Susannah Barba

In 2006, I was thinking about going to China to teach English, but I had never taught international students before. Then I got my first taste of teaching ESL at Agape, and I discovered that yes, it was great! The students at Agape were self-motivated and excited about learning English.

I left for China in 2007 and spent three wonderful years teaching speaking and writing courses at Jilin Financial University, in the very cold city of Changchun. In my spare time, I had meals and parties with students, led English discussion groups, traveled to other fascinating parts of the country, and studied the Chinese language.

My college degrees are in print journalism (B.A.) and English literature (M.A.), but teaching ESL is the occupation that I've found most rewarding. I love learning about my students' home cultures and discussing meaningful topics with them.

Back to Top

Tiffany Fore

Pending

Back to Top

Brooke Pizzati, Greenville Director

For as a long as I can remember, I have loved learning about other cultures and I have loved teaching. After graduating from high school, I became a student at North Greenville University. I majored in Elementary Education and continued to develop my passion for teaching. One of my roommates during college was an international student. We had a lot of fun learning about each other’s different cultures. During one summer session, I traveled to the Philippines and spent two months learning another language and teaching English. This experience changed my life and I knew beginning that summer I would be involved in learning about other languages and cultures. I also obtained my Teaching English as a Foreign Language certificate during my college years.

In the fall of my senior year, my brothers invited 15 international students to our house during Fall Break. One of those international students was named Rene Pizzati and he was from Honduras, Central America. We met for the first time that weekend and just a few months later, we married. Being married to an International has given me new perspective into learning English as a Second Language. I have seen firsthand the difficulties and the triumphs. We have a lot of fun in our home blending two cultures. We have a daughter, Gabby, who was born here in the United States, and a son, Owen, who was born in Honduras.

When we first married, I had the opportunity to teach English and some basic Spanish classes in the public schools. After two years, we moved to Honduras where we lived for five and half years. During those years, I went to language school and had to learn even more Spanish. My experience in language school gave me even more compassion and understanding for those learning a new language. I had various roles in Honduras including orphanage director, teacher, and church planter. I also had the opportunity to be involved in starting a bilingual school that taught both English and Spanish in the town where we lived which allowed me a unique experience to research curriculums and teaching techniques. We returned to the states in January of 2011 and I began teaching at Agape. I love interacting with the students and teachers. We all learn a lot from each other.

Back to Top

Aimee Reeves, Columbia Assistant

Aimee Reeves joined AELI in August 2010. She is from Gainesville, Florida, home of the University of Florida. She taught ESL for a short time in 1997 and in 2000 in Arequipa, Peru. Aimee received her BA degree in 2002 from the University of Florida in Linguistics with a minor in TESOL. She later received her MA and her TEFL Certificate in 2007 from Columbia International University in Columbia, SC. After graduating, Aimee taught ESL briefly in 2008 at the English Language Institute at the University of Florida. Aimee and her husband Jonathan moved to Columbia in July 2010 after living in Gainesville, Florida for 3 years. Aimee enjoys meeting international students and learning about other cultures. In her free time, Aimee enjoys spending time with her husband, photography, going on a walk, movies, traveling, and going to the mountains.

Back to Top

Brett Varner, Program Director

In 2001, some of my friends talked me into going to Haiti with them for a week to help open a medical clinic. It was a wonderful adventure, and since then I have been traveling. I've been to several countries in Europe and South America. I decided to teach myself Spanish several years ago. It was then that I realized that I had a knack for understanding languages and teaching them. I began to teach ESL and basic Spanish as a volunteer while living in Fayetteville, Arkansas. In 2007 I moved to Guadalajara for year where I received a certificate at International Teacher Training Organization to teach English as a second language. I taught in Mexico for a year. I then discovered Agape in Columbia, and decided to move here to be closer to family. Teaching at Agape has been a great experience. There is such a positive attitude among teachers and students which makes a Agape a pleasant place to teach and learn.

Back to Top

Will Somerville

I grew up in North Carolina, and both my parents were teachers. My early life was filled with the excitement of learning new things, which grew as my family moved to live in Mexico while I was a teenager. Since then I have studied for two years in New Zealand, and finished my studies at Columbia International University here in Columbia, SC. I also had the opportunity to teach in an elementary school for half a year in Vanua Levu, Fiji. My interest in teaching English grew dramatically while I was on a two month internship in Baku, Azerbaijan. Upon returning to school, I was motivated to learn more about how to teach English well, and studied TEFL during my final year. My experience showed me my natural strengths in teaching, and returning to study gave me more insight into English Acquisition. I think of myself as a guide for my students, much like a tour guide exposing visitors to his native surroundings. Join me, and let's go explore!

Back to Top

Heather Wise

Pending

Back to Top