Meet our 2019-20 International Teaching Assistants…

Jaafar Rouane ~ Arabic

Where do you live?  Marhaba! I am Jaafar from Agadir, Morocco.

 What is your academic background?  I got a B.A. in Linguistics. Currently, I’m enrolled in a master’s program in Applied Linguistics and Language Studies and I will defend my thesis this June.

 What do you want people to know about your country?  Morocco is a touristic country par excellence. It attracts around 10 million tourists from all over the world each year. My country is located in North Africa. It is mostly known for its fascinating cities Marrakesh, Tangier, and Agadir. These cities are visited by millions of people every year. Another distinguishing feature of my country is its unique cuisine which encompasses a number of extraordinarily delicious traditional plates such as Tagine, Couscous, and Bastilla in addition to the weird-looking, but amazingly delicious, Chebakia.

 What do you want to see or learn about in the U.S.?  While staying in the U.S., I would like to learn more about American culture and share my culture in return with the American people. I also want to experience what it is like to study and teach at an American college. I also want to meet new people, learn about other cultures and gain new friendships. I also wish to visit as many places in the U.S. as I can.

 3 fun facts about me:  

  1.  In the summer of 2015, I traveled to America to take part in MEPI’s Leadership Program at Roger Williams University and I had the chance to visit four states: Rhode Island, Washington, Boston and New York.
  2.  Last year, I took part in breaking a world record in Saudi Arabia as I participated in the largest hackathon in the world.
  3.  I like producing music.

Cindy He ~ Chinese

Where do you live?  My Chinese name is He Xingzhi. You are welcome to call me by “Cindy”. I am from Changsha, Hunan, China.

What is your academic background?  I am an English teacher here and work with teenagers. But I spent one year in Morgantown, WV to teach Mandarin there in 2008 and also I have taught Mandarin to British pupils in London for 3 years. I got my MA degree from Goldsmith College, Universities of London, while I was working in London. I am keen to study cross-cultural communication.

What do you want people to know about your country?  I am from the south of China, so I would like to teach some local cultural facts about where I am from. It’s the hometown of Chairman Mao (the first chairman of PRC). And I also want to introduce our diet, weather, the marriage custom, and the common pastimes, activities, etc. It’s probably different from the stereotype scenes most Americans get from films and magazines, but it’s the truth of our lives.

What do you want to see or learn about in the U.S.?  I really enjoy sightseeing and experiencing totally different cultures and customs. So I would like to explore as much as I could in the U.S. I am kind of an open-minded cosmopolitan. I wouldn’t find it hard to fit in the new environment.

3 fun facts about me:

  1. My hometown is the birthplace of Chairman Mao.
  2. I spent a year teaching in Morgantown, West Virginia.
  3. In my spare time, I prefer to travel around to open up my mind, or watch films that can give me something to think about.

Emma Bouchart ~ French

Where do you live?  Paris, France.

What is your academic background?  I am studying arts and I just graduated from a two-year BA course in bookbinding and gilding. We are also taught to print traditionally and with modern techniques, and I want to use that knowledge to become an illustrator.

What do you want people to know about your country?  I love the quirky aspects of french people and want to teach it to everyone ! Cultures, dialects, historical events, food, landscapes… France is a lovely place to visit, especially the seaside and I hope my students will get to love it as much as I do.

What do you want to see or learn about in the U.S.?  I hope I’ll get to see beautiful places and experience the life as an American, with all the traditions, culture and way of living. College life seems fun and I hope I’ll get to make plenty of friends. I would love to see a football match and learn to teach well.

3 fun facts about me:

  1.  I’m a pretty good cook, according to my 3 flatmates!
  2. I tried to teach myself multiple languages, and English is the only one I managed…
  3.  I love 80s french music.

Cornelius Stutz ~ German

Where do you live?
Cologne, Germany

What is your academic background?
Currently, I´m almost done with my Bachelor´s studies in order to become a high school teacher. Since I study English and music, I´m enrolled at two different institutions: the University of Cologne and the Music College of Cologne (HfMT Köln), with major on Violoncello.

What do you want people to know about your country?
Sauerkraut, bratwurst, beer, lederhosen…True, all aspects of Germany. But only in Bavaria, the very south of it. I was born over there, hence I love these facets and it’s a beautiful area, too, but Germany has much more to offer! Not only since I’ve moved to Cologne for my studies, I’ve discovered a totally new depiction of Germany. Different dialects, even though it’s only 300 miles away, a new cuisine, different humor, and last but not least Carnival! Every part has its own culture, festive days, dialects, types of beer… It would be great talking with you all about cultural differences and stereotypes in Germany, the USA and around the world!

What do you want to see or learn about in the U.S.? 
In the last few years, I’ve been traveling quite a lot. I have seen many different countries and astonishing landscapes, but the most important part was always one thing: the people of a country. Their way of thinking, their attitude towards life, their cultural background, their music and language, their food… I have never been to the U.S, so I am super curious about it and want to be a part of the environment I´m living in. College life, sports, music, arts, nature, history, politics, holidays, etc. Teaching German as a foreign language is something I have never done before, so I am really excited about it and will give my best.

3 fun facts about me:

  1. Few years back, I traveled from India to Germany via hitchhiking and have seen many beautiful countries in between and have met amazing people on the road.
  2.  I’ve got five siblings, so I´m used to a full house and people around me.
  3. Besides music, I love doing all kind of sports, but mainly parkour and kitesurfing (being German, I can also play soccer;))

Robby Pazmiño ~ Spanish

Where do you live?  Quito, Ecuador

What is your academic background?  I studied for thirteen years in a French school in Quito, Ecuador. I recently obtained a bachelor’s degree in International Relations with a minor in Political Science and English, at Universidad San Francisco de Quito. I also consider important to mention the fact that I have studied abroad in the United States two times when I was in High School and while I was at the University.

What do you want people to know about your country?  Ecuador is a small country located in the middle of the world, just between the northern and southern hemispheres. The main language in my country is Spanish and the currency is American dollars. Ecuador is known and recognized all over the world, because of its beauty and diversity. Within the frontiers, people can discover a country full of life and colors. Ecuador has four regions, the coast, the jungle, the mountain range and the Galapagos Islands. Quito, the city where I am from has been recognized for several years by UNESCO as a cultural heritage of humanity, this beautiful city is also known as one of the highest cities of the world.

What do you want to see or learn about in the U.S.?  Since I was a kid I have been involved in the American culture. I already know different places, states, cities, and cultures inside of the country, but I feel that I need to expand my horizons. I want to discover the East side of the country deeply, specially Pennsylvania and its beauty.

3 fun facts about me:

  1. I speak four languages English, French, Portuguese and Spanish.
  2. I am big fan of sports and I play pretty much every single sport.
  3. I love American food especially fast food, my favorite chain restaurant is Chick-fil-A.