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Meet the Teachers

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	The teachers were asked several questions about their favorite things, subjects they liked and didn't like in high school, where they grew up, and so on. This is your chance to know everything about your favorite World Language teachers! French teachers: Sarah Sexton, Rita VanDyne German teachers: Elise Walsh Spanish teachers: Carey Christensen, Antonio Espinoza, Lani Mozer, Kendall Wilson Christensen \| King \| Espinoza \| Mozer \| Sexton VanDyne \| Walsh \| Wilson

	Ms. Christensen	Where did you grow up? Peshtigo, Wisconsin (one hour north of Green Bay) Do you have a nickname? CC, Care Bear, Trainer What high school did you go to? Peshtigo High School Where did you go to college? University of Wisconsin, White Water What is your favorite junk food or fast food? Taco Bell What is you favorite Sunday dinner? Steak and potatoes
	Do you have any pets and what are their names? No What are your hobbies? Pottery, sports What’s your horoscope sign? Virgo How many brothers and sisters do you have? 5 brothers, 1 sister How did you learn to speak the language you teach? Classes and I lived in Spain (the Canary Islands) for a year What is your least favorite chore? Cleaning the kitchen What is your dream vacation? Caribbean Cruise What subject(s) did you hate in high school? English, Math	What subject(s) did you love? Biology When did you start teaching? January 1999 Do you (did you) play an instrument? The flute (I won the John Phillip Sousa Award) and piano What is something that most people do not know about you? I love to travel and I come from a big family What clubs or sports did you do in high school? Volleyball and basketball What’s the funniest / most unusual / weirdest job you ever had? Cleaning dorm rooms If I weren’t a teacher, I would be a . . . Skydiving instructor back to top

	Mr. King	Where did you grow up? I moved here to Ft. Collins from Los Angeles when I was 5 yrs old. Do you have a nickname? Phil What high school did you go to? Poudre High School Where did you go to college? Colorado State University What is your favorite junk food or fast food? Chips and salsa What is you favorite Sunday dinner? Pork cutlets Do you have any pets and what are their names? None
	What are your hobbies? Reading, bike-riding, fishing, traveling What’s your horoscope sign? Leo How many brothers and sisters do you have? One 1 How did you learn to speak the language you teach? Studied in Spain What is your least favorite chore? Dusting What is your dream vacation? Machu Picchu What subject(s) did you hate in high school? Science	What subject(s) did you love? Woodshop, Art, Languages When did you start teaching? 1982 Do you (did you) play an instrument? Piano What is something that most people do not know about you? I work for a funeral home What clubs or sports did you do in high school? Golf What’s the funniest / most unusual / weirdest job you ever had? I work for a funeral home If I weren’t a teacher, I would be a . . . Carpenter back to top

	Mr. Espinoza	Mr. Espinoza did not take a survey! back to top

	Ms. Mozer	Where did you grow up? Great Falls, Montana Do you have a nickname? Lani (real name Lelani) What high school did you go to? Great Falls High School Where did you go to college? Montana State University and Colorado State University What is your favorite junk food or fast food? Pizza What is you favorite Sunday dinner? Tostadas at the Rio Do you have any pets and what are their names? 3 cats – Riley, Milo, Jasper
	What are your hobbies? Reading, traveling, skiing, learning different languages What’s your horoscope sign? Aries How many brothers and sisters do you have? 3 sisters, 1 brother How did you learn to speak the language you teach? In high school!! What is your least favorite chore? Ironing What is your dream vacation? A month in an Italian villa What subject(s) did you hate in high school? P.E. What subject(s) did you love? Spanish, Choir	When did you start teaching? 1988 Do you (did you) play an instrument? Piano What is something that most people do not know about you? I had the lead in my high school musical – “Eliza” in My Fair Lady What clubs or sports did you do in high school? Thespians What’s the funniest / most unusual / weirdest job you ever had? Interpreter for the deaf students at a junior high school If I weren’t a teacher, I would be a . . . High tech executive back to top

		When did you start teaching? Spring 2007 Do you (did you) play an instrument? Piano What is something that most people do not know about you? I participate in figure skating and ice dancing. What clubs or sports did you do in high school? Ballet, French club, Knowledge Bowl, Music stuff What’s the funniest / most unusual / weirdest job you ever had? I had to dress up like an elf at a kids’ Christmas event – it was freezing, and I could barely see out of the large elf mask. If I weren’t a teacher, I would be an . . . Intelligence Analyst in the FBI or CIA
	What is your least favorite chore? Dusting What subject(s) did you hate in high school? P.E. – it was so different when I was in school! What subject(s) did you love? Math, French	What are your hobbies? Reading, skiing, running, cooking, languages How many brothers and sisters do you have? 1 sister, 2 brothers How did you learn to speak the language you teach? In high school and college; lived and studied in France for 2½ years


	Ms. VanDyne	Where did you grow up? South Dakota, Colorado, Montana, California, Tennessee, England Do you have a nickname? No What high school did you go to? Poudre High School and Alfred Sutton Girls’ School Where did you go to college? Colorado State University and Université de Paris What is your favorite junk food or fast food? Salt and vinegar chips What is you favorite Sunday dinner? Dinner out in a Vietnamese restaurant Do you have any pets and what are their names? Tino (cat) and Scoot (dog)
	What are your hobbies? Dancing, camping What’s your horoscope sign? Scorpio How many brothers and sisters do you have? 1 brother, 2 sisters How did you learn to speak the language you teach? Had French from 1 st grade through university with 2 breaks. What is your least favorite chore? Vacuuming What is your dream vacation? Trip around the world, including Europe, Tahiti, Argentina, Sénégal, India, SE Asia, Japan What subject(s) did you hate in high school? None! What subject(s) did you love? History, Biology and French	When did you start teaching? Age 22 Do you (did you) play an instrument? Piano and flute What is something that most people do not know about you? I was bitten by a rattlesnake at age 14 and nearly lost my leg because of an incompetent doctor What clubs or sports did you do in high school? French Club What’s the funniest / most unusual / weirdest job you ever had? I was an extra in “The Marathon Man” when they were filming in Paris If I weren’t a teacher, I would be a . . . A doctor back to top

