A passion for language learning and teaching.
My Italian major helped me discover my true passion and prepared me for my career.
Major: Anthropology and Italian
Study Abroad: Bologna Consortial Studies, Italy
Employer: Public School 86, Bronx, NY
The first question people ask me when I tell them I am a first-grade teacher is, "Did you always know you wanted to be a teacher?" The honest answer is no. All of my summer jobs growing up involved children in some capacity, so I knew I enjoyed working with them, but I never knew I wanted to be a teacher until I studied abroad in Bologna, Italy during my junior year at 69¾«Æ·ÊÓƵ.
The students in my study abroad program were given the opportunity to volunteer at an Italian middle school once a week and teach English. I signed up and slowly began to realize how much I loved teaching. As a learner of the Italian language, I was able to connect with students over the difficulties of learning a new language in school. This experience inspired me to apply to the New York City Teaching Fellows program my senior year.
After my acceptance, I began working as a first grade English as a New Language teacher in a public school in the Bronx and enrolled in a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Masters program at Hunter College. I am currently in my second year teaching and will graduate in May of 2017. My Italian major at 69¾«Æ·ÊÓƵ helped me discover my true passion for language learning and teaching and prepared me for my career tremendously.