06/25/2026
What an incredible evening at EEC's 64th Annual Recognition Ceremony! We were honored to recognize the hard work and dedication of EEC learners, volunteers, instructors, and community partners who make our mission possible. Together, we celebrated the achievements and contributions that continue to open doors to new opportunities for English language learners.
We were honored to hear an uplifting message from Keynote Speaker Richard Cerros, Congressman Don Beyer's Community Relations Manager and a leader in community engagement and public service, who shared his own experience learning English as a second language and highlighted the powerful impact learning English can have for individuals and their families.
The audience was moved by stories from student speakers Fatima and Henry on the essay theme “English: The Key to Our Future. See all submitted student essays in the Annual Recognition Ceremony Program book here: https://bit.ly/ARCbook2026 . We presented EEC learner Patricia with the Patricia M. Donnelly Merit Scholarship Award for her inspiring dedication to learning English.
We were thrilled to celebrate the contributions of three outstanding volunteers of the year: Chris Axarlis, Mary Pat Paris, and Marie Tibor. We also recognized three outstanding community partners: Amazon, Bailey’s Crossroads/Culmore Place-Based Initiative, and Culmore United Methodist Church.
Last night we were honored to present the Inaugural Gerry E. Connolly Empowerment Award to EEC board member and long-time supporter John V. Thomas. This award is presented to those who embody the spirit of service, advocacy, and empowerment that Congressman Connolly exemplified throughout his career.
Thank you to all who joined us to celebrate a fantastic year of building a community empowered by the ability to read, write, speak, and understand English!
