Tyler Archambault '22 - Languages, Literatures and International Studies

I can definitely share a little bit about how NMU has helped me get to where I am in my career. A large part of this was thanks to Dr. Z.Z. Lehmberg getting me connected with my current employer (The Literacy Center of West Michigan) in the first place. She helped me get started as a volunteer in the Adult Tutoring Program here, then I quickly moved to become an ESL Instructor for one of the other programs. Finally, in October of 2023, I became a Literacy Coordinator for the tutoring program, which is still my role today. That connection alone has helped a ton in terms of getting me to this point, but other experiences have also helped.

One example is my exposure to the TESOL program at NMU. Before enrolling in that minor, I didn't have a great idea of where I was hoping to go in my career. However, through great instruction by my professors, I was a lot more interested in linguistics and working with non-native English speakers. A lot of the knowledge I gained in my time at NMU has been extremely relevant in my job, and it has helped me give adults in Michigan the chance to improve their English literacy skills, whether they speak English as their first language or not.

Of course, my majors (one of which was International Studies) have been very beneficial in me discovering my professional interests, but I have to say that the minor really developed my passion for adult literacy.