WESTBROOK, Maine — Sewing class is in session at Westbrook Adult Education.
Apphia Mpay teaches the newest course located at the Westbrook Regional Vocational Center.
"It's one of my favorite things, seeing how I can transform someone else's life," Mpay said.
Mpay has a special connection to the sewing class through Dory Waxman. Waxman had been offering sewing classes at Common Threads of Maine since 2015.
"We had a very clear mission and a very clear vision, and that was to empower anybody who wanted to learn to sew, to build a better life in Maine, and we did that," Waxman said.
Mpay moved from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2011 where she studied fashion. She eventually found Waxman and Common Thread where she was a student and later a teacher.
Over the summer, Waxman decided it close Common Thread but wanted to keep the sewing machines whirring.
That's where Jenn Mull-Brooks, director of Westbrook Adult Education, came into play.
"Real estate is expensive for the program that they had, and then we're adult education, so it felt like somewhere in the middle of that could be a partnership," Mull-Brooks said.
Along with Waxman and Mpay, she helped stitch the new program together.
"There's a lot of interest in the program from students, including high school students, including high school level staff, so it's taken off very quickly," Mull-Brooks said.
With the class scheduled to start in September, there was plenty of work to be done.
Waxman sent over several sewing machines for the class to use. To help students better weave themselves into the fabric of the community, the school and Mpay added to the curriculum.
"We have a literacy instructor that comes in to work with students, and then the hope is to have the students who go through this program join the workforce at a company here in Maine," Mull-Brooks said
Mpay also teaches about business in the event a student wants to sew for a living or to make and sell their own products.
She also speaks multiple languages, which can help tear down barriers for students.
"I can speak English, French, Lingala, and Portuguese," Mpay said. "So when I'm teaching in English, I can also help to translate for other students whose English is not their first language."
Mpay says regardless of what country you are from, the mission of the sewing class is to open doors to opportunity.
Waxman saw the sewing class in action for the first time Tuesday. It brought tears of joy to her eyes to see what she has worked at for so many years to continue on in new chapter.
"It just kind of says what we did was really good, it was really good work," Waxman said. "Proof's in the pudding, I mean, we did it. We empowered people, and we kept believing."
The sewing class at Westbrook Adult Education is able to run during the school day which helps parents who would otherwise need to find child care.
There is already a waitlist for future sewing class sessions. To learn more, click here.