With more than 19,000 adults in our community who don’t speak English well or at all, our work focuses on training volunteer ESL teachers, recruiting adult students and placing students into appropriate classroom instruction. Students attend classes taught by trained volunteer ESL teachers at various locations in the Richardson/RISD area.
Dr. Thomson serves as the Executive Director of the Richardson Adult Literacy Center. She brings 25+ years of non profit executive level leadership to the position. Patricia is inspired by the mission of RALC and the people that are served by its empowering literacy programs. She works closely with the Board of Directors, dedicated staff and the community at large to enhance awareness and support for RALC. In her spare time, Patricia enjoys spending time with family, friends and her rescue pups, reading, hiking, gardening and teaching and coaching about healthy nutrition and wellness.
Contact Dr. Thomson at director@ralc.org
Carson coordinates RALC’s English as a Second Language programs, including curriculum development, teacher training, student assessment, and teacher support. Her passion is creating engaging, active learning environments where adults can learn. Carson came to RALC after many years as an English Teacher. She lives in Dallas with her beloved rescue dog, Annie.
Contact Carson at programs@ralc.org.
Andrea Hamblin coordinates RALC’s volunteers, from recruitment to training to
placement to ongoing support. In 2017, she moved to Richardson and joined RALC as a volunteer teacher. As someone who grew up overseas and spent time learning languages, Andrea understands the struggle and is passionate about helping others overcome cultural and language hurdles. She looks forward to ensuring RALC volunteers can do the same while enjoying their work and feeling supported in their efforts. Andrea lives in Richardson with her husband and their rescue dog Flokati.
Contact Andrea at volunteer@ralc.org.
Kat is a multilingual social worker with a background in workforce placement and medical social work. She started teaching with RALC as a volunteer in 2017 and fell in love with teaching. Kat coordinates student outreach and registration and also facilitates RALC’s Career Bridge Program which provides students with job search training and information about career paths. As a Peace Corps volunteer, Kat lived and worked in rural Ecuador for two years. She understands how difficult it can be to learn a second language and navigate a new culture. Kat is passionate about supporting students as they work to improve their language skills and find meaningful employment. Originally born in Belgium, Kat speaks Dutch, Spanish, English and some French. Kat lives in Richardson with her husband and two sons.
Contact Kat at students@ralc.org.
Born and raised in Sweden, Jeanette is an advocate for immigrants and non-native English speakers. She also serves as Vice President of the Dallas chapter of the Swedish Women’s Educational Association. Prior to joining the RALC staff, Jeanette started as an office volunteer in 2020. She now helps RALC manage their social media, communications, marketing, and PR activities with a focus on content creation and management.
Contact Jeanette at communications@ralc.org.
RALC programs are made possible by our generous donors and community partners: