My name is Val. I am a junior at OU; I’ll be graduating in
the fall of this year! I am a Religious Studies major, but I intend to teach
English as a Second Language after graduation. I really enjoy teaching, and I
love that teaching English will enable me to work almost anywhere in the world.
Post-graduation I am looking at working in Southeast Asia for a year or two in
order to pay off my student loans, but I don’t plan to settle there long-term.
I would like to live and work in Northern Africa. There I will be able to work—though
I won’t make as much as in Asia. I will also be able to utilize my French. I
would prefer to teach in an immersion program; however, if I am unable to find
such a position in a French-speaking country then I will have the option to
teach English in most public and private schools because many North African
countries are French-speaking. I am taking a class through OU this semester
which covers the various techniques of teaching a foreign language! I am also
taking Jews and Other Germans for my major and French Phonetics and French
Film, both of which will help me to finish up my French minor. I hope to
eventually be fluent in French, as it will help expand my job opportunities and
also offer a lot of benefits in my personal life.
Currently, I work three different jobs. They are very
non-traditional, but I really enjoy them and prefer it over working in a more
normal part-time situation. Three days a week I tutor a seven-year-old. We
cover math, science, reading comprehension, writing, English grammar, and
phonics. We also take occasional trips to the public library, and we do science
experiments and projects as well. Bi-monthly I clean for a really nice guy that
works in the oil and gas industry. It isn’t super glamorous, but it is easy,
pays well, and I have the habit of hooking up my phone to the surround sound
and blasting music while I’m working. On Thursdays, I don’t have class. I care
for a mentally handicapped woman in Oklahoma City. She is thirty-four, and her
name is Janet. I also do occasional babysitting and pet-sitting!
(Photo taken by the mother of the little boy I tutor, Jake)
I work a lot more than I really need to, because I’m always
saving for the next trip I’m planning. Right now, I am planning to go to
Georgia for spring break and Egypt in July for two of my close friends’ wedding.
I am really excited! Traveling is something I really love, so I make it a
priority to save for trips. I also enjoy dancing and reading. My favorite kind
of books is old romance novels, the ones set in the Renaissance especially. I
also love swimming; I never miss a chance to go to the beach!
Well, that about sums it up! Feel free to comment if you
want to know anything more.
