Success does not happen by accident, said Christ Zola, a recent graduate of 91����’s Intensive English Program (IEP).

“Behind every achievement, there are often sacrifices that people never see,” he told a crowd of families, friends, students, and supporters gathered at Martin Chapel for IEP’s graduation ceremony on Wednesday. “There were times when I cried and asked myself, ‘Was all this really necessary?’ There were other times when I struggled to keep my eyes open in class because I hadn’t slept the night before.”

“But today, I stand before you as proof that perseverance works,” he continued. “Keep believing, keep working, and keep moving forward. Never give up, because your breakthrough may be closer than you think.”

Zola was one of 15 graduates from the IEP’s spring and summer 2026 semesters recognized at the ceremony last week.

The IEP helps English language learners from all around the world find their voice and build a better life for themselves. In a typical semester, the program has 60 to 80 students representing 15 to 20 different countries.

Graduates of 91����’s Intensive English Program share their perspectives at last week’s ceremony.

The graduates received certificates of completion and stoles bearing the flags of their home country. Many shared perspectives from their time in the program, expressed gratitude for the support and encouragement they received from family members, friends, classmates, and teachers, and reflected on how the skills they acquired will serve them throughout their lives.

Sahar Malkzai, a spring IEP graduate, described the happiness she felt having completed the program. “This is my first achievement that I got in the United States,” she said.

“You didn’t just teach us English,” she told her teachers. “You gave us confidence and motivation. Your education has truly changed our lives, and I will always be grateful for everything you have done for us.”

Ezatullah Yousofzai, a summer IEP graduate, thanked his teachers for their support, patience, and guidance, and for believing in him and his classmates throughout their journey. “As we graduate today, let us remember that every lesson, every challenge, and every teacher has helped shape who we are,” he said.

Another summer graduate of the program, Mohammad Anway, said he can now understand English well, speak it fluently, and read and write it with confidence. “We are sure this great achievement will have a positive impact on our future careers,” he said.

IEP Office Coordinator Kris Long drapes a stole over a graduate’s shoulders.

LEFT: Jeremy Samsoe, director of the IEP, presents a certificate of completion to a graduate. RIGHT: Graduates pose for a photo following the ceremony.

Jeremy Samsoe, director of the IEP, remarked that this was the most graduates the program had ever honored at a single ceremony. “We’ve never had a stage quite so full before,” he said. “This is wonderful.”

As he projected images of Ellis Island and his great-grandfather, Nicholas Samsoe, who immigrated to the United States from Germany by boat, he spoke about how similar Nicholas’ life was to those of many students in the IEP.

“He came to this country and had to start over a lot of his life,” Samsoe said. “He spoke a language other than English, he spoke German, and his life as a child was very, very different from the life of his own children.”

“I want to remind you that what you do and who you are as an individual will be remembered by your children, by your grandchildren, and by your nieces and nephews,” he told the graduates. “And your life will influence and shape the lives of even your great-grandchildren or great-nieces and nephews who may never meet you.”

Fifteen graduates of 91����’s Intensive English Program were recognized at Wednesday’s ceremony.

LEFT: Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs, offers her remarks to the graduates. RIGHT: A celebratory potluck meal was held after the graduation ceremony.

Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs, encouraged the graduates to continue learning, asking questions, and building bridges wherever they go. “This is not the end,” she said. “This is the start of something new, something great, and something beautiful.”

91���� has three core values: academic excellence, peace and justice, and active faith. “And each of you represents those three core values in distinct and unique ways,” Willingham said. “It is because of your desire not just to learn a new language, not just to create more opportunities for your families, but also to make a difference in your life and in your community that you are a demonstration of who we are at 91���� at our core.”

For more information about 91����’s Intensive English Program, visit emu.edu/iep.

The graduates, Alberto Mederos and Jany Carballo, completed Level 6, the highest level of classes offered at IEP. They received graduation certificates and stoles emblazoned with the flags of both their home country, Cuba, and the United States, along with hugs from their instructors. Each of the two graduates spoke during the ceremony.

The ceremony was followed by a potluck meal held in 91����’s Roselawn Building.

Mederos thanked his teachers for boosting his confidence, pushing him forward, and never letting him give up.

“Thank you so much for preparing us for life in this new country, the United States of America, where learning English is a vital necessity,” he said.

