Experience Summary
I recently returned from teaching English in Brazil as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant. Before that, I taught Spanish at a middle school in Maryland. I love assisting others with their language and reading classes, be they Spanish or English.
I am an alumnae of Bishop Watterson High School, John Carroll University and The Ohio State University.
After graduating from John Carroll, I served as a Jesuit Volunteer in Seattle, Washington at the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, where I was an intake advocate. I assisted clients in applying for political asylum in the United States. The majority of my clients were from the Horn of Africa (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia). Many of my work colleagues were Spanish speakers, so I had the chance to improve my Spanish at this time. After my experience as an intake advocate, I wanted to learn more about the motives immigrants have for leaving their countries of origin and immigrating to the United States. Thus, I applied to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. While I waited for my application to be processed, I worked as a legal secretary and also at my family’s business. I was invited to serve in Paraguay. I served there for over a year and then returned again to the United States. My goal when I began Peace Corps was to get a master’s in environmental studies or international development, but after I finished I decided to pursue a master’s degree in Foreign and Second Language Education at The Ohio State University. Soon after obtaining my master’s degree I moved to southern Maryland to teach Spanish at a middle school. Although I learned much in my experiences and enjoyed working with youth, I wanted to discover if I also enjoyed teaching English as a foreign language. Therefore, I applied to serve as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Brazil, where I learned Portuguese.
Teaching Style
I like to get to know my students' interests, their strengths and the areas in which they can improve. That way, I can help plan sessions based on that individual learner and what will help him or her most. Music is a wonderful way to learn and practice language, so if there is any way I can integrate it, I try to.
My Hobbies
I enjoy running, Zumba, speaking Spanish and Portuguese, drinking coffee and meeting people from other countries. I am trying to learn how to play cavaquinho (similar to a ukulele)!
Other Comments
Motivating yourself to study or finding the best way to study can be challenging! I want to help you set goals and to help you reach them.