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| May 05, 2025 |
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| Dildora, Dilnura, Munirahon (Mikki) Fayzullaeva. Photo provided. |
From the Cornwall Public Library
CORNWALL, NY – When the Fayzullaeva family moved from Uzbekistan to the U.S. in 2014, no one in the family spoke English. Because of the language barrier, Dildora, currently a 10th grader at Cornwall Central High School, found it difficult integrating into the school district. Back home, the family spoke mainly Uzbek and some Russian. She began to learn English through ESL programs, and the family decided to skip a visit home to Uzbekistan that summer. Instead, they came to the library to read, check out materials and just listen to what was spoken around them. This past year, Dildora gave up her lunch period and worked as a volunteer at the school library, as well. “It has really helped me with learning English, and it’s fun to organize all the materials and help the librarians,” she says. This year, she was awarded an Outstanding Dragon Award for her work.
Dildora’s mother, Munirahon (“Mikki”), began volunteering at the Cornwall Public Library in early 2015. An Accountant by trade back in her home country, Mikki has found it difficult to find work. She decided that the library would be a good place to immerse herself in an environment where English is spoken. As a volunteer, she helps with many different library projects and programs. The library staff has come to rely on her good nature and excellent work ethic, as well as her exceptional artistic talent. She is now considering pursuing work in a library setting.
When Mikki began her volunteering, a Cornwall librarian thought she might benefit from using Mango, the free language e-resource available through the library’s website. Mango offers language learning modules for 66 different languages. The English module for Russian speakers self-guided tutorials were a perfect fit for Mikki. She liked it so much that she introduced it to Dildora, and now her daughter is teaching herself Korean and Turkish. Dildora loves learning new languages and has always wanted to learn Korean since her family traveled there when she was 7. She once thought she’d like to be a journalist, but is now considering becoming a math teacher.
“Our volunteers are such a terrific asset to the work we do here,” says Library Director, Karen LaRocca-Fels. “It’s wonderful that the library was able to help the Fayzullaeva family find the resources they needed to succeed here.”
For more information about using Mango with your library card or the library’s volunteer program, please call the library at 534-8282 or visit the library website at: www.cornwallpubliclibrary.org.
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