He shared a few words of advice for fellow students still in the program. “Never give up and keep pushing,” he said. “With resilience, determination, and effort, you can turn your own dreams into reality.”

Carballo credited her IEP instructors with believing in her, supporting her, and helping her regain motivation and self-confidence.

“This program is the best place to start when you are an immigrant learning a new language,” she said. “You made me feel safe, supported, and as part of the family.”

The path wasn’t easy, she said, with ups and downs and moments when she felt like giving up. But with the IEP’s help, she faced her fears and reached her first goal: building a foundation in English.

“I feel confident knocking on any door and looking for new opportunities,” she said. “Thank you for being my stepping stone to the next level of my life.”

In his address to the graduates, their families and friends, and others gathered for the ceremony, IEP Director Jeremy Samsoe reflected on the idiom “going back to square one.”

“It means to go back to the beginning of something,” he said, and oftentimes, the phrase is associated with some kind of failure. “Maybe you failed at a task, failed at a job, and now you must go back to square one.”

“For many of you here, being in a new country and starting a new life can feel a bit like being at square one—that you are completely starting over,” Samsoe said. “I like to remind students that you are not truly starting at square one. You are starting many new things, but you also bring with you many things: your language, your culture, your expertise.”

“For both of you, Jany and Alberto, this is like moving one more square,” he said. “It’s not the end of your education or your language learning, but it is a step forward. It is an accomplishment, one among many, that you will have in your life.”

The ceremony also included remarks from Harrisonburg Councilman Nasser Alsaadun MA ’17 (education).

The Iraqi-born educator, who came to the United States in 2008, became the first refugee councilmember in the city’s history when he was elected in the fall of 2024. He repeated something he’s often said—that IEP is the best program of its kind from Winchester to Charlottesville—and expressed deep gratitude for its impact on refugees and immigrants in the community.

“It does much more than teach English,” he said. “It opens doors, builds confidence, and creates opportunities.”

Alsaadun said he’s personally witnessed incredible journeys through the program. “I have seen students arrive with little or no English and, through hard work and determination, go on to pursue graduate degrees,” he said. “That kind of growth is inspiring. It shows resilience, talent, and a strong commitment to success.”

91���� the Intensive English Program

91����’s Intensive English Program (IEP) helps English language learners from all around the world find their voice and build a better life for themselves. In a typical semester, IEP has 60 to 80 students representing 15 to 20 different countries. 

For more info about 91����’s Intensive English Program, visit .

Nine Harrisonburg High School students got a feel for campus life at 91���� (91����) and plenty of laughs through a summer day camp hosted by the Intensive English Program (IEP). The students, who all speak Spanish as a first language and are enrolled in English learner classes in high school, spent three weeks this July playing games and responding to discussion topics in English. 

The goal of the camp was to provide a fun and educational experience “so they could practice using both conversational and academic English in an immersive environment, and to expose those students to IEP and a college campus, specifically 91����,” said Jeremy Samsoe, who recently stepped into the role of program director for IEP.

Samsoe said the camp was a brainchild of the previous director, Karen Suderman, who worked with 91����’s admissions department and Laura Feichtinger McGrath GC ’18, director of English learner services and Title III at Harrisonburg City Public Schools, to bring it to fruition.

“The students really valued the relationships with the camp leaders, student Abby Olmstead and Rachel Sauder ’21, and the opportunity to use English in an authentic yet lower pressure environment than school,” Samsoe said.

The students, ranging from 9th to 12th graders, wrote that their favorite parts of the camp were indeed meeting the camp leaders, as well as playing sports in the gym, playing games that helped them practice English, and seeing their friends. 

“My favorite part was when we went to the gym to play dodgeball,” said sophomore Ana Pereira. 

Volleyball, basketball, and the card game Uno (uno being the only word they were allowed to say in Spanish – other slip ups resulted in a two-card penalty, which was gleefully enforced by the other students) were also favored activities. 

The camp also included a campus tour, whimsical writing prompts (if you could spend one month anywhere in the world or one day on the moon, what would you choose and why?), and a scavenger hunt. 

“I think the exposure to the university was also valuable. One student even told the leaders that she wants to go to 91���� after she graduates,” said Samsoe.