Where did you grow up? I’m Kansas City born and raised. As a teenager I longed to see the world and get out of this “cow town.” After traveling abroad and gaining some worldly wisdom, I realize what a wonderful place this is.
How and when did you decide to teach? I got into teaching and training while living in Budapest, Hungary. Initially, I intended to focus on cooking and learning more about the culinary trade, but the pay was very poor. As a native English speaker, I completed a course for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, TEFL, and got hired by a business training company almost immediately. It was a matter of making money at the time, but after some practice I discovered I was pretty good at it and decided to stick with it. Two years later and with the help of a partner, I had opened a small English language training business in Budapest.
Do you still cook? Oh yes. I don’t have one dish which I think is my best, but I cook Mediterranean and Provencal quite well. I learned to cook from my mother and the chefs I worked with while I was coming up in the trade. Once a month, I cook for all my friends and each month there is a new menu with a new theme. Last month was antipasto, though my friend Peter says he’s always been pro-pasta!
How long have you taught at DC? This fall will be my sixth year at Donnelly College. I have kept coming back for a number of reasons. The first is the mission and actually practicing what we preach. Here we walk the walk and take an interest in the lives of our students. I must also say the quality of our student population inspires and motivates me to model the best patterns of thinking and behavior for them. Another is the impact each of us can have on the college and our departments. At Donnelly, I can affect all aspects of the college and the administration empowers faculty to become involved.
Your work revolves around language – what are some of your favorite words in the English language? I can’t say I have a favorite word but some words are fun to say such as svelte, luscious, or wonky. My fascination with language is more about the processes and systems that make up a language and how meaning is transmitted.
You’re a traveler. What’s your favorite destination? By the stamps in my passport, one would think it is Hungary. I love visiting family friends there, but we also try to go somewhere new every year. Europe and Central America have been our destinations for the past few years.
Why is Donnelly’s ESL/EAP program the best? The commitment of our instructors, both full-time and adjunct, is what makes this program great, and the students recognize it from day one. We focus on goals and set high expectations for our students. We all work together well and have a wide range of personalities and techniques. As faculty, we intentionally learn from each other and our students.
What else do you do to stay out of trouble? In the summer I pick up a couple shifts a week at River Market Cyclery. Riding a bike is joy for me. It is the right balance of exercise, fun, and challenge. I also play disc golf. Most people don’t know that KC is a mecca for the sport and has hosted a number of world championships. KC boasts over thirty courses in the metro area.
How and when did you decide to teach? I got into teaching and training while living in Budapest, Hungary. Initially, I intended to focus on cooking and learning more about the culinary trade, but the pay was very poor. As a native English speaker, I completed a course for Teaching English as a Foreign Language, TEFL, and got hired by a business training company almost immediately. It was a matter of making money at the time, but after some practice I discovered I was pretty good at it and decided to stick with it. Two years later and with the help of a partner, I had opened a small English language training business in Budapest.
Do you still cook? Oh yes. I don’t have one dish which I think is my best, but I cook Mediterranean and Provencal quite well. I learned to cook from my mother and the chefs I worked with while I was coming up in the trade. Once a month, I cook for all my friends and each month there is a new menu with a new theme. Last month was antipasto, though my friend Peter says he’s always been pro-pasta!
How long have you taught at DC? This fall will be my sixth year at Donnelly College. I have kept coming back for a number of reasons. The first is the mission and actually practicing what we preach. Here we walk the walk and take an interest in the lives of our students. I must also say the quality of our student population inspires and motivates me to model the best patterns of thinking and behavior for them. Another is the impact each of us can have on the college and our departments. At Donnelly, I can affect all aspects of the college and the administration empowers faculty to become involved.
Your wife is a former DC professor.Did you meet here? My wife, Andrea, taught at DC from 2005 to 2007. We did not meet here though. In fact, we met at an English summer camp in a small town in the Hungarian countryside in 2002. We moved to the U.S. in 2003 and were married in 2004. We are trying to grow our family and have been in the adoption process for about two years now.
Your work revolves around language – what are some of your favorite words in the English language? I can’t say I have a favorite word but some words are fun to say such as svelte, luscious, or wonky. My fascination with language is more about the processes and systems that make up a language and how meaning is transmitted.
You’re a traveler. What’s your favorite destination? By the stamps in my passport, one would think it is Hungary. I love visiting family friends there, but we also try to go somewhere new every year. Europe and Central America have been our destinations for the past few years.
Why is Donnelly’s ESL/EAP program the best? The commitment of our instructors, both full-time and adjunct, is what makes this program great, and the students recognize it from day one. We focus on goals and set high expectations for our students. We all work together well and have a wide range of personalities and techniques. As faculty, we intentionally learn from each other and our students.
What else do you do to stay out of trouble? In the summer I pick up a couple shifts a week at River Market Cyclery. Riding a bike is joy for me. It is the right balance of exercise, fun, and challenge. I also play disc golf. Most people don’t know that KC is a mecca for the sport and has hosted a number of world championships. KC boasts over thirty courses in the metro area.