STUDENT VOICES


Bethany Kjellesvik
Master of Arts in Education (MAEd)

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After completing a BA in English and Spanish, I entered the business world of communications and marketing in a St. Louis non-profit youth development organization. Within a year my heart lead me back to school so that I could work with these inspiring young people on the front lines in a classroom setting.

For three years I've managed to work full-time while pursuing both a teaching certification and a masters to teach English to non-Engilsh speakers. It has all paid off! This fall I begin in the Northwest Public School District as a 7th grade English teacher who is passionate about the intellectual and emotional development of her students.

A semester of undergraduate study in Spain ignited my second passion to help internationals living in the U.S. become proficient in the language and culture of their new home. I currently volunteer with the YMCA Literacy Council and help an amazingly talented adolescent Afghani refugee acquire the academic language skills she will need to succeed as a high school student.