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English Language Institute
PO Box 117051
315 Norman Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611-7051
Phone: (352) 392-2070
Fax: (352) 392-3744
studyenglish@eli.ufl.edu
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Language Assistants
Grace Altamirano
Hello :) My name is Grace and I was born and raised in Miami, FL. I recently graduated with my degree in Elementary Education and TESOL. I’m new to Gainesville and the ELI family but I look forward to getting to know the other language assistants and working with the ELI students to learn more about their diverse cultures. In the future, I hope to someday open my own bilingual primary school in Central America.
Ximena Arias
Hi everyone! My name is Ximena and I want to welcome you to the ELI. I hope that you enjoy your experience here and I am always willing to help! My majors are Business Administration and Linguistics. I enjoy traveling and meeting new friends everywhere I go. There is nothing like connecting to other cultures through language. I feel that every part of the world has something special to share, and I hope to learn from you as much as you will hopefully learn from me. See you around!
Alexandria Baca
Hello! My name is Alexandria and I am a third year student majoring in History with minors in Anthropology and French. I'm from Knoxville, Tennessee and my family now lives in West Palm Beach, FL. I love reading, long-distance running, and learning about different cultures. Working with the ELI has been a great opportunity to meet new people from around the world and I hope to continue working with foreign students in the future.
Chris Baker
I graduated in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in history, and have been working at the ELI ever since. I have also taught English in Venezuela, and hope to speak Spanish some day. I love to play sports and be outside. I also enjoy playing music. I love being at the ELI, because it gives me the chance to meet so many wonderful people from all around the world.
Nate Bloemke
My name is Nate Bloemke. I was born near St. Louis, Missouri. My family now lives in Tampa. I am a senior at UF majoring in Anthropology and Linguistics. I enjoy working with international students and love learning languages. After graduation, I plan on teaching English in South Korea and traveling.
Thomas Dulce
My name is Thomas Dolce and I am originally from Orlando, Florida. I recently graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in English. After this summer, I will be going to Japan to teach English. In the meantime, I plan on enjoying my remaining time in Gainesville to the fullest. I love learning about other cultures and other people, so working at the ELI has been a dream come true. At the age of 13, I struck out in my last ever little league baseball game. I have not failed at anything since.
Farrah Frazier
My name is Farrah Frazier and I’m from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I’m studying English and Psychology. I enjoy reading, writing, art, traveling and meeting new people. Working at the ELI has been a great experience for me because I’ve met so many awesome people and it’s taught me so much! After I graduate, I’d love to travel and possibly even teach English abroad so that I can learn more about different languages and cultures.
Emily Flynn
My name is Emily Flynn. I'm senior studying psychology and now I am working on a minor in Teach English as Second Language. After graduation, I'd like to teach English abroad and travel before heading back to graduate school! I love coffee, working on my research project, photography, traveling and learning from new people!
Heather Goode
Hey, guys! This is my fifth semester working as a language assistant. I got into ESL working as a writing tutor at the University of Tampa, and soon after transferred to UF and started working at the ELI. Last semester I volunteered in Chile teaching English and learning a ton of Spanish. I've just graduated from UF with a BA in English, but I have no idea where to go. Eventually I'd like to work on a Master's in linguistics.
Kimberly Hunter
Happy Thursday (or whatever day it is! :-) and welcome to the ELI! My name is Kimberly Hunter, but you can just call me Kim if that is easier for you. I graduated from the University of Florida in December 2008 with my B.A. in English and minors in Education and African Studies. I like to say that I am from "everywhere" because my family and I have lived in 2 countries, 7 U.S. states, and 10 cities. I LOVE working at the ELI because I enjoy listening to and learning from diverse people (like you!) speak about their different families, cultures, and countries. I hope you enjoy, grow, and learn from your time here, and I hope to meet you soon!
Patrick Klager
My name is Patrick Klager and I recently graduated from the University of Florida with degrees in Business Administration and Linguistics. I have been studying Chinese for four semesters and am going to China in August of 2009. I love teaching English and getting to know people who are learning the language. I am a pretty easy-going guy, so if you have questions about anything don't hesitate to ask me.
Cecilia Leal
My Name is Cecilia Leal. I am 21 years old and I grew up in Fort Myers, FL. I love being a Language Assistant at the ELI because I like to meet people from around the world and help them get to know UF and Gainesville. I study linguistics, French, and Teaching English as a Second Language and will graduate form UF in the Spring.
Sneha Patel
My name is Sneha Patel. I'm from Ormond Beach, Florida. I like to travel, run, and spend time with my family and friends. I love being part of the Gator nation and the ELI family. I enjoy working at the ELI because it’s a great way to learn about different countries and cultures, while making friends along the way! I am looking forward to another great year at the ELI!
Venita Popoca
Hello my name is Venita Popoca and I'm from South Florida. I am a graduating senior, studying English and French. I love talking and meeting new people and cannot wait to spend time with everyone at the ELI this summer! :) .
Zak Rinehart
Hey! My name is Zak Rinehart. I’m a 21 year old Linguistics major and Business minor. I was born and raised in the Detroit, Michigan area, and am very proud to be from the motor city! I speak basic Spanish and Russian, and am studying abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia, in fall of 2009. I love learning about other cultures, traveling, and languages, which is why I’m so excited to be a Language Assistant at the ELI!
Jacque Snyder
I'm a senior majoring in Anthropology and graduating in August of this year. After graduation, I will be leaving in September to go to Jordan for six months, studying Arabic as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. I love languages and culture, and meeting people from all over the world!
Allison Sullivan
Hey! My name is Allison Sullivan, and I'm a fourth-year political science and economics major at the University of Florida. I was born in South Korea, but I grew up in South Florida and have lived in the U.S. for over twenty-one years. I love coffee, culture, conversation, language, travel, and the ELI! I also love meeting new people :).
Allison Walford
My name is Allison Walford. I’m a fourth-year English and Spanish major. I’m from West Palm Beach, Florida. I love being a language assistant because I enjoy speaking with ELI students, and I learn so much from them about the world.
Jeremy Wierenga
Hey, my name is Jeremy Wierenga and I will be a senior at the University of Florida studying political science and philosophy. I grew up in Caracas, Venezuela for the first ten years of my life and Florida has consisted of the rest of my education. I did a six month exchange to Bad Neunahr-Ahrweiler, Germany when I was 16, and I feel that experience combined with living in North and South America has given me a real appreciation for the diverse cultures in this world. I am looking forward to exchanging knowledge of each others' languages and cultures.
