Moving to a new city is an intimidating change, no matter your age — and it’s even more challenging when you don’t speak the language. 莫芬皮拉尔, an 招生 Specialist at the RPS 欢迎中心, knows this, so she always has an extra-large smile. “I don't know if it comes naturally, if it’s because I was a teacher, or if I'm just a kid at heart, but I'm pretty bubbly.”

莫芬女士曾是幼儿园和美术老师，三年前加入了RPS大家庭。 她通常是新移民家庭看到并与之互动的第一个RPS员工。

At the 欢迎中心, she and her colleagues provide resources, information, and — most importantly — hope for families whose first language is not English. RPS’ population of Multilingual Learners has grown from 8.6% a decade ago to 26% today. The 欢迎中心, which launched in 2016 and expanded its services in 2019, was founded to meet Newcomer families’ specific needs.

‘I didn’t face these struggles [with a language barrier], but my parents always instilled in me the importance of community and giving back. That’s why I do this work.’

“Our main role was ESL [English as a Second Language] assessments for new students, but we’ve grown so much,” shares Ms. Morfin. 今天，欢迎中心是一个成熟的中心，为家庭提供新的服务和系统。 “We help families understand the school enrollment process, and we answer questions like, ‘Where can I get vaccines? What if I don’t have health insurance?’” Establishing residency, in particular, can be challenging, so she and her colleagues often help families navigate this process. “We never want paperwork to get in the way of a child starting school.”

然而，如果没有信任，这些工作都是不可能的。 自三年前加入该中心以来，对该中心日益增长的需求和认知度说明了莫芬女士和她的同事们建立了深厚的关系。 "My phone is like a hotline for parents—‘So-and-so told me to call you, can you help?’"

Ms. Morfin attributes the Center’s approachable attitude and open-door policy as necessary ingredients for trust. 他们欢迎任何问题，无论大小，并努力与他们所服务的家庭建立牢固的联系。 他们的建筑反映了这种开放：莫芬利用她之前作为艺术教育者的经验，用丰富多彩的艺术和装饰装饰了欢迎中心的墙壁，改变了曾经灰色的空间，帮助创造了一个更友好的环境。 “I wanted to make the space feel more welcoming and ease any anxieties the kids might have,” she says.

对莫芬女士来说，这项工作是私人的。 她出生在墨西哥，四岁时随家人来到美国。 她的父母努力工作，为她提供进入美国学校系统的机会。 “I didn’t face these struggles [with a language barrier], but my parents always instilled in me the importance of community and giving back. That’s why I do this work.”

她觉得自己与所服务的家庭有很深的联系，尤其是当她看到大一点的孩子在新环境中挣扎时，她会把这种联系记在心里。 While the work can be emotionally demanding, it’s also incredibly rewarding. “It’s hard some days, but knowing I’ve made even a small difference keeps me going,” she says. “I don’t have much family in 里士满, and the community at the 欢迎中心 has filled that space in my heart.”

每有一个新的家庭，莫芬都会想起重新开始需要的勇气，这增强了她创造一个让学生茁壮成长的环境的决心，不仅在学业上，而且在他们生活的方方面面。

Together, we’re overcoming challenges, and that’s something worth celebrating!