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Hi! My name is Sarah Zaidi. I was born and raised in Skokie. My first language is Urdu and I learned english at the age of 3 when I started pre-school. I also know some basic Spanish and Polish. I am taking this class because I plan on becoming a teacher in the future. My favorite drinks are water and pepsi! I’m good at reading and I have a bookstagram to document it. Something surprising about me is that I love to travel and I always go out of the country every year. I would rather win the lottery next year because the cost of living is going up while wages stay stagnant. I am an extrovert but I am very selective in who I befriend and talk to because I believe the people you surround yourself with reflect your personality and they are an extension of how others view you. I am hoping to graduate NEIU later this year in Fall and I look forward to this class and getting you know you all!

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Hi everyone! My name is Ariana or you can call me Ari. The gif I chose is a meme that was going around for a while. I just a chill person to be honest. This is my first semester at NEIU, I am a transfer student studying early childhood education and getting a minor in bilingual education. I have worked in a child care facility before and once I finish at NEIU I plan to work for either CPS or somewhere else depending if the system changes. I enjoy bowling, hanging out with my friends and family and as well as working hard to achieve my goals. I would say my favorite drink is dr.pepper or anything mango flavored. I am also antisocial but once you get to know me, you will see I am a yapper. I struggle with anxiety and depression and sometimes during midterms I get the worst seasonal depression. Anyways.... that's all I have to say. Thank you for reading. I am so excited for the semester!

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Hello everyone, I'm Analy. I am in my fourth semester as a student at NEIU, where I am majoring in Early Childhood Education and Special Education. I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Although Spanish is my native language, I began speaking English at the age of seven or so.

I am pretty antisocial, yet I am a yapper if you get to talk to me. Apart from that, I am a huge homebody; I especially enjoy being at home with my family since I feel safe and comfortable with them.

It was nice meeting everyone and wish everyone a successful semester!

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Hey everyone! I’m Vanessa Ayala, and I’m thrilled to be in this class with you all. If I had to pick a GIF to describe myself, it would be one where someone’s running, but with a huge smile because that’s me! I love to run, stay active, and enjoy the little things in life, like a good book or a refreshing iced matcha (definitely my favorite drink). I started to come Northeastern University Fall’24.

I’m studying Early Education because I’ve always had a passion for teaching. I was a special education student from Kindergarten through 8th grade, so I’ve experienced firsthand how powerful a good teacher can be. My goal is to be that teacher who motivates students to reach for their dreams and helps them make their parents proud. In the future, I see myself not only as a teacher, but also as a wife and a mother, nurturing my family while making an impact on the next generation.

I’ve always been drawn to understanding mental health and the importance of supporting it, which I think ties into my passion for teaching. Mental health plays a huge role in a student’s ability to succeed, and I want to be a part of creating that environment of understanding and growth.

If I had to choose between finding true love today or winning the lottery next year, I’d go with true love. I truly believe that God has a plan, and when the timing is right, everything falls into place. Patience is key!

Looking forward to this semester and getting to know you all better!

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My name is Israa Salem. I was born in Palatine and came to the US when I was five years old. I am a first generation college student. This is my first semester at NEIU. I want to become a special education teacher and this is one of the classes I will be taking. I am the oldest of my two siblings. I like photography. I had a photography internship in high school. I also enjoy writing, reading, and watching TV. One of my favorite series is The Hunger Games. I realized I wanted to become a teacher when I was in fourth grade. I became heavily involved in my younger brother's education and I am still involved in his education. I started tutoring when I was in fourth grade. I really like teaching and I like working with younger kids. When I was in high school I started working with seventh graders in a math class. I asked the teacher if I could work with kids with special needs. And that's when I decided to become a special education teacher.

