Student Reflection


by Katie Bednar

I am currently a junior studying Spanish and Education. I am working toward a certification in the teaching of Spanish for grades kindergarten through high school. My passion has always been in the field of education, and as I went through high school, my interest and affinity for the Spanish language developed. It only seemed natural to pair the two. For this reason, I am very excited to be working in the Champaign school district as a part of this project.

This will be my first semester working in the community via Spanish & Illinois, but over the course of the past two years I have worked in the Champaign schools tutoring and working with Spanish-speaking students. I discovered my interest in bilingual education through time spent observing and working in a bilingual kindergarten classroom. Much of my exposure to Spanish has been in a classroom setting, whether it is as the student or the mentor. My knowledge and comfort with the language are constantly improving.

I am grateful for this opportunity to use my Spanish in the Champaign-Urbana community to help and teach others, as well as to learn a little something myself.

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