Name: Gary Cotroneo

Major: Spanish/Secondary Education

Hometown: Carbondale

Activities while at Marywood: PSEA (Teachers of Tomorrow)

Professional accomplishments: I am proud of the fact that I have acquired a teaching position that I absolutely enjoy every day and I was able to attain my Master's degree

Current position: Spanish teacher

Employer: Delaware Valley School District, Milford, PA

Words of wisdom: Take one day at a time and don't take for granted the things that God has given you.

What do you appreciate most from your Marywood education: I truly believe that I could not have asked for a better education from Marywood. My professors in both the Foreign Language and Education Departments were outstanding. They were knowledgeable, approachable and extremely helpful in preparing me for my career and "the real world". The coursework was meaningful, thought provoking and relevant.

Name: Alana Martinetti

Major: Undergraduate - B.A. Spanish Ed. K-12/English Ed. 7-12, 1997; Graduate - M.S. Reading Education, 2002 (Both from Marywood)

Hometown: Chinchilla, PA

Activities while at Marywood: member Delta Epsilon Sigma, member Kappa Gamma Pi, president and member Phi Sigma Iota, Student PSEA, tutoring, Graduate Student Council, Graduate student representative - Marywood Alumni Board of Directors, Alpha Epsilon Lambda

Professional accomplishments: Spanish teacher at Pocono Mountain - since 1997, Elementary Spanish teacher at Marywood - Spring 2006, Conversational Spanish instructor for Sarno and Sons employees in Scranton - Spring 2006, Conversational Spanish instructor for Children and Youth Services employees in Stroudsburg - Summer 2005, translator for Moses Taylor Hospital Family Birthing Suites - Summer 2004, teacher of migrant children for Susquehanna Intermediate Unit - 1997-2002, Permanent substitute Spanish teacher at Lackawanna Trail - Spring 1997, listed in Who's Who Among America's Teachers 2005.

Current position: Spanish teacher grades 8 and 9 at West Junior High School, Pocono Mountain School District, Pocono Summit, PA

Employer: Pocono Mountain School District, PA

Words of wisdom: Do what you love! Then you'll sit back and say, "I can't believe I get paid for this!"

Career aspirations: I will most likely continue to teach at the junior high level in Spanish. From time to time I get opportunities to do translating, interpreting or teaching Conversational Spanish to employees of various businesses.

Name: Colleen Miluski

Major: Undergraduate - Spanish and French Education (K12), minor in English and ESL; Graduate - Master's in Reading Education (May 2007)

Hometown: Scranton, PA

Activities while at Marywood: Phi Sigma Iota, Kappa Gamma Pi, Delta Epsilon Sigma

Professional accomplishments: This is my 5th year of teaching at Valley View. In that time I have set up an after-school peer tutoring program for Spanish and French students. I have also taken our French students to King's College to participate in the National French Contest for several years. In this competition we have had many students place in the top 10 of the Northeast Conference, several placing in the top 3 of their categories and one national winner.

Current position: Teacher of Spanish and French; grades 8-12 Valley View Middle and High Schools

Employer: Valley View School District

Words of wisdom: Keep on sharing your knowledge through your teaching, and keep on being yourself. It is with both of these elements that you will touch the lives of your students.

Career aspirations: I would like to continue in my current position of teaching both languages in the middle and high schools. Someday, I would like to be a Reading Specialist, but I am quite happy where I am now.

What do you appreciate most from your Marywood education: I appreciate most the relationships that I was able to form with fellow students, staff and teachers; the size of Marywood, allowing me to do that. I appreciate the sincerity of my teachers and the expansiveness of the knowledge they shared with me. Thank you.

Name: Kathryn Cawley

Major: Spanish / English Ed.

Hometown: Scranton, PA

The thing I enjoyed most about my Marywood education was the faculty. Marywood is its faculty. I had the pleasure of being instructed by some truly passionate and dynamic individuals. They served not only as facilitators of my goals, but also as inspiration.

Additionally, the opportunity to study abroad has proven to be a life-changing experience. Spending a semester in Spain propelled my progress and enthusiasm for the language to a place I never imagined I could reach.

As I am currently teaching Spanish I and II at Western Wayne High School, I consistently find myself telling my students about encounters I had during that semester abroad. I believe that I couldn't have possibly come as far as I have without that experience. I can only hope that my students are afforded with such an opporunity in their educational careers.

It is apparent to me now that I not only learned things about the language and culture that otherwise would still be unknown to me, but I also learned some valuable lessons about myself. My education and everything that encompasses is what gives me the confidence to continue setting goals and pursuing them.

Ultimately, I would like to instruct at the college level. For now, I'll enjoy the education I'm receiving from my students and fellow educators.

Name: Lara Rink

Major: Spanish; Minor: Education, ESL

Hometown: Scranton

Activities while at Marywood: Phi Sigma Iota Foreign Language Honor Society

Professional accomplishments: Graduated Summa cum laude Worked with Northeast Migrant Education as an instructor and tutor for 7 years.

Current position: Spanish Teacher

Employer: Scranton High School

Career aspirations: To attain a masters and PhD. in Spanish and teach at the university level.

What do you appreciate most from your Marywood education: I appreciated my study abroad experience during my years at Marywood. I was able to meet new and interesting people, increase my Spanish knowledge and ability, and live in another culture. Also I really appreciated the small class sizes at Marywood and the fact that I was able to know my professors... I wasn't just a face in the crowd.

Name: Aroa Petrillo

Major: Spanish / French K-12

Hometown: Valencia, Spain

Activities while at Marywood: Basketball cheerleader for 2 years; member of "Gamma Alpha"; worked as a tutor for the tutoring center where I helped students in Spanish and French for almost all my college career.

Professional accomplishments: Undergraduate and graduate degrees from Marywood-Master's in education "Instructional Leadership"

Current position: Spanish teacher at Wallenpaupack High School grades 9-12

Employer: Wallenpaupack High School

Words of wisdom: I love what I do because I can give my students a "taste of my own culture" and hopefully, I can get them interested in pursuing it further! I feel that if I can get my kids excited about Spanish, then I have done my job!

What do you appreciate most from your Marywood education: What I loved about Marywood the most was its students and professors! Everybody was extremely pleasant to work with and your teachers really cared about you! Learning a foreign language is a wonderful experience and the end-results can be endless as far as your future is concerned. Don't let the opportunity pass you by - just look at my story: I started as an exchange student during my senior year in high school then I attended Marywood, I got a job at Paupack, I went back to school for my Master's and even found my better half !!! :)