Group 16 - TEFL
1999-2001

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The following are brief biosketches of volunteers serving in TEFL Group 16.

Brandye Alexander is a TEFL volunteer at the Gymnasium named for V. Senator in Smila (pop. 90,000)  A graduate of Humbolt State University in California, she worked as a journalist in newpapers and websites prior to joining Peace Corps in 1999.  In Smila, she has organized a leadership workshop for girls in the 9^th-11^th forms.

Jackie Ambrose primary activities are teaching: British Literature, British Country Studies (like social studies); American Literature, American Country Studies, Practical English (discussions, writing, reading short stories, etc.) at the Mikolayiv Pedagogical University. She teaches 1st-4th year students. Secondary projects are guest visits to other classes at her university, local secondary schools and the teacher recertification institute.

Jackie graduated from Nova Southeastern University with a Masters in English as a Second Language and Applied Linguistics in 1993.  She taught high school and middle school for four years in California before joining Peace Corps Ukraine.  She is very interested in poetry by Langston Hughes and enjoys collecting vocabulary/word games and other activities for intermediate to high level learners of English.

Lori Boyer is a TEFL teacher at Secondary School #3 in Zhytomyr.  She is working with 5-11^th graders and with the local pedagogical University.  She will be doing other projects such as an open city-wide English class, practical seminars for city teachers, and sexual health workshops for organizations in Zhytomyr city and oblast.  She graduated from Franklin and Marshall College and has a degree in Psychology.

Heather Brock is a TEFL volunteer in Donetsk, a mining center with a population of around 1.4 million people in eastern Ukraine. She teaches English and American Studies at Donetsk College, a specialized public secondary school. She holds a degree from Johns Hopkins University in German and History and has studied in Argentina, Germany and Russia. In her spare time, she enjoys climbing the slag heaps of Donetsk - at least the ones that aren't still burning.

Amy Daniels is TEFL volunteer currently serving in Sevastopol.  Amy graduated from the University of Michigan in 1999 with a Bachelor’s in Asian Studies.  She is originally from Connecticut.  She works at a State Secondary School and Sevastopol’s Youth Center for Social Services.

Felicity Gatchell teaches Conversational English in a high school in Rohatyn in Western Ukraine.  For many years she has worked with children in enrichment programs and encouraging them to be more globally aware.  Over the past ten years she has been assisting in disasters with the Red Cross as an RN both in Alabama and across the U.S.

Paul Gatchell graduated from Iowa State University.  He teaches English Conversation via topics including environmental, drama, music and world awareness at the Gymnasium in Rohatyn, Ivano-Frankovsk Oblast.

Rebecca Houghtaling attended Eastern Kentucky University where she graduated with honors in History and Literature.  Currently she is serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine and is teaching at Rivne Gymnasium #1 where she is working on curriculum development and the role of the individual in society.  Rebecca enjoys traveling, reading, hiking, and photography.

Susan Jaros is currently serving as a TEFL volunteer in Mikolayiv where she teaches at the Kyiv Slavonic University.  Susan has a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Religion and a masters in Humanities from Penn State.

Christian Smith primary site is a pedagogical (teacher-training) college, particularly with an emphasis on foreign-language education (English, German, and Russian). He teaches courses fulfilling the national curriculum in Ukraine in the areas of practical English, task-based English (resumes, research papers, business-letter writing, etc.), and foreign Literature (British and Contemporary American literature). His secondary sites have been in helping to create/build a viable Parliamentary (and sometimes Policy) Debate circuit in Southern Ukraine, teaching American sports to young kids (baseball, American football, Ultimate Frisbee), and working with a youth NGO.

Jason Wexler is a TEFL volunteer from Albuquerque, New Mexico.   Currently, he is working at the Zhytomyr Institute of Engineering and Technology in the city of Zhytomyr.  In May 1999 Jason graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor’s degree in General Business.