion and talent shows dazzled the audience with color and movement.
A full album of the 2019 Festival of Nations event is available here.
Special Groups
Throughout the year, we were happy to welcome special groups from our international partner universities. This year’s special groups included Panama Bilingue, Proyecta 100mil, Seinan Gakuin University, Hiroshima Institute of Technology, Nakamura Gakuen University, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Keimyung University, Language Adventure USA, Nagasaki University, Teikyo University, Soka University, Chukyo University, Kobe Shoin Women’s University, Khabrat, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and the Saudi Arabian Basic Industries Corporation.
Celebrate Good Times
During every session of the past year, travel and celebration were also important themes. Whether it was trips to NYC or Washington DC or any of the ELI-hosted holiday and seasonal celebrations, such as the dance party pictured here, our students arrived ready to celebrate and make a their sessions extra memorable.
Saying Goodbye
We also had to say some sad goodbyes in 2019. Nadia Redman, Assistant Director, Office of Recruitment, Marketing & Communications, and Anne-Claire Frank-Seisay, ELI Housing Coordinator, both left the ELI late in the year for new opportunities. Others who left the ELI in 2019 include Krista Urbaniak, Stephen Roberts, Emily Thayer, Mikie Sarmiento, Kathy Vodvarka, Lizzy Lee, Melora Davis, and Elaine Weeks-Trueblood, who passed in October. Many thanks to each one for their contributions to the ELI throughout the years.