Meet Ana

When I first came to Ozark Literacy Council, I thought there must have been a mistake. I am a native of Spain working as a neurology researcher at the University of Arkansas and I wanted to improve my speaking and writing skills because English is the language of science. OLC’s program matched my needs, but how could they be free of charge, I wondered?

It was a great surprise. When I came here the first time and learned about all the activities and levels, I thought I didn’t understand. It is so open and flexible. It is an amazing opportunity.

I arrived in Fayetteville in March and will spend a year at the university working with physical therapy researchers. The project’s goal is to create implantable technology that would establish sensation in prosthetic limbs, allowing amputees and stroke victims to lead more independent lives. We want to be able to stimulate the nerves for feelings. It’s a long way off and we have to do a lot of experiments.

I studied English in school, but I had not used it daily until arriving in the U.S. I found OLC through a referral from the University of Arkansas’ International Students and Scholars program. After taking class for a few months, I am something of an OLC ambassador, talking about OLC to everyone!