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Assistants 2017/18 Assistants 2017/18

LET'S LEARN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR ASSISTANTS

 ASHLEY MÉNDEZ

Hello! My name is Ashley Méndez Ruiz. I have been an auxiliar at Ramón Gómez de la Serna for two years, and I am happy to renew at this amazing school for a third one. I am 24 years old, and I was born and raised in Puerto Rico.

I moved to Pennsylvania to pursue a college career. I graduated from Arcadia University on May 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology. I am currently finishing up a Masters Degree in Interdisciplinary Gender Studies at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

I enjoy playing volleyball, baseball, basketball and swimming. I played volleyball for over 10 years, and coached for five years. Which is why I collaborate with the Physical Education Department at Ramón Gómez de la Serna during those units classes.

Teaching is one of my biggest passions. Working hands on with my students, and knowing I am having a positive impact on their life is deeply fulfilling and has help me grow during the past two years in many levels. I love seeing how my students grown and improve their English skills.

I look forward to next year!

ASHLEY LACOURSE

A 28 year old from Orlando Florida, USA. I have worked in the classroom for over ten years, I graduated with a bachelors degree in Psychology from Florida Atlantic University in 2014 and have been fortunate enough to teach English here in Spain for the last three years. It truly has been an honor to spend this last school year with the staff and students here at Ramón Gómez de la Serna.

NEW ASSISTANTS 15/16 NEW ASSISTANTS 15/16

ALEX

Hello! My name is Alex Costa, and I’m a new English Language Assistant at Ramón Gómez de la Serna School this year.  I’m 25 years old and I am from Hamilton, New Jersey in the United States.  I really love reading and writing and got my Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Delaware in 2012.  After I graduated, I taught English as a Foreign Language in an elementary school in Busan, South Korea.  Last year, I got my Master’s degree in Teaching and became a certified English teacher in the United States.  I really enjoy teaching because I like helping students expand their perspectives and find the things they are passionate about.  Education is so important, and I hope that by having a positive impact on my students’ lives, they can go on to help the world with their talents and have a positive impact on someone else’s life. 

Some other things I enjoy are singing, dancing, hiking, swimming at the beach, traveling, scuba diving, watching films and plays, and trying new things.  This is my first time in Spain, and I’m really thankful for this opportunity to learn about Spanish language and culture while sharing my language and culture with the students.

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KRYSTAL

Hello Everyone! My name is Krystal Figueroa, and this is my first year working as an English Language Assistant in Madrid, Spain. I am a 24  year old American. I was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. In 2013 I graduated from Union College with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology. I was passionate to pursue both of those degrees because I have always loved working and interacting with others.

After college I decided I would take a “gap year” – a year between finishing your bachelor’s degree and getting your Masters. Little did I know was that one gap year would lead me to where I am today.  During my gap year, I worked in a 3rd grade classroom in a Boston inner city school with an organization called City Year. During my year of service, I worked on Academics, Behavior and Coursework with a select group of students. I also supported my teacher in any way possible. That experience provided me with the desire to continue teaching in an academic setting. After my gap year, I enrolled in aMasters in Social work program. One week before I was going to begin, I decided I didn’t want to pursue that goal anymore.

Once I decided not to go, I moved to Puerto Rico and did some soul searching where I realized I missed two very meaningful things in my life: traveling and teaching. I missed seeing the happy faces that students have when they understand something, and I also missed learning about new cultures.  Once I realized what was missing, I looked into some possible programs. Through my research, I fell in love with the possibility of coming to Spain to teach, and here I am. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I am so grateful to be in Madrid where I have Europe as my backyard and the opportunity to work at a great school. I truly do enjoy working with the teachers and students I interact with each day. I have the luxury of working with various age groups on different subjects including Social Science, English, Natural Science and Art. One of the things that I like most is that not only are my students learning something new every day, but I learn something new through them and the other teachers as well. 

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J.P.



NEW ASSINTANS 14/15 NEW ASSINTANS 14/15

KRIS

Hello! My name is Kristopher Jordan, although I usually go by Kris. I am very excited to be working at Ramón Gómez de la Serna this year! I am 27 years old, and I am from a very, very small town outside of Columbus, Ohio called Plain City. It only has a population of about 3,300 people. 

This is my second year in Madrid. Two years ago, I lived in Madrid and was a language assistant in Rivas Vaciamadrid. Last year, I taught English in a school in Ohio, but I loved Spain so much the first time, that I decided to come back for another year. During my time at the university, I studied abroad here in Spain, in the city of Toledo. 

I enjoy activities such as sports, music, and of course learning Spanish. I played American football and baseball, and I still love to exercise. I also can play the guitar and sing (though I wont say I sing too well, hahaha). Teaching is something I really enjoy because there is no feeling like knowing you are having a positive impact on someone's life. I love seeing how smart the children are and how excited they are to learn new things. I look forward to spending time getting to know the students and staff this year!!

MATTHEW

Hello everyone!  My name is Matthew Maddox.  I am one of the new English Language and Culture Assistants at Ramón Gómez de la Serna.  First, I want to express how happy I am to be here!  The teachers are amazing and a pleasure to work with.  The students are great because they enjoy learning.  This makes helping them learn English ´´easy as pie´´! 

Now, I will tell you a little bit about myself.  I am 27 years old from Evansville, Indiana.  It is easiest to say that I am from a city 6 hours south of Chicago, Illinois.  I received my Bachelor of Arts Degree from The University of Southern Indiana with a double major in Economics and Spanish Studies.  For a while I lived in Miami, Florida. 

It has always been a dream of mine to come to Spain.  Thanks to the Community of Madrid, I am finally here -- to augment the English language in this fantastic school!  I look forward to helping the students this coming year.  Please, do not be a stranger!  Say ´´hello´´ or ask me any questions you might have!