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My name is Ewelina Pietraszek. I'm 41 years old and doing my best to eventually become an Early Education teacher. I'm happily married and a mother of two children (14 and 11 years old). My goal is to graduate and have a classroom before I'm 50 (ha,ha). In all seriousness, I realized later in life that teaching young children brings me a lot of joy so, here I am. I'm originally from Poland, and English is my second language. I also work full time as a Special Education Classroom Assistant in a CPS school. My favorite drink is sparkling water. I love spending time in nature, with my family especially near the water. I enjoy all kinds of music. My favorite moment of the day is early morning when the house is quiet, and I have my cup of black coffee while petting our family dog, Apollo. Since I already found my true love I guess I have no chance of winning the lottery.

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Hello classmates and professor, my name is Latrice and this is my fifth semester at NEIU. I am a mother and I love children that’s why I am majoring in Early childhood education. I live in Chicago Illinois and I work as a daycare teacher. I came to NEIU because so that to better my education in early childhood education and be able to teach both in first grade and high school in the future. I also plan to become a college professor even though I love helping kids.

I love taking a cup of coffee or blended juice every morning. Something that I am really good at is providing information in details and having engaging conversations when helping out with tasks. I am that one person who like helping others with tasks and advice especially those individuals who seem heartbroken. One thing surprising about me is that I am always ready to help out people with several areas starting from helping them learn new skills, become creative writers and also become excellent orators.

I think I would like to win the lottery next year so that I can be able to use the lottery money and travel with my family members to fascinating destinations. With the money, I can take my children and other members of the family to Paris and other tourism destinations as well as take my kids to the best schools.

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Hello everyone! My name is Janet Velasquez and I am a Jr at NEIU. I am pursuing my Bachelors degree in Elementary Education with a bilingual endorsement! I want to believe that I am a very happy and positive individual that always tries to find the good in the bad. :) In my free time, I enjoy finding different places to take my three year old daughter, whether it is indoors or outdoors, I enjoy making memories with her! I also enjoy attending sip and paints, crafting and making candles! Coffee is a must every morning and one thing I wish to do is explore as many different pancake places around me! (Cracker barrel is my #1 at the moment haha) Lastly, once I complete my degree, I wish to start traveling with my family-first stop Iceland to see the northern lights ✨

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Howdy,

My name is is Heylim Ariza, and I’m a junior majoring in Special Education. I currently work at a therapeutic high school as a paraprofessional. I come from a long line of teachers stemming from Mexico on my mom’s side, so it gives me great honor to continue the tradition.

Spanish is my first language, but I’ve studied French, Nahuatl, and now beginning Farsi.

I love soccer, exploring cities, art, and my cat lol. I’m looking forward to growing in education with you all.

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Hi everyone, I'm Amya! This is my first semester at NEIU, and I am majoring in Early Childhood Education.

In my free time, I love to go hiking, camping, and thrifting! I also love going to get sweet treats and pastries with my friends.

I currently work at a daycare as an assistant teacher as well as nanny part-time. Once I graduate, I plan on becoming a preschool or first-grade teacher!

I'm excited to take this class and learn new things that will help me with my future students!

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Hi Everyone my name is Breanna but I go by Bre. I am 24 years old and I have lived in Illinois my entire life.

What brought me here to neiu was that I wanted to further my education in early childhood education and become and kindergarten teacher. I see myself in a few years married and being wealthy.

My favorite drink is sweet tea, or just drinking water. something im really good at would be giving advice to those who need it, I am a very genuine person so I like to give my friends advice or whoever needs it.

Something that is surprising about me is that I know how to write poetry. I would find true love, money can come when it wants I feel like. they're nothing better than finding the person you love and cherish. side note: I am a lover girl haha:)

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My name is Claudia Orozco, I’m 25 years old and I’ve lived in Chicago my whole life.

For me, Spanish was my first language and then I learned English. I am a first-generation college student and I’ve already completed an A.G.S (Associates in General Sciences) but decided to go back to school to get my B.A in Early Childhood Education.

I currently have a few hobbies: collecting and journaling. Some of my collections include: collecting cute pokemon cards, ceramic cow figurines, and jellycat plushies.

