Fulbright Teaching Assistants and Graduate Assistants 2019-2020
2019-2020 TAs and GAs
Every year, the University of Scranton hosts Fulbright Language Teaching Assistants and Graduate Assistants from all over the world who teach world language classes, offer educational events to the community, and share their cultures with the university.
2019-2020 TAs and GAs
- Laura Freedman - Language Learning Center GA
- Hsiang-Ling (Charlize) Wang - Taiwan (Chinese)
- Vianey Florentino Perez - Mexico (Spanish)
- Sarah Romero Avella - Colombia (Spanish)
- Clara Fabbri - France (French)
- Khadiga AboBakr - Egypt (Arabic)
- Minori Koga - Japan (Japanese)
- Lukas Rackow - Germany (German)
- Alessandra Abate - Italy (Italian)
Laura Freedman
Hello, everyone! My name is Laura Freedman, and I am the graduate assistant of the Language Learning Center. I was born and raised in North Jersey, and I just graduated from the University of Scranton in May 2019 with my Bachelor’s in journalism and electronic media and minors in French and business analytics. The University of Scranton truly is my second home, which is why I decided to stay an extra two years to pursue my Master’s in Business Administration. I absolutely love traveling! I have been to Ireland, England, France and Italy, and I am excited to be going to Australia this January!
Laura Freedman
laura.freedman@scranton.edu
306 O'Hara Hall
Hsiang-Ling (Charlize) Wang
What brought me to Scranton? “The Office,” of course. Just kidding! My passion for teaching is what brought me here. I love motivating students to advance their knowledge of not only the Chinese language, but also the Chinese culture. The Department of World Languages has the perfect atmosphere to do just that! My other passion in life is traveling! Traveling allows me to make connections between what I have learned in cross cultural/ intercultural communication classes and real life. So far, I have traveled to over 25 countries. I am very friendly, so feel free to say hi when you see me around campus or stop by my office to chat! My advice for students would be to take advantage of the many opportunities the department has to offer, and to join our global-friendly community!
Hsiang-Ling (Charlize) Wang
hsiang-ling.wang@scranton.edu
304 O'Hara Hall
Vianey Florentino Perez
Hola! Hello! My name is Vianey Florentino Perez and I am the Fulbright Spanish Language assistant this year. I am from Mazahua small indigenous community call San Francisco Chalchihuapan (a nahuatl language which means “emeralds place”) in the State of Mexico, Mexico. It is located in the north, next to a huge mountain called “N’gemuru” (a Mazahua name which means “close to God”) In Mexico there are a wide selection of indigenous groups and languages: 364 linguistic variants and 64 indigenous groups. I studied Intercultural Communication at the first Intercultural University in Latin America whose main goal is to create intercultural bridges and give voice to the ethnic minorities. I am really interested in learning Culture and education issues: I consider this is the best way to get a better world. I have worked as a High school teacher in Mexico and Wales UK. If you want to learn more about the awesome Spanish language or the Mexican culture, I am here to help you! Saludos! Regards! *Nahuatl is one of the indigenous languages of Mexico.
Vianey Florentino Perez
vianey.florentinoperez@scranton.edu
310 O'Hara Hall
Sarah Romero Avella
¡Hola a todos! My name is Sarah, and I am the Spanish Teaching Assistant. Before coming to Scranton, I studied English Philology at Universidad Nacional de Colombia and worked in my hometown, Chía, as an English teacher. Colombia is a beautiful, biodiverse country filled with hundreds of breathtaking landscapes. Did you know that there are over 60 native languages in Colombia? If you’re interested in learning more fun facts about Colombia, or if you’re interested in practicing your Spanish, be sure to contact me! I’d be more than happy to share more bits and pieces about me and my culture with you!
