ESL100 Spring 2026

  Santiago Ulloa  ESL-100 CE From comfort zone to new life Living in the United States has been one of my favorite periods of my life. When I was ten years old, I used to talk with my mother about this country because she lived here around six years. When she was in the United States, she used to show me the streets of Chicago always that we were in videocalls, the big and beautiful buildings downtown, and I remember she always told me that I was going to be here in The United States one day. Since I was in school in Acacias, my hometown in Colombia, I remember some classmates asked me questions about my future and where I was going to study. I always said to my friends and classmates that I was going to go to Chicago because I wanted to study there. Three years ago, when the idea of coming to Chicago became real, I did not even know how to say a sentence in English. When I finished high school, I decided to go to an English academic for some months.  As a result, moving ...

Qiting He           My parents often tell me  that  the United States  is a nice country ,  and people can do anything they want  here . I believe th is  is a fact ,  even  if  I cannot do  everything   I  want  now. After coming to the United Stat es  in  2024 , my  normal life has changed  because l iving in a new country mean t  many new challenges for me. I have lived in Chicago  for  almost two years, but I  am  still tr ying   t o adapt  to  my life.  Over time, my social habits have gradually changed, and I have become more independent.  Chinatown Station, Chicago       When I arrived  in  Chicago,  I realized that one habit I brought from my home culture was spending weekends with friends.  W hen I was in college in China ,  I went out with my friends every weekend .  Some...

  Wei Li ESL 100 Feb 4, 2026 Second Life                 Life is not always on one constant path, and neither are people.  I realized this because I came to United States and have been living here for one and a half years.  My life was originally the same as so many students in China before I came to the U.S., and my thinking was also boring.  Talking classes, working hard, and getting a nice job were the rules that I always followed in China.  Everything was planned for me, and every student who was born in a t ypic al family.  Nevertheless, since I came to the United States, I have had chance to have a second life.               “Do your business and don’t care about others” were words that I always heard from teachers or parents when I lived in China.  Because of this, I was just focused on myself and did not care about people who were around me in high school.  H...

                                                                            The meaning of my name  My name is Nomindari, and my father gave me this name. When I was a child, I didn’t like my name because it sounded too harsh. I thought it was a hard name for a girl. When people called me, I felt uncomfortable, and I wished I had a softer name. As I grew up, I began to understand the meaning of my name. People started to say, “Wow, that is a beautiful name.” Now, my name doesn’t sound harsh anymore. It sounds feminine and strong. It makes me feel confident and proud of who I am. My name is a combination of two words, and it has a special meaning in Buddhism and Mongolian culture. “Nomin” means blue or green and can also mean something precious, like a diamond....

                My  name   is   Aliaksandra ,  and  I  am   very   proud   that   my   mother   gave   me   this   name . I  think   Aliaksandra   is   a  very   strong   and   beautiful   name   that   is   popular   in   every   countries .  Originally ,  Aliaksandra   is  a  Greek   name ,  but   it   is   very   common   in   Slavic   countries   because   many   queens   and   kings     had   this   name . My  mom   named   me   Aliaksandra   because   it   sounds   intelligent   and   beautiful   to   her .   I  am   from  Belarus  and   in   my   country   we   have  ...