Lishbeht Ramos, intern at The Gables during this past year, proudly graduated from Salem State University in May with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Early Childhood Education.
While at The Gables, she helped with various Settlement initiatives, including the celebration of Hispanic Heritage month and two voter registration drives last October.
Lishbeht was born and raised in Salem, the daughter of Dominican parents. She has always lived in Salem, along with two sisters and a brother. Bilingual and bicultural, she expresses herself effortlessly in English but uses Spanish to connect with her community in thoughtful ways.
Her bilingual resourcefulness was demonstrated in her final project for Salem State University – a PowerPoint presentation with an audio component that captured the reactions of adult immigrant students to the dramatic results of the presidential election last November. These students had enrolled in The Gables’ English and citizenship classes that take place at nearby Salem Academy Charter School.
Shortly after her arrival at The Gables, it became clear to us that Lishbeht’s assignment at our site was very timely – indeed, a perfect fit. Here was a daughter of immigrant parents making her mark in the city she loved, availing herself of technology to record the reactions of people whose voices often go unheard during a contentious political process.
Her PowerPoint presentation, entitled “Their Voices,” centered on the adult students’ responses to these questions, which were presented in English and Spanish:
- What are your feelings about the elections?
- What are some struggles that you’ve faced?
- How do you feel about the way people have been treating each other since the elections?
In response, people expressed apprehension and worry over the election and its impact on them; they told about the open hostility they encountered more frequently on the street and in their workplaces immediately after, and they expressed sorrow for the way people have been treating each other since the elections.
We warmly thank Lishbeht for her contributions to The Gables and extend our congratulations as she embraces a new opportunity. Even before graduation, Lishbeht was offered a position as an executive leadership manager by a national retailer.
Make way for Lishbeht Ramos as she makes her mark! The same spirit of social entrepreneurship that Caroline Emmerton demonstrated in the early 1900s is alive, well and rising in the 21st century.