A Hero Who Speaks The Language of Compassion

The Statue of Liberty stands tall in the New York Harbor, still broadcasting a simple but important message. “Welcome.” But in the last few years, that nation-defining message has been obscured by those who would ignite the embers of fear and hatred. Too often, even those who enter this country legally to pursue their individual dream and then be a collective part of the American Dream are met with suspicion, enmity and sometimes even violence.

Michelle Schultes is not one of those people.

Michelle, a 25-year teacher --10 years as an elementary school teacher and 15 years as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher -- in southern New Jersey volunteers to teach ESL class weekly to immigrants who are trying to assimilate into our culture by learning our language.

“My students want to be part of this country, its culture and its beliefs,” insists Michelle. “Learning our language is really the best way to become part of our society.”

Strangers in a strange land

Southern New Jersey has historically been a destination for immigrants from other countries. In fact, In 2015, two million immigrants (foreign-born individuals) comprised 22.1 percent of the state’s population. The top countries of origin for immigrants into New Jersey were India (12.5 percent of immigrants), the Dominican Republic (8.4 percent), Mexico (6 percent), the Philippines (4.5 percent), and Korea (4 percent).

According to the American Immigration Council. 37.8 percent of all immigrants in the Garden State have college degrees while native-born Americans have a 37.5 percent college degree rate.

“In South Jersey with all the agriculture, immigrant workers have been a vital part of our economy,” explains Michelle. “In the Hammonton area where blueberry farms have existed for decades, immigrant workers are an indispensable part of that industry.”

New Jersey is the fifth-largest grower of blueberries in the U.S. and it is an $80 million industry in the state.

In Bridgeton, New Jersey where Michelle teaches ESL class at a family resources center, the city of 25,000 has seen better days. The poverty rate is over 30 percent (14 percent nationally) and the glass, sewing and metal and machine works industries that created such wealth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries abandoned the area by the 1970s, leaving agriculture as the dominant industry.

“Bridgeton is an area that initially attracts immigrants because of agriculture,” Michelle begins, “and they stay to take jobs in other industries or start their own small businesses.”

In fact, legal immigrants begin small businesses at a much higher rate than native-born Americans.

Speaking the language

Michelle Schultes spent 25 years as a teacher in several school districts in Southern New Jersey, from Williamstown to West Deptford. After a long and distinguished career where she finished as an ESL teacher, Michelle retired as a teacher in 2018.

“I knew I wanted to volunteer in retirement,” insists Michelle. “For me, the logical area for helping people was my area of expertise – English as a second language.”

Michelle then connected with an organization in South Jersey that offers immigrants a broad scope of services – from language skills to job skills, health care to business advice.

Michelle has been teaching the ESL class for the last two years.

“It’s every Tuesday night in Bridgeton,” says Michelle. “My husband Jim faithfully drives me and he actually has a good command of Spanish so he does help out in class.”

“The first thing for people to understand is that these people in ESL class want to be there,” announces Michelle. “They are eager learners and they are trying to better their lives.”

“Amazingly, my students actually demand more homework,” Michelle muses. “My students will take photos of anything I write on the board. Most of them have worked long hours that Tuesday but still they show up.”

The two-hour class that Michelle teaches is the more advanced class with students having some English already.

Family time

Michelle Schultes grew up in Long Island and has an undergraduate degree in teaching from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in education from Rowan University where she returned for her ESL certification. Forty-one years ago she married Jim, a South Jersey native, who attended Gloucester Catholic High School and graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in engineering. After graduation, Jim joined the family business – A.C. Schultes, which offers water and wastewater services – and has remained there ever since. In fact, next year, A.C. Schultes will celebrate its 100th anniversary in business through four generations.

Michelle and Jim have four children – Jeff, a sales and development manager for A.C. Schultes, Kristen, a certified public accountant, Katie, an emergency room physician and Michael, an attorney who also works for A.C. Schultes.

Right now, during the Coronoavirus pandemic, Michelle is praying that her daughter Katie, who’s on the front lines as an emergency room physician, stays safe while helping patients dealing with this pandemic.

“I’m proud that she’s helping so many others get and stay healthy,” says Michelle, “But I’m scared for her and other health care workers.”

For Michelle, tennis has been her constant adult activity until recently when pickle ball became her latest passion. In addition to court games, Michelle is an avid trivia player who is keen on winning local trivia contests.

“Michelle constantly amazes at her skills in trivia,” says long-time friend Linda Marcrum Straga. “She’s especially deadly in song titles and artists. After all, who else would know that the single Green Tambourine was a number one hit in 1967 and sung by the Ohio-based group The Lemon Pipers?”

Filling her cup

Michelle’s ESL students come from a variety of jobs, ranging from a chicken factory to the fields to auto mechanics.

“Teaching these eager students English is setting them up for success,” notes Michelle.

Michelle knows that her years as an ESL teacher have equipped her to help the people who show up for her class.

“Teaching English as a second language sounds like something almost anyone can do,” begins Michelle. “It’s not.”

“I have a bag of tricks and learning tips that have been nurtured through all my years of teaching ESL,” says Michelle.

For example, Michelle points out that many Spanish speakers struggle with -ed endings on English words that make them past tense as well as their propensity to add pronouns in English because of the way Spanish handles pronoun placement.

Michelle’s class often looks like the United Nations with people from China, India, Guatemala, and Mexico. Class size can vary depending on the time of year. Harvest season will see class size diminish because so many potential students are in the fields doing back-breaking work from sunrise to sunset.

“I love doing this,” admits Michelle. “It fills my cup.”

When Michelle looks at the eager faces in her classroom, she recognizes that her students want to fit in, want to succeed and want to contribute.

“Our country is as strong as it is today because our immigrant ancestors risked everything to come here, and were more than willing to work hard to make their dreams come true,” says Michelle. “The American Dream is still alive and well. I believe this is what makes—and will keep—America great and I’d like to feel I am a small part of helping people fulfill their dream.”

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