Jenna at the German-American Club in Albany, beneath the state crest where she lived in Germany.
A Buffalo-area native, Jenna studied English, International Studies, and German at Siena University. After winning a Fulbright, to teach English in Germany for two years, she completed a Master’s in Global Studies and International Relations at Northeastern University. Learn why some of her favorite teaching memories happened onstage:
What led to your interest in the German language?
It started with my high school Latin teacher. She travelled a lot and spent every summer on archeological digs around Cologne (there’s some cool Roman ruins in that area of Germany).
It was a small class, so we’d talk a lot about traveling and she mentioned that she thought I’d like Vienna. Our conversations piqued my interest, so I studied German to meet a foreign language requirement and have been loving it ever since!
For the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 2024. An art exhibition was set up along the route where the wall used to be.
What did your Fulbright experience teach you about language learning?
I had the amazing opportunity to work with middle and high school-aged learners in the classroom as well as tutoring English one-on-one to adults in the evenings.
My favorite experiences were working with students on English-language theatre productions. I got to see learners connect closely with English through their love of acting and plays we worked on.
Read about German Teacher Ellen Atwood
You have worked in legal, higher education, and corporate roles. How do you they help in teaching – especially adult learners?
Some commonalities between the different roles I’ve had include a love of working with people and collaborating to solve problems. I love to get to know people and see how to make an experience – whether it be a legal proceeding, an academic year, or a corporate event – a little bit better and more meaningful.
I get a lot of joy from fostering productive moments and connections, which I think translates pretty seamlessly to a classroom setting!
Getting ready for Karneval with language teaching assistant friends during Jenna’s Fulbright in Germany.
Anything else you’d like to share about the importance of learning languages or your love of teaching them?
Language learning is so much fun! It connects you to a way of thinking and viewing the world that you may not have experienced before. Everyone should do it!
If you are interested in learning more about German or other language classes, check out the schedule for upcoming classes or contact us with questions.