Stories to Remember. Marcela Pop is in her first year of teaching ESL at Bellevue College after receiving her Master’s degree in TESL(Teaching English-as-a-Second Language) at Seattle Pacific University in 2008. Marcela teaches immigrants and refugees at the highest level of Adult Basic Education/ESL classes, level 6. Students in her class have enough English to communicate fluently in most situations and hold a job if they choose. After completing this level of English, many are able to move into higher levels of English composition and credit classes. Marcela immigrated herself from Romania ten years ago. She likes the opportunities available in this country but misses her friends and relatives from home. When she first came here, driving was a big problem. She was not used to everyone going so fast. She came to the U.S. because of her husband, but now feels comfortable here. She wants to live a healthy life and give her children the best education that she can. She also wants to get her citizenship. Marcela is a passionate and caring teacher who inspires her students to reach challenging goals….like making movies!

Twelve of Marcela's ESL students at Bellevue College completed a digital moviemaking project in iMovie HD with their own stories. Click on the right to watch their movies. But first, watch Marcela's movie.