Meet the Spring 2011 Interns!
TYO is pleased to introduce the latest, stellar members of our Nablus team. Welcome, Spring Interns: Adam, Mathilda, Colin and Leila! Their classes begin next week. Currently, they are in the middle of an informative and energizing 10-day orientation program! Please continue to view this blog in the coming weeks for updates on their progress and reflections on their experiences in Nablus.
For now, here is a bit about our new team members: Adam was born and raised in East Lansing, Michigan, just outside the campus of Michigan State University. He graduated from Tulane University in 2008 with a BS Psychology and a BA in Sociology. While in New Orleans, Adam worked in various positions in and around the public schools utilizing the benefits of play and the productive influence of positive thinking. Following graduation, he spent a year working in an English academy in Seoul, South Korea. This spring, Adam will be teaching a variety of English courses to fifth graders, twelfth graders, TYO staff and adult community members. Adam loves getting lost in books, wandering little-traveled roadways, running as means of exploration, playing music as ‘personal therapy,’ and all things New Orleans, especially those with a dash of funk mixed in!
Mathilda is from near Liverpool in the north of the UK. She graduated from London's School of Oriental and African Studies six months ago, having studied Japanese and Politics (especially International Relations, the Middle East, and Africa) - with Spanish and Persian on the side. She is really looking forward to taking on Arabic as her seventh language, when not teaching or working on projects. This spring, Mathilda will be teaching yoga, basic photography and English. She loves living and working overseas and is excited to see what the universe throws her way in Nablus.
Colin grew up just a bit north of the Bronx in New York. He had a youth dominated by basketball and soccer. He graduated from Boston College in 2008 with a BA in History. After graduation, Colin took up work in a conflict resolution/education capacity in Belfast. Since Belfast, Colin has worked a bit in New York, part-time in South Africa for the World Cup and down in Ciudad Juarez running educational/basketball programming in Mexico. This spring, Colin will be facilitating the Big Brothers' Club and Homework Help tutoring. He loves running, books of all persuasions, writing, cereal and travel.
Leila hails from Durham, North Carolina though she considers Amman, Jordan her second home having spent a few years there as a kid. Leila graduated from Duke University in 2010 with a BA in Political Science and French & European Studies. After graduation, Leila spent the past few months in the Middle East traveling through Lebanon, Jerusalem and Jordan, and working in Amman with a youth and community development organization. This spring, Leila will be teaching aerobics and computer classes to female community members and a music class for kids. She love practically anything "outdoorsy," traveling, languages music, piano and cooking.