Sarah Romero Avella
sarah.romeroavella@scranton.edu
324 O'Hara Hall
Clara Fabbri
Bonjour tout le monde! My name is Clara, and I am so happy to be a Fulbright teaching assistant here at The University of Scranton! Although my name sounds Italian, I have lived in Paris my entire life. I have a bachelor’s degree in English studies and a master’s degree in gender studies. Last year, I studied at the University of Austin, and I absolutely fell in love with the town! Although I haven’t been in Scranton for that long, I can already tell I’m falling in love with this place as well! During my free time I love to play the flute, and I am currently learning how to play the guitar. Feel free to stop by my office whenever you want to chat about French culture. I would love to talk to you about French movies, French music and/ or French food!
Clara Fabbri
clara.fabbri@scranton.edu
311 O'Hara Hall
Khadiga AboBakr
Hello! My name is Khadiga, but most people call me Diga. My mother is Palestinian, my father is Sudanese and my paternal grandmother is Egyptian, so I can proudly say I grew up in a multicultural environment! I fell in love with English at a young age, which is why I decided to major in it. I started my teaching career six years ago and have been a supervisor and teacher trainer for several reputable training centers. Before coming to Scranton, I worked at the American University in Cairo. I’m a very sociable person, so if you happen to run into me, don’t hesitate to say hi!
Khadiga AboBakr
khadiga.abobakr@scranton.edu
324 O'Hara Hall
Minori Koga
My name is Minori Koga (古峨美法). I am so happy to be here as a Fulbright FLTA this year. I was born and raised in Nagasaki on the island of Kyushu in Japan, and spent my high school days in Fukuoka, which is the largest city in Kyushu. Then, I moved to the capital, Tokyo! From the age of 18, I lived in Tokyo for 10 years. I miss my life in Tokyo a bit, but I enjoy my new life in Scranton!
What I did in Tokyo may sound weird to you, but I studied American literature there! Are you surprised? Actually, we have so many American literature fans in Japan. Almost all universities have a department of English literature. I am one of them and have an MA in American Literature. My favorite writers are Ernest Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, Zora Neale Hurston, Carson McCullers, Truman Capote, Miranda July, etc. I also like Haruki Murakami, who is one of the most famous Japanese novelists in the world. If you know any good writers, please let me know!
Minori Koga
minori.koga@scranton.edu
304 O'Hara Hall
Lukas Rackow
Hallo zusammen! My name is Lukas Rackow and I am the German Fulbright FLTA at the University of Scranton this year. I am from Bochum, a city in the west of Germany (if you are into soccer, you might know our neighbor city Dortmund). I graduated this year with a Masters degree in English, History and Latin and have worked as an English teacher for the past three years.
I also do a lot of volunteer work, I have been a Boy Scout since my childhood and I have worked with international students at my him university organizing events, trips and cultural events for them. I love experiencing new cultures and getting to know new people from different backgrounds. Therefore, I am very excited about this unique opportunity for sharing my culture with you and for learning about the US and its culture, history and amazing people. I look forward to meeting you this year!
Wir sehen uns.
Lukas Rackow
lukas.rackow@scranton.edu
324 O'Hara Hall
Alessandra Abate
Ciao! My name is Alessandra Abate. I was born and raised in Sicily, a beautiful island at the bottom of Italy. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures and a Master's Degree in Comparative Literature with a focus on Canadian Lit. My favorite writer is Margaret Atwood, I think she's absolutely brilliant! In Sicily, I am an English and Italian TA and a student advisor at the University of Catania. I'm very excited about sharing my culture with the learning community of Scranton as well as traveling around the US.
Alessandra Abate
alessandra.abate@scranton.edu
311 O'Hara Hall
Fulbright TAs 2018-2019
From left: Juan Carlos Ruiz (Colombia), Laura Martel (France), Minori Koga (Japan), Maryam Ahmed (Bahrain)
Fulbright TAs 2017-2018
From left: Vianey Florentino Perez (Mexico), Rabab Mesbahi (Morocco), Lea Gorski (Germany)
Fulbright TAs 2016-2017
Bottom from left: Aymen Khazaal (Iraq), Chie Fujikake (Japan)
Fulbright TAs 2015-2016
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