Summer Interns at GLN!

You might often wonder about the awesome GLN interns who are working tirelessly to ensure that you get the best language learning experience possible. Well, here’s your chance of finding out more about the GLN team! 

Where are you from and where do you go to school?

Melanie Izard: Buffalo, NY, and I go to American University.

Krista: I’ve lived in the DC Area, London, the UK, and Illinois. My alma maters are Richmond, The American International University in London & London School of Economics and Political Science.

Joseph Foti: I’m from Cleveland, and go to The Ohio State University.

Joe-Ann Touma: Sterling, VA and I go to James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA.

Kelsy Chou: My hometown is Taipei, Taiwan, and I go to the University of California, Irvine.

Olivia Savage: My hometown is Columbus, Ohio and I go to school at the University of Cincinnati

Caroline Thompson: Annapolis, MD, and I go to American University.

What brought you to the GLN?

Kelsy: I came to GLN hoping to increase my and the students’ foreign language skills as well as learning about other cultures. I also wanted to learn more about non-profit organization administration.

Joe-Ann: I came to GLN because of my passion for service and languages!! I wanted to do something that could help others become more open-minded.

Olivia: I saw a job offer I liked and realized the position had been filled so I imagined it would be interesting to intern at the GLN so I could see what the Program Coordinator position entails at a small non-profit.

Melanie: I love learning languages and wanted to be in an organization that valued cultural communication and mutual language learning!

Caroline: I wanted to use language to make a difference and learn more about other cultures.

Krista: An interest in learning languages is what brought me here. I’ve been a student off and on as my schedule has allowed. I love learning about languages, diverse cultures, and global affairs. I have a passion for learning about the world and interacting with people from around the world.

What languages do you speak?

Joe: English, Italian

Kelsy: Mandarin Chinese and English.

Joe-Ann: English, Arabic

Krista: English, French, some Italian, and I have some familiarity with various Slavic languages and German. This summer, I am studying Polish and Arabic with GLN. I’ve also studied Russian and Swedish with GLN. I read French literature and newspapers.

Caroline: English, and some French

Olivia: English, Spanish and a liiiittle bit of Telugu and Hindi.

Melanie: English, Spanish, German, some Chinese and Portuguese, and I’m currently taking a Swahili class with GLN!

What’s your Hogwarts house?

Joe-Ann: Hufflepuff

Joe: Ravenclaw

Caroline: Slytherin

Kelsy: Ravenclaw

Melanie: Hufflepuff

Krista: Gryffindor

Olivia: Gryffindor

What are you passionate about?

Melanie: The environment!

Joe: History, Religion, and Cooking 🙂

Kelsy: Improving educational environment and youth leadership development.

Olivia: I am passionate about being a tourist in the cities in which I live. I love national parks and love nothing more than spending weeks on end camping and hiking. When I’m not exploring the natural world I’m eating awesome food and trying to meet new and interesting people from different cultures.

Joe-Ann: Languages, Middle Eastern politics, cats, food, and music, especially Young the Giant.

Krista: Exploring and understanding the world, learning new things, making and maintaining friendships. Life is an adventure and I never stop enjoying it.

Caroline: I’m passionate about making a difference in other people’s lives and using the knowledge I have to help others.

If you could travel anywhere for free right now, where would you go?

Olivia: Andhra Pradesh, India!

Caroline: Nice, France.

Krista: I’d go on an around the world tour with as many stops as possible.

Joe-Ann: Lebanon!

Kelsy: Switzerland!

Joe: Moscow, Russia.

Melanie: The fjords of New Zealand.

Do you have any pets?

Joe-Ann: I have a cat named Olly. He is the sweetest love of my life and gives me a lot of joy!

Olivia: Gilligan and Oreo are the loves of my life! One 12-year-old Pee-a-poo (that’s Oreo) and an 8-month-old Springer-Doodle, Gilligan. Gilligan is 5% dog and 95% fluff with more energy than a toddler on espresso. He enjoys swimming and sprinting after bunnies at the park. Oreo prefers finding sunspots to sleep in on soft sofas or enjoying hamburgers from Wendy’s.

Melanie: Her name is Pebbles and she is a dog and she is beautiful.

Joe: I have a dog named Charlie! He’s a 15-year-old mutt!

What is/was your major?

Caroline: Business Administration.

Krista: I studied international relations, European politics and the broad subject of political economy.

Kelsy: Social Psychology and Education Sciences.

Melanie: International Studies with minor in Spanish!

Joe: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESL)

Olivia: International Affairs!

Joe-Ann: International Affairs and Arabic.

If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you bring: a frisbee, a book, an apple, or a scarf?

Olivia: A frisbee

Kelsy: A book

Joe: A frisbee

Melanie: An apple

Joe-Ann: An apple

Krista: A book

Caroline: A frisbee.

What do you want to do as a career?

Joe-Ann: I want to work with refugees and immigrants, helping them to assimilate to a new country.

Caroline: I’d like to work in the government or non-profit sector and travel the world making a difference in people’s lives.

Krista: I’d like to build upon my professional experience in a way that helps others. I am somewhat flexible but I am very interested in the interplay between politics, economics, and international relations. I am very motivated by client and customer work because I care deeply about working with others to solve problems. I am always interested in learning and growing. Being in a diverse or international environment is always a plus!

Melanie: I want to do conservation and sustainability work!

Kelsy: Youth education program development!

Joe: Teach English abroad and learn new languages!

Olivia: I would love to work as a Program Coordinator for an awesome non-profit that helps minorities in the USA. I plan to teach English in South America after I have paid off a significant amount of my Student loans, and after this, I would like to work with college international students or possibly work at a US consulate abroad.

Check out the full bios of all of our staff members here! Or reach out to them:
josephpfoti@gmail.com, melanieaizard@gmail.com, kelsyc@uci.edu, savageor@mail.uc.edu, jtouma44@gmail.com

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