I would also consider myself a bird enthusiast and I have two pet birds (a quaker parrot and a lovebird). As well, I enjoy going bird watching, and this last summer, my partner and I went to see Nagamo, a piper plover that lives at Montrose Beach.

In the future, I see myself as a Montessori teacher as I find that I am passionate about that specific type of education as well as parent my children with the same type of principles.

My favorite drink(s) are: coke zero and coffee.

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Hello! My name is Evgenia Evgenieva. People are often amused by the similarity of my first and last name, but that's pretty common in Bulgaria, where I was born and raised. That being said, my native language is Bulgarian. I also speak Russian, Polish, and Greek. I have lived in Chicago since 2000. I am a transfer student from Wright College, where I graduated from the Paralegal Studies Program. I decided that a Paralegal job might not be right for me since I like to travel so at NEIU I took a TESL concentration and embraced my passion for linguistics. Upon graduation and licensure, I want to teach in college or school. I am a very outdoorsy person, I like hiking, biking and roller skating. I hope I will do well in this class and am very excited to get started.

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Hi I’m Paris. I’ve been at NEIU since 2022. I’ve live in Chicago my entire life and English is my first language. My Grandpas native language is Spanish but I don’t know much. I’m the youngest of three, I have an older brother and sister. I’m very introverted to people I don’t know but once you get to know me I’m a blast. I hang out with my family and boyfriend more than anyone else, so I don’t really have to interact with others much lol. My brother blessed me with two nieces so on any free time if we’re not hanging out and he’s at work I’m probably just at home watching them.

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Hello, Im Andrew Im a junior at NEIU and an early childhood education major with a minor in TESL. Im an English speaker and its the only language I know. Im on the NEIU Esports Team I was raised in Knoxville Tennessee. Im a big country music fan who's going to at least 19 different concerts this year. Im also a big sports fan and currently work for the Chicago Cubs, Blackhawks, White Sox, and Bulls

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Hello everyone! My name is Damaris. I am a Junior at NEIU and am majoring in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Bilingual Education. I speak English and Spanish fluently. I was born here in Chicago to Puerto Rican parents. I have lived here in Chicago, Miami, Boston and Hawaii. I have a owned a daycare for the last 15 years and now want to complete my teaching degree so I can back up my experience in childcare.

For fun I travel a lot. I just got back from Egypt where I saw the pyramids and all the temples on a 10-day tour. I also have a degree in Interior Design and love to do design projects. And I am a big reader and am part of a couple of book clubs.

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Hi! My name is Mariana. I’m majoring in elementary education with a bilingual endorsement and this is my last year at NEIU. My first language is Spanish and I learned English when I was in 1st grade. Both of my parents were raised in Michoacán,Mexico. I always love being positive about things in life. I love listening to music and dancing. My favorite thing to do is to go to Rodeos. I’m looking forward for this class and learning new things.

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hi hi everyone !! My name is Sasha Horwitz and I am a chicago native that has lived here their whole life. I went to college downtown chicago too for a bit before coming to NEIU. I love to draw. Whether that be cats I meet or snacks I eat. I love drawing pictures. My favorite thing as of lately has been the strawberry glazed donut from Stan's Donuts. It is right next to my work in wicker park and it is the perfect start for my days at work. I ride my bike everywhere when I can as I love the workout it gives me and the overall experience of riding in an urban setting.

I love spending time with my pet bird Terry. He is a blue parakeet that I have had for 2.5 years now. He is a great little companion and keeps me busy and on schedule.

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Hi everybody, I'm Shimmir, or Shim for short. I want to be a 2nd-grade teacher, I'm studying early elementary education. I have a younger brother who lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My first language is Urdu, followed by English. In my free time, I like to play video games, watch TV and anime, hang out with friends, play tennis, and spend a lot of time with my mini golden doodle. As of the summer, I've been enjoying playing tennis. Also, a fun fact about me is that I love EDM (Electronic Dance Music) and go to many EDM concerts whenever possible.

