List of Participants

Graduados — By admin on mayo 4, 2011 at 3:48

Rebecca Allen

Becca attended Washington University in St. Louis where she earned a B.A. in English Literature. She spent time teaching abroa d in India and returned to complete her Masters in Education at Northwestern University in 2006. She then taught fourth and fifth graders at a Chicago area charter school before joining the team at KIPP:LEAD. Becca is finishing her third year at KIPP where she teaches Science and Social Studies to sixth graders and serves as the Grade Level Chair. Each day she loves teaching her students how to explore and appreciate the world around them!

Kyra Brogden

I was born in Carrboro NC and moved to Pittsburgh shortly afterwards with my mom, stepdad and sister. I grew up in Pittsburgh, cheering for the Steelers and attending the same school from 4th-12th grade. After graduating, I attended Elon University in North Carolina and majored in History and Political Science. After graduation, I went to the University of Pittsburgh for my Masters in Teaching, Elementary Education. From there I moved back to Durham, NC where I started work as a Lower Elementary (grades 1, 2, 3) teacher in a Public Montessori School. I have been at the same school for the past 4 years and enjoyed almost every moment of it. I am really excited to have this opportunity to travel to Argentina and implement what I learn in my classroom.

Jeffra Burke

My name is Jeffra Burke.  I am from Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, but I have lived in Pembroke, Massachusetts for the past five years.  I attended Brigham Young University and graduated with a Master’s of Education degree, in both Spanish and Literacy.  I have been teaching public school for 11 years and am currently an Elementary Spanish teacher.  I teach first through fifth grade in two different schools in Hingham, MA.  In addition to teaching I am an advisor for the high school foreign exchange club (AFS), a liaison for parents and foreign exchange students in the area, a library volunteer, a tutor for at-risk inner-city Boston kids from Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and a mentor teacher to new teachers in our school district. One of my passions in life is travel!  I have lived in a number of countries for different purposes.  I was a high school foreign exchange student in Ecuador, did a college study abroad in Chile, served a 1 ½ year mission for my church in Spain and Andorra, did my student teaching and established school and classroom libraries in Mexico, and trained literacy teachers and researched reading practices for Brigham Young University on a travel study program in New Zealand.  In addition to my residency in these countries I have traveled to 33 different countries and loved the learning experience that each trip brought to my life.  I hope that I adequately share those experiences, as well as the lessons I learned, with my students!In addition to travel I enjoy languages, reading, hiking, camping, letterboxing, gardening, skiing, coaching, animals, wildlife and nature.  I am engaged to be married in late August and couldn’t be happier! I am thrilled to be attending the Fulbright-Hays seminar to Argentina!

Angelin Donohue

Angelin Donohue is an ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) at Rosemary Hills Primary School in Silver Spring, Maryland.   She received an M.Ed. in TESOL from the University of Maryland, an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Ottawa (in Ontario) and a B.A. in English and Journalism from Georgia State University.    She has been working in public schools, teaching high school English and ESOL, for 11 years and also enjoys teaching English discussion and note-taking to adult students at the community college.   Her interests include reading, writing, hiking, cooking and travel.

Sandra Freeman

Sandra Freeman has a B.A. in Pre-Law from the Pennsylvania State University and an M.S. in Elementary Education/Education of the Gifted from the State University of New York (SUNY).  She has worked in the field of gifted education in New York and Ohio for 23 years, and completed a year as an English teacher in Shanghai, China (1999).  She was previously awarded a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to study in Vienna, Austria (2003).   She has served as the Coordinator of Gifted Services at Western Buckeye ESC in northwest Ohio since 2001, serving Antwerp Local, Crestview Local, Lincolnview Local, Van Wert City and Wayne Trace Local Schools.  Sandi serves on the Governing Board of the Ohio Association for Gifted Children (OAGC) and volunteers with the Northeast Indiana Radio Reading Service for the visually impaired. Freeman lives in Fort Wayne, IN, with her husband, William.  She has two adult daughters who live in New York and California.  In addition to education and travel her interests include theatre, art and artists, photography and swimming.

Erika Irlbeck

Erika Irlbeck is a middle school social studies/language arts teacher at St. Pius X Catholic School in Portland, Oregon. Originally from Massachusetts, Erika received her undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame before moving out to Portland to participate in the Pacific Alliance for Catholic Education (PACE). In PACE, Erika served for two years in an under-resourced Catholic school while living in a community of teachers and obtaining her Master’s degree. When Erika is not teaching, she enjoys traveling, reading, watching the Irish, and spending time with her friends and family. Erika lives in Oregon with her husband, Tony, and her two dogs, Bower and Keely.

