My experience with languages began when I was just three years old. My parents emigrated from the Netherlands to the U.S., so I grew up in a bi-lingual home. In addition to Dutch and English, my paternal grandmother taught German for thirty years in the Netherlands, and my father's German heritage exposed me to the language at a young age. When I started high school, I added French to my repertoire of languages. I continued to study both French and German throughout high school and college.
I passionately believe that exposure to multiple languages helps expand our thinking. They expose us to world views that differ from ours and give us another tool for understanding the world around us. Education has been my passion; I began my career teaching German, English, journalism, and photojournalism instructor in Northern Virginia. I earned my master's in literacy and am a certified literacy specialist for secondary education. What excites me about my job as a Language and Literacy Sales Specialist is that I can blend my experience and passion for languages, learning, and literacy into supporting districts, schools, educators, and students.