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Germany/Pennsylvania native Chris Leavens joined our team last August as our first-ever Middle School English and Social Studies teacher.
Where are you originally from?
I was born in Weisbaden, Germany, but my family lived there for only a few months before returning to our home in the United States. Since I have zero memories of that, I always tell people that I am from the great state of Pennsylvania where I grew up.
What was your "Dream Job" when you were in elementary school?
When I was a kid I wanted to be a lot of things. My careers would often change with whatever movies I enjoyed. When I saw Jurassic Park I wanted to be an archaeologist. When I saw Patch Adams I wanted to be a doctor. When I saw Space Jam I wanted to be a professional basketball player and help Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny defeat the Monstars.
What did you study in college?
I initially went to school as a Communications major because I wanted to be on the radio. After a few weeks, and some encouragement from my parents, I decided to study education. Four years later I graduated from California University of Pennsylvania with a degree in Secondary Education and a concentration in History.
When/why did you choose to join the team at Escuela de Guadalupe?
I joined the team at Escuela de Guadalupe this past summer. I have always been a huge advocate for dual-language education and Catholic education. When I saw that there was an opportunity to be a part of Escuela de Guadalupe, I jumped at it and applied enthusiastically. It is truly a privilege to be a part of the Escuela de Guadalupe community.
What is your favorite part of teaching?
My favorite part of teaching is seeing students whenever they have their “I got it!” moments and their “This is really interesting!” moments. Nothing else compares to when you can be involved in helping a student understand an idea and develop their curiosity.