Erin Lien

Erin earned a B.A in English from The University of New Hampshire and an M.A.T in middle grades teaching from Simmons College in Boston, MA.  While at UNH she spent a semester abroad in southern India where she studied sustainable community development.  She started her teaching career at The Writers’ Express, an educational non-profit based in Boston.  After moving to Chicago, Illinois, she taught Social Studies and Language Arts at a Montessori middle school. A memorable part of this position was organizing and leading week-long outdoor education trips for her students in order to help them develop social and emotional skills, and environmental awareness.  Currently, Erin teaches sixth grade Language Arts at Springman Middle School in Glenview, IL. Her favorite part of her work is helping students become deeply engaged in the process of reading and writing. In addition to her love for writing, Erin enjoys traveling, yoga, hiking, and being outdoors. She is thrilled that the group will be visiting the Andes Mountains!

Brenda Pérez Lindgren

My name is Brenda Pérez Lindgren.  I grew up in Redmond, WA and graduated from Seattle University with a BA in International Studies.  While at Seattle University I was a member of the basketball team and participated in two study abroad programs to China, Tibet, and Nepal as well as Mexico.  After graduating, I worked as a case manager assisting people in acquiring housing in Los Angeles, CA.  I then received my MIT and teaching certificate from the University of Southern California.  I am currently in my fourth year as a first grade teacher in Bellevue, WA.  Although teaching keeps me occupied, I recently took up skiing and hope to fall down less next season!  I am excited to travel to Argentina and learn about the educational system and the various cultures within the country.

Mary McCartney

Mary McCartney has a BA in Music Education K-12, and has been teaching elementary music in the public school system for 16 years. Ms. McCartney has achieved Highly Qualified status, and serves as presenter at county music in-service trainings and FMENC where she teaches how to integrate literacy within the music curriculum. Mary is an active member of two professional music organizations FMEA and FEMEA (Florida Music Educators Association, Florida Elementary Music Educators Association). She has performed during the past 25 years in Palm Beach, Martin, and St. Lucie Counties, and has traveled abroad with a performance hand-bell group. Ms. McCartney is in the process of writing a literacy based music skills practice book as well as an elementary music rhythm daily practice book for publication. Mary co-chaired a school-wide N.E.E.D program (National Energy Education Development program) in which our students placed 2nd in the Elementary School division in the state of Florida, and is the recipient of the Fulbright-Hayes Study Abroad Scholarship, two FPL Renewable Energy grants, a $3,000 Classroom Teacher grant and two Donor’s Choose grants.

Deborah Nicholson

I have been a classroom teacher for more than 14 years, specializing in primary education of underserved student populations. In fact, 14 of those years have been in a high poverty, very diverse Title 1 School.  I received a BA in literature and a MAT from Pacific University in Forest Grove.  I grew up in the Portland Metropolitan area of Oregon and have lived here my entire life.  I am 49 years old and married with 2 children.  I have an 18-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter.  I am an avid reader, love to downhill ski, camp, and play with my dog.
As a teacher, I have spent the better part of my professional career working on improving classroom management techniques and building relationships with my students to better understand their motivations to learn.  I am keen to see how my counterparts in Argentina motivate their reluctant learners.
At school, I am the Talented and Gifted Coordinator, active on the school’s Site Council and part of the Social Committee. I am also the President of the Board of Trustees of Unity Church of Portland, a position I have held for over a year now.  I have been an active member there for the past 6 or 7 years.  I am looking forward to all the unique experiences I will have traveling throughout Argentina.

Stacy Nordquist

My name is Stacy Nordquist.  I currently live in Cary, NC.  I have been teaching for 20 years, K-12, and I taught adult populations in Japan for three years prior to that.  I have taught ESL, K – 5, for three years; French 6-12 for 13 years; Spanish K-8, for 10 years and World History grades 9 and 10 for two years.  I have a BA in French from Middlebury College, professional certification as a conference interpreter from Georgia State and a M.A. in Education from St. Michael’s.  I am also a candidate for National Board Certification (for whatever that’s worth!!).
I am married and have two sons in the university.  One is working on a two-year degree in Office Systems management.  The other one is finishing his sophomore year and is a Chemistry major. My husband is an ESL teacher.
I love to travel.  I have lived in Pennsylvania, Atlanta and Vermont in the US; in Paris, Hiroshima, Japan and in Kuwait.  I met my husband and had my first son in Japan.  My longest stay overseas was Kuwait where I lived for seven years. I also like to cook, to read and to decorate the house.
In my school, I sponsor the French Club and assist with the Spanish Club.  I am the co-chair of the International Festival which is held every year at our school.  I have 122 students and teach six classes every day:  three levels of French and one of Spanish.  I am hoping to practice my Spanish in Argentina and perhaps to find a sister school for my school so that the students of both could communicate in Spanish.