In the future, I want to have a secure job as a 2nd-grade teacher. My favorite drink would most definitely have to be bubble tea and chai because of how often I drink it and because I enjoy it so much. Something that I'm good at that will surprise those who don't know me well is that I'm a great dancer. If the music can get me to move, I will go crazy with my dancing if I enjoy it.

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Hi! My name is Martyna Dziekan. This is my second semester at NEIU; I am majoring in Early Childhood Education. I was born and raised in Chicago. My first language is Polish, and I learned English in 1st grade. I have three siblings: two older and one younger. I am a full-time student at NEIU, and I also work full-time at a dealership. I have always been a big fan of sports I grew up playing basketball, volleyball, and soccer.

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Hello everyone! My name is Pamela and I am currently a senior at northeastern pursing an elementary education degree with a bilingual endorsement. A little about me is that I was born in Chicago and was raised in the south side of the city for most of my life. Being that my parents are Mexican, and the south side is largely populated by hispanics, I only spoke Spanish until I was about five years old.

One of the main influences behind my decision to become a teacher is the long line of educators in my family. I was able to gain insight at a very early age into the school culture and the important role teachers play in students lives.

I have two beautiful little girls (3 and 8) that I absolutely love spending all of my spare time with. I also nanny two kids in the Gold Coast area ages 2 and 6.

We are also a Disney family and like to frequent Florida whenever we get a chance. We just got back from our most recent trip this past Saturday and can't wait to go again!

I look forward to getting to know everyone!

(If anyone is curious, I chose this GIF because although I love sleep, I don't get much these days!)

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Hey, if you missed it my name is Max. I am the oldest of 4 and possibly the most anxious. I like to use baking as a form of coping with it, so if you ever need a mean choco-flan or a really great loaf of homemade bread, I'm your guy. I am 19 and honestly the most cringe person I know. I grew up in the English language (even though everyone around me spoke Spanish??) and what some would call a grammar freak. No seriously, I cannot stress it enough. My friends hate me.

I am an Early Childhood Major and in my second academic term at NEIU. I grew up in a very poor underprivileged neighborhood with some very interesting ideologies. Needless to say, that was enough for me to turn my life's passion into changing the system I suffered under.

Anyway, you guys can tell I'm weird by now so I will stop and say, "Have a great semester".

(P.S. Any ECED majors wanna get coffee together?)

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Hi, I’m Assma! I am one of five children (the middle child). I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. My parents emigrated from Yemen about 28 years ago, and the first and only time I visited was for my wedding! I wish we had opportunities to visit growing up, but my husband and I have plans to go in the future as his entire family is there. I often go to New York to visit family (my sisters and cousins) and might move there one day. I cannot imagine myself not living in Chicago, but who knows what the future holds!

I love trying new cafes with friends and family! Although I live on the north side of Chicago, my family and I often drive south, outside of Chicago, to the Bridgeview/Oak Lawn areas for family and friend gatherings/weddings. One hobby of mine is to take videos and edit them for fun!

I am in my second semester at NEIU as an early childhood education major. Before enrolling in NEIU, I took a few science courses at community college to work towards becoming a nurse. The more I researched, however, I realized the responsibilities of a healthcare worker are outside of my comfort zone. Also, I am terrible at science!

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Hi, my name is Lesly Gutierrez. This is my 3rd year here at NEIU. I am majoring in Spanish (K-12) and an endorsement in ESL. I like to listen to music and watch movies. I like to disconnect from social media every chance I get. I like to be present wherever I am and with whoever I am with. My first language is Spanish and I learned English synchronously.

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Hello everyone my name is Sabrina, I was born in Mcallen Texas and moved here about 10 years ago. My first language is Spanish and I learned English when I attended elementary school which began in kindergarten. I fell in love with Chicago as I grew older and decided to stay back when my parents moved back to Mcallen after I graduated highschool.

A bit about me would be that I really enjoy swimming and just being in or near water. I was in my highschool swim team just because my sister dared me to join and I fell in love with it. Now I work 3 jobs. I am a lifeguard, swim instructor for infants and children and I babysit as well. With that being said I enjoy what I do and I am excited to finish up my last few semesters to become an elementary school teacher which has been one of my biggest dreams.