	Ms. Walsh	Where did you grow up? In a small village on Long Island in New York Do you have a nickname? Lisita What high school did you go to? Northport High School Where did you go to college? Ithaca College in New York What is your favorite junk food or fast food? Cheetos What is you favorite Sunday dinner? Roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy
	Do you have any pets and what are their names? 1 dog – Rosie, 3 cats – Amelia, Abigail and Phoebe What are your hobbies? Bike riding, cross-country skiing, gardening, reading What’s your horoscope sign? Virgo How many brothers and sisters do you have? 2 brothers, 1sister How did you learn to speak the language you teach? I worked in a summer camp in Germany; I spent my junior year in college at the University of Valencia in Spain What is your least favorite chore? Cleaning the cat litter box What is your dream vacation? 2 weeks at a 5 star hotel in Paris What subject(s) did you hate in high school? Gym – it was pre Title 9 and there were very few opportunities for women in sports What subject(s) did you love? Spanish and Math	When did you start teaching? 1975 Do you (did you) play an instrument? Violin and saxophone What is something that most people do not know about you? I was an avid parachutist until my son was born What clubs or sports did you do in high school? Spanish Club, Ski Club, Jazz Band, musicals, Tennis team What’s the funniest / most unusual / weirdest job you ever had? I taught scuba diving in the Virgin Islands for 3 summers If I weren’t a teacher, I would be a . . . A tour guide for Germans in the US back to top

		Where did you grow up? I grew up in Northern Denver. I am a Colorado native. Do you have a nickname? Moo. What high school did you go to? I went to Horizon High School. Where did you go to college? I went to both undergrad and grad school at Colorado State University. GO RAMS! I also spent a semester at La Universidad de Alcalá. What is your favorite junk food or fast food? I love chocolate, ice cream, and potato chips. What is your favorite Sunday dinner? I love all types of food; but I guess seafood pasta with a yummy salad and dessert. Do you have any pets and what are their names? Yes! I LOVE animals! I have a big chocolate Lab named Mingus (named after Charles Mingus), an Australian Shepherd named Moxie, and a beastly cat named Memphis.
	When did you start teaching? This year!! But I have also taught preschool and fitness classes for a while. Do you (did you) play an instrument? Well….I’m an expert at the nose flute. Actually, I really want to learn the violin. What is something that most people do not know about you? Most people don’t know that I really love studying nature! I am interested in biology and nutrition too. Also, most people don’t know that I really like spiders and snakes. What clubs or sports did you do in high school? I was involved in a lot in high school. I was in gymnastics, track, competitive cheerleading, volleyball, debate team, student government and community service club. What’s the funniest / most unusual / weirdest job you ever had? When I was a gymnastics coach I taught a class for parents with their babies. It was kind of funny because I would lead the adults in singing goofy songs, while they twirled their kids around the gym. I also was hired as a line-dancer/hostess at Lone Star when I was 16. It didn’t last long; I felt awkward line-dancing while people ate! Ha! If I weren’t a teacher, I would be a . . . …Photographer for National Geographic! I always planned to be a pediatrician though.	What are your hobbies? I love snowboarding, hiking, traveling, cooking, dancing, listening to music, biking, shopping, camping, and spending time with family and friends. Plus much more! What’s your horoscope sign? I am a Libra, which apparently means I seek balance in everything I do. How many brothers and sisters do you have? I have two older sisters, named Krista and Jenifer. They are awesome. How did you learn to speak the language you teach? I took Spanish throughout high school and college. I also studied abroad in Spain. It was a great experience! What is your least favorite chore? I would definitely say picking up dog poop! It’s gross! What is your dream vacation? I would love to visit Australia and New Zealand. What subject(s) did you hate in high school? I didn’t like math. It always felt redundant and unnecessary, but I was probably just lazy. What subject(s) did you love? I loved World Literature, Student Government and of course….SPANISH!

Where did you grow up?
Caracas, Venezuela
Do you have a nickname?
No
What high school did you go to?
Colegio Humboldt in Caracas, Venezuela
Where did you go to college?
Furman University – Greenville, South Carolina
University of Illinois – Champagne-Urbana, IL
University of Colorado – Colorado Springs, CO

What is your favorite junk food or fast food?
M&Ms

When did you start teaching?
1997
Do you play an instrument?
not anymore, but I used to play the violin
What is something that most people do not know about you?
I have never seen “The wizard of Oz” … and I am actually not that interested in seeing it either
What clubs or sports did you do in high school?
track, theatre, orchestra
What’s the funniest / most unusual / weirdest job you ever had? I once worked as a translator in a jail
If I weren’t a teacher, I would be a/an . . . pastry chef

What is you favorite Sunday dinner?
pizza

What are your hobbies?
running, reading, archery
How many brothers and sisters do you have?
1 sister
How did you learn to speak the language you teach?
I’m a native speaker
What is your least favorite chore?
mowing the lawn or any type of yard work
What is your dream vacation?
anywhere in Maine
What subject(s) did you hate in high school?
Chemistry
What subject(s) did you love?
English + Spanish