STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Tomoko Funahashi

Student Wins Creative Writing Award In Her Second Language

Communicating in a language that isn’t your first can be a real challenge, but it was one Tomoko Funahashi faced head on by competing in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Creative Writing Competition. Not only did she compete, she won on numerous occasions.

Funahashi has lived in the United States since 1995 after being born in Japan. She started as an English as a Second Language student at CLC 10 years ago and has been taking classes since, none more impactful than her first creative writing course with English Instructor Michael Latza.

Creative writing was a perfect fit for Funahashi because many of her interests are creative, including drawing and playing music. However, the language barrier made this endeavor challenging. She credits spending time in the CLC tutoring center with helping her more effectively use her new language skills.

Submitting her work to be judged was the next step for Funahashi to gauge how well she was able to write.

“It was kind of a test for me,” she said. “First, can everybody understand my writing? And then, does somebody enjoy my writing?”

Though she didn’t win for her first submissions, Funahashi kept at it, winning first place her second year for her nonfiction piece, “Rain Must Fall.” Funahashi has placed in the top three a total of nine times in various categories.

The Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Creative Writing Competition is a literary festival and writing competition. Students who submit winning entries in poetry, short fiction, nonfiction and drama are honored at the end of festival activities, which include an open mic session, readings and workshops.

College students are constantly tested to find enough time and energy to pursue their educational journey. Many students also face the challenge of finding enough food every day to fuel their work in and out of the classroom. (Source: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/personalfinance/college-students-food-insecurity)

CLC recognizes the reality of food insecurity among students and offers easy-access help. Over the past year, CLC renovated and restocked its SHARE Market, an on-campus food pantry, at the Grayslake campus and opened a new station at the Lakeshore campus. The new storefront format provides a full-service variety of kitchen staples, school supplies and personal items that match directly with our students’ needs.

CLC has also planted grab-and-go snack stations in convenient spaces across campus. Students can stop by and grab a free healthy snack or drink (and the occasional sweet treat).

In addition to these student resources, the entire Lake County community can benefit from CLC’s longstanding partnership with the Northern Illinois Food Bank, which routinely hosts pop-up food markets on CLC’s Grayslake Campus. Anyone in need of assistance can drive through the parking lot on the dates scheduled by the NIFB, and volunteers (some of whom may even be CLC employees) deliver food directly to cars. Check the NIFB website for pop-up market dates or to volunteer (https://solvehungertoday.org).

Another way CLC helps the Lake County community find resources it needs is by promoting the United Way of Lake County’s 211 program. 211 is a free, confidential, 24-hour informational helpline connecting individuals and families in need with access to available health and human services. Learn more at the UWLC website (https://www.liveunitedlakecounty.org/portfolio/211).