South Mountain Community College student Maricarmen Guzman-Rojas becomes the first student at the college to graduate with the newly created Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Applied English Language Skills. SMCC adopted this program in the fall of 2024, which was designed to provide English language learners with advanced skills for professional and academic purposes.
“The program includes integrated English language skill courses, vocational and individual skill-based ESL (English as a Second Language) courses, and elective coursework in related areas to help students develop English proficiency and other relevant workplace skills to meet a variety of occupational and academic demands,” said Christine Raack, SMCC English ESL Faculty.
With a Certificate of Completion in this program, SMCC students can directly apply their skills to their future goals all while having a more seamless transition into their desired degree paths.
“Graduating from this program offers a direct path from ESL to transfer-level English as this pathway allows our ESL students to make quicker progress toward their degree or transfer goals while learning English,” said Raack.
Guzman-Rojas is a community health worker and has a strong interest in behavioral science with a long-term goal of getting her associate degree in this field. Her decision to pursue a certificate in Applied English Language Skills was directly tied to this as she can now use what she learned in her courses to help her further succeed in her career.
“I chose to study Applied English Language Skills because, as a community health worker, I feel a deep responsibility to help my community,” said Guzman-Rojas. “I want to clearly share important information about mental and physical health, and improving my English allows me to connect with people, support them and make a real difference in their lives.”
The honor of being the first student to graduate from the SMCC program is not lost upon Guzman-Rojas, as she reflects on what it means for her background and personal journey to hold this achievement.
“Being the first graduate to receive this certificate means so much to me as I have been living in the United States since April 2019, and starting over in a new country has not been easy,” said Guzman-Rojas. “As an older student, I sometimes doubted myself, but this achievement reminds me that I am strong, capable and still growing. It represents my journey, my hard work and my hope to keep learning and helping others.”
Guzman-Rojas will be receiving her certificate at SMCC’s 2026 Commencement Ceremony on May 15.