From Rural Poor to Fulbright-Hays in China: Meet Candace Heckstall, Multilingual Educator
What is your personal story?
I’ve always loved helping people in some form or fashion. My first taste of educating students came when I worked as the supervisor for an after-school program working with non-native English speakers in my home state of North Carolina. I remembered trying to figure out how to eliminate the unnecessary obstacles and barriers that students of color faced and needed to overcome.
As a Black woman from the South, I knew this feeling all too well. Poverty was a constant, unwelcome guest that prevented me from accessing certain advantages that my peers had. It affects the way I view the world, and how I help others. Living in a very poor, rural town in North Carolina, while an important part of my life, was one that I chose not to allow to define me, or my journey.
Working at the after-school program spurred me to apply to the ESL Teacher Preparation Program at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, with a specific focus on Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (or TESOL). After I graduated with my Master’s Degree from UNCG in 2010, I began my career by teaching Elementary ESL in two school districts. My focus was on global education, and later on, I had the distinct pleasure of living and working in Shanghai, China as a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad program participant. While I absolutely love learning new languages, having to learn Mandarin in the three short months prior to my travels to China was an absolutely humbling experience, indeed! I speak Spanish, but having to learn a new language with over twenty thousand characters was a completely different story! Life in China was fast-paced, busy, enlightening, and very, very overwhelming at times, albeit one of the most transformative times of my life. My experience was a powerful reminder of the challenges our New Americans face every day here in the United States.
In 2017, my husband and I moved to Colorado, where I continued teaching English Language Development. I worked with even more diverse populations of students, and picked up some additional languages along the way–French, Turkish, and a little Russian– and while I loved teaching, I knew that I could make an even greater impact and help even more people–but how? I wondered.
I transitioned from teaching and became the Newcomer Specialist for the Multilingual Education Department for Denver Public Schools, and supported our immigrant and refugee students and their families, as well as the educators who instructed our wonderful children. I helped participate in the resettlement efforts in Denver and suddenly realized that this work sparked a new fire within me. I could feel it: working with so many groups and organizations whose sole job was to find and create solutions to real problems that our New Americans faced every day made me feel like I was finally on the right track.
I now run the Virtual, Career-Aligned English as a Second Language Program for the Office of New Americans with the State of Colorado. As the Manager, I now know that this was exactly where I needed to be all along! The VCESL Program provides our English language learners here in the state of Colorado with access to high-quality, work-based learning, job training, and employment opportunities. In addition to that, we will provide career- and sector-specific, adult English language courses in over forty different languages, via digital platforms.
Our New Americans come with rich stories, backgrounds, and experiences that create incredibly strong, vibrant communities. I’ve made it part of my personal mission to remove as many barriers and obstacles for our New Americans to live a happy and fulfilled life because I know how it feels to go without through no fault of your own. What is so wonderful about this work is that it will help our New Americans and their families to thrive in a truly meaningful way, and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of this very hard, but very rewarding, work.
I never thought I’d be helping people on a grand scale like this. I just knew that I wanted to make a difference in people’s lives, and I feel very grateful to be here!
What makes you a remarkable global leader?
I understand that in order to create the world we truly wish to see, we must set aside our differences (while simultaneously acknowledging and honoring them), and unite to create long-lasting and sustainable solutions that work for everyone, not just a select few. My work here in the Office of New Americans allows me the unique perspective to learn, listen to, and honor the lived experiences of my colleagues, as well as my own. My colleagues are immigrants and daughters and sons of immigrants, and bring a perspective to this work that I personally do not have, but gladly welcome. I acknowledge that, and also bring my own experiences as a Black and Native Indigenous woman to the conversations as well. It is wonderful to work with such a fantastically diverse group of people, and want to increase access to the many opportunities that are available here in the state of Colorado for our New Americans.
Continuing to grow my understanding of various cultures, and how our cultural backgrounds shape and inform our important work, helps me to remember just how important it is to honor these differences while also continuing to find common ground with others. I believe it has made me a more patient, respectful, and even more kind leader.
I also realize that this work impacts so many individuals who are simply trying to live a better life and take this work very seriously. Everyone has a voice and a story to share, and they deserve to be heard and elevated, not just in their communities, but on a larger scale that informs our state’s policies and programs.
What advice do you have for other women who want to break through barriers?
Understand that through sharing your story and experiences, you are normalizing the conversation for others who are also trying to find the courage to change the trajectories of their lives. Lead with kindness, patience, humanity, respect, and assertiveness. Many people like to associate kindness with weakness, but some of the strongest people I know are also extremely kind. Sometimes, the only person to speak up in difficult situations might be you. Never be afraid to ASK those difficult, and uncomfortable questions. Many times, this can feel very isolating and a little scary at first. I encourage you to take the time to search for the courage within yourself to speak up, take up space, ask those hard questions, and don’t be too worried if you’re ruffling feathers. (If you’re doing that, then you’re probably on the right track!)
Support other women, especially those who have been historically marginalized, and begin to create your own strong support system because chances are, there are probably other women out there who need just as much support and care as you. Be that safe space for someone else. Network, make connections in likely and unlikely places; remain humble, remember whom you’re serving; and remember who you are! Remember what YOU bring to the table–your talents, your skills, the things that make YOU a wonderful human being, and remind yourself of your own greatness as often as you need to – and use that greatness to help lift others up as well. We’re here for the elevation of all, not just some.
How can GlobalMindED advance your goals as an inclusive leader?
GlobalMindED is actually the reason why I came out to Colorado in the first place when I was still teaching TESOL, and it is a fantastic feeling to be able to support, listen to, and interact with the many wonderful leaders involved in the very important work that you do. Now that I’m continuing to serve many First-Gen students and other individuals who may be entering the workforce in the U.S. for the very first time, are transitioning to a new role, or wish to reskill or upskill their current work backgrounds, I want to be able to share the crucial work that the Office of New Americans is doing to serve our communities, and partner with GlobalMindED in that way. We want to help provide as many pathways to long-lasting and fulfilling careers for our New Americans, and I believe that we can do that by partnering with wonderful, life-changing organizations such as GlobalMindED.