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Hi! My name is Sylvia Caluris. I am finishing a few TESL classes before I can receive my licensure in early childhood education. I was born in Chicago and raised in Evanston, Illinois. I currently reside in Chicago with my husband and 2 kids.

English is my native language however, I do speak, read, and write in Spanish. Many years ago, I was a foreign exchange student to Spain and studied in Mexico during the summer months.

I love spending time with my family and playing pickleball with them. I also make my family join me by doing 5K fun runs such as the Hot Chocolate and Santa Hustle. I love swimming, boating, crafting using my Cricut, and doing Zumba. I also enjoy cooking and taking classes with Sur La Table.

I am looking forward to this course and learning some new skills and concepts that will help support my students both inside and outside of my classroom.

I have enjoyed reading a few of these posts and getting to know everyone! Thanks for sharing!

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Hi everyone! My name is Mei Phung. This is my second year at NEIU and I am majoring in Early Childhood. I am from Viet Nam and my mother language is Vietnamese. English is my second language, and I didn't really start speaking it until I moved here. So, i only have about seven years to know more about English. I love camping and each year I will go camping about 2-3 time during the summer. I'm looking forward to this class and hope will get an A ^_^

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Hello everyone my name is Melanie Salgado ! what brought me here is truthfully it was apart of my major but with that being said I love to learn and I'm excited to know and learn more about this class. In the future I see myself being 21 because my birthday is jan 25th :) aside from that my goal is to become a special education teacher to children with medical disabilities, physical, intellectual limitations. What’s something I’m good at is being creative. 

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Hello everyone my name is Melanie Salgado ! what brought me here is truthfully it was apart of my major but with that being said I love to learn and I'm excited to know and learn more about this class. In the future I see myself being 21 because my birthday is jan 25th :) aside from that my goal is to become a special education teacher to children with medical disabilities, physical, intellectual limitations. What’s something I’m good at is being creative. 

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Hello everyone! 💖 My name is Olivia. I’m a 31 year old junior here at NEIU, trying to finish my degree to secure a better future for my baby girl. I’m 6 months pregnant and due near the end of the semester!

I currently work at a daycare and I am a lead teacher in a pre-k class. I’m aiming to get my degree in early childhood education so I can become a teacher at CPS and teach kindergarten.

English is my only language. I’m probably a little out of practice with perfect grammar since I haven’t taken a formal English class in years.

I’m an extroverted homebody (we exist!) who loves gaming, Sanrio, makeup, skincare, and all things girly. Nice to meet you all and I hope we all have an amazing semester together!

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Hi everyone! My name is Janelis Salcedo. I’m a junior at NEIU and I am majoring in early childhood. I was born and raised in Chicago. It’s hard to say what my first language is because I grew up speaking both Spanish and English. Something I’m good at is drawing and painting. I love playing sports such as softball, baseball, volleyball, and basketball. I’m looking forward to this class and getting to know everyone.

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Hi! My name is Nour Alkrdi. I am student is this class. I am from Syria. I speak Arabic and English is not my first language. I like to travel around the world. I am student at Neiu. My major is early childhood education. I join Neiu in 2022. My hobby is to play badminton. my favorite drink is orange juice. I am good at being on time and do my homework on time. I am looking for this class to learn more. I am looking forward for this semester to pass this class with in A.

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Hey everyone! I'll lead by example here. :-) My name is Viktoria, and I'm your instructor for this course.

I've been teaching at NEIU since 2017 in various capacities, and this is hands down my favorite course to teach.

I'm originally from Hungary, but I've lived in Chicago for over 13 years.

Though English is my second language, at this point, I speak it better than my native language (Hungarian).

Something that might surprise you - I got into rock climbing in 2018, and I still try to go a few times a week. Who knew you could do that in a city!?

I look forward to getting to know you guys! :-)