ANDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Imagine moving to a new country as an adolescent and attending school in an unfamiliar language.
That is the reality for more than 74,000 students in Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Department of Education.
From 2011 to 2017, Tennessee's English as a Second Language (ESL) student population grew by 45%, and that growth is expected to continue.
According to the state's Department of Education website, "These changes in Tennessee’s population will have a significant impact on the educational trends in the state."
In Anderson County, Melissa Venegas is one of 125 students enrolled in the ESL program.
The soft-spoken 11th grader whose native language is Spanish emigrated from Mexico three years ago and is now finding her voice in East Tennessee.
"There are people from different countries and we learn from them, always," Venegas said, referring to her Clinton High School ESL classroom. "When I first came here, I didn't know much English. I think this class is helping me with English, especially speaking."
Emily Bruner is in charge of the ESL program across Anderson County Schools. "Our ESL teachers are really changing the lives of kids, and really supporting families and making a difference," she explained. "It's wonderful. There are a thousand miracles that happen every day."
Bruner made the career change 25 years ago, after studying horticulture and working with migrant families at a nursery.
"I always go back to thinking about working in the nursery and seeing my workers that were there," she recalled. "They didn't have opportunities."
Bruner and other ESL educators across East Tennessee hope to provide students with new opportunities.
After graduating high school next year, Venegas plans on attending college and studying psychology.
"I think mental health is an important point for everyone because not only our physical health is important, but I think it's important to know about our feelings," she said.
Venegas has worked hard to learn how to speak and write English and said she's thankful for teachers and students who've helped her along the way.
But Venegas has not only gained new language skills. ESL courses have led to her a new friend for life.
"We come to school together, we go home together, we go to the gym together. It's mostly like we are always together," said Ivana Gonzalez.
In an ESL classroom, Gonzalez and Venegas went from strangers to best friends, while sharing struggles and successes as immigrants. "It's not easy for us. We have to work twice [as hard]," Gonzalez added.
After English, Spanish is the second most spoken language in Tennessee. Bruner said Anderson County is also seeing a growing number of students who speak Gujarati and Hindi.