Heather Randolph

A resident of Bakersfield, California, Heather is currently an elementary teacher at Millie Munsey School.  She has previously traveled to Japan, Mexico, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic, has received a Fulbright-Hays Seminars Abroad award to China and is now looking forward to experiencing what Argentina has to offer.  She works with students from diverse backgrounds and strives to educate them academically, socially, and behaviorally.  She stresses the importance of understanding the world and encourages her fellow teachers to attain grants for special projects that allow students to be exposed to the world around them. As an educator, Heather makes international travel a priority.  She hopes to take back what she learns in Argentina to her students, so that they may be exposed to other cultures and develop global awareness.

Corinne Rucker

Corinne Rucker is an English as a Second Language teacher at John Eaton Elementary School in Washington, DC.  She received a M.Ed. in Elementary Education from the George Washington University, and a B.A. in History and German Language and Literature from Amherst College.  She enjoys learning about the different languages and cultures of the English Language Learners she teaches. Her focus for the Fulbright-Hays Seminar is on intercultural education and foreign and second language instruction in Argentina.

Eileen Maria Scotto

My name is Eileen Maria Scotto and I am thrilled to be a part of this wonderful adventure in la bellissima Argentina!!
Well, where should I begin…
I am a young woman of Italian and Irish heritage who was born in the small town of Monte di Procida in southern Italy (near Naples).  I lived there for almost 10 years before moving to the United States and settling in Wallingford, CT.  I am the oldest of four and have three younger fun-loving brothers.  I enjoy spending time with my family and when we all get together we have a great time playing games and sharing meals. In college, I studied Spanish (I have always loved languages) and worked hard to prepare myself to become an elementary bilingual teacher.  In school, I had the opportunity to sudy and work overseas in Spain and in Guatemala.  I really enjoy traveling and meeting new people- there is an adventure around every corner!  I can’t wait to see what Argentina has in store for us.
For the past 11 years, I have been working as a third grade bilingual teacher in the Hartford Public School System.  There is never a dull moment as I’m sure you can imagine.  My students have given me a few gray hairs, but mostly, they have been a tremendous source of joy and pride.  Afterschool, I teach my students basic flamenco steps, sevillanas (folk dancing from the city of Sevilla), and rumba.  We’re not ready for Hollywood yet, but we sure have alot of fun doing it and it enables me to share part of the Spanish culture in a very real and meaningful way.
School keeps me very busy, but when I get the chance to relax, I enjoy listening to music, dancing (especially salsa y merengue), cooking ( I make a pretty good tomato sauce como buena italiana), walking, watching movies, and gardening.  Finally, I love getting together with family and friends- enjoying a good meal and sharing some laughs and great conversation.

Jake Sproull

I’m Jake Sproull and I teach 6th grade at the Chinese American International School (CAIS) in San Francisco, CA.  CAIS is an independent, K – 8 bilingual Mandarin-English immersion language school.  My school is located within the same building as San Francisco’s French-American School and International High School, so the campus is a rather multi-cultural, multi-lingual school environment.  I grew up in Vermont, but have been happily settled in California and teaching for the past fifteen years.  Outside of school, I love to travel, having spent most of my time recently in Mexico and China.  I am really looking forward to this upcoming trip to Argentina!

Sarah Willis

I am a native of WA state and currently live in Seattle.  I received a BA from Washington State University in Romance Languages and have a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of WA.  I completed my student teaching at the American School in Guadalajara, Mexico.  I have been teaching Spanish and French at various levels (preschool through community college) for the past 25 years.  I currently teach K-3 Spanish at Seattle Country Day School, a K-8 private school.  I have studied in France, Guatemala, and Spain.  I am married with 3 children, ages 18, 20, and 22.  I love swimming, traveling, studying in other countries, watching movies, knitting, and Nordic skiing.

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