Category: Amity Introductions

Please help us extend a heartfelt thank you to the wonderful host families who graciously opened their homes to our 8 PSI Amity Interns this past Fall Semester.   Thank you to the following families:

Kevin and Sarah Russell
Lisa and Jesse Valley
Naomi Richman
Rachel and Brian Jacobsen
Lisa Stein
Laurie Swabey and Andrew Keith
Kelly and Andrew Marinello
Aaron and Cassie Williams-Boll

Our children benefit each day from the assistance of these interns in our PSI classrooms which is not possible without the help of these families.   If you are interested in becoming a host family this coming Fall 2023, please email psiamity@gmail.com.

Hi, my name is Pilar I am 21, and I have studied education.

I did a major in special needs and I would like to do something related to psychology someday.

I have always been working with children, being a babysitter or giving particular classes to reforce school learnings.

I have a little family with only one sister that is everything to me. We like to spend many time together sharing sports moments or visiting new places. I have done horse riding, dance, pádel, tennis, volleyball,….

We are from Sevilla spain, but we used to live in Osuna that is a little village of Seville.

I love reading, listening to music, running or walking, cooking, or proving new things.

I am a happy girl, with too many things to learn that has just opened a door that I believe will be the beginning to many good things and the way to grow up strongly and more confident in herself.

I like to be with people but I also enjoy time being alone and thinking.

My name is Daniel and I was born in Spain, in the city of Valladolid in 1997. I live there with my parents  Isidro and Claudia.  My parents are from a little village named Medina del Campo, which is a town that historically has been the capital of the world because the empire’s merchandise was gathered in the main square.  When I was a child I studied in Medina and after high school I went to the university to study a degree in philosophy and specialize in doing a master’s degree that qualifies me as a teacher. I really like philosophy and soccer, that’s why I am also a soccer coach.  I love all the sports. When I was a child I played soccer, swimming, karate, basketball, tennis… but recently I try american football and baseball.  Also, I like the reggueaton music, read books of philosophy, ride my bike with my family, go to my village to see my family, hanging out with my friends to do many plans with theirs and travel.

I am very excited with my future experience in Minnesota because I want to learn about the culture here, and the native culture. I also want to show my culture since this program offers a unique exchange of knowledge and is an opportunity to grow in all aspects, both as a teacher and as a person.

My name is Lisbeth Villalobos Melendez. I was born on September 15th, 2000 in El Salvador. I am 21 years old. I am a student at Gerardo Barrios University. I am studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in English. This year I had the opportunity to participate in a virtual internship, teaching physical science at Collinsville High School located in Illinois for 4 months, it was a fantastic experience that has motivated me to learn the different techniques and methodologies that education has in the United States. and I also want to know about USA culture and traditions.

My family includes five members counting me; my mother, my father, and my two brothers, I am the oldest one. I am an outgoing person, I have an adventurous soul, I really appreciate places surrounded by nature, I enjoy listening to music, singing, watching movies, reading, I am creative, I stand out a lot for handicrafts

I am more than excited about my future experiences in Minnesota, because I know that it will help me as a future teacher since it has been my dream since I was a child, I want to make my beautiful country known, and I want to connect with my future students creating an environment reliable and effective, Additionally, I will improve my English and share special moments with you.

My name is Joaquín and I was born in A Coruña, a city located in the northwest of Spain in 2000. I´m a sportive person, I like to practice different kind of sports like ski, tennis, football… but my favorite is fencing, which I play since I was 8. My family is made up of my mother, who works in a bank, my father who works in the famous brand Pfizer and my two siblings, one older sister who is living in Germany and my little brother who is 13 years old.

Since we were really young, our parents introduced us into the joy of traveling and living experiences abroad. This is not my first experience living abroad, I spent one year living in Ireland when I was 16 and a few months in Denmark last year. That is the reason why I am taking advantage of this opportunity of learning from a new country, this time as a teacher.  This is my first experience as a teacher after finishing my teaching degree this year, that is the reason why I feel really motivated to apply all the things that I have learned across these years.

I´m looking forward to starting this new experience in PSI, meeting new teachers, students and friends. Moreover, I feel excited about sharing costumes and the culture from my home country at the same time I learn about the life in the USA and fight the cold winter in Minnesota.

My name is Chris, I was born in Bogotá, Colombia, but I grew up in Bucaramanga, also known as “the city of parks”. I live with my mom, my siblings and my granny. I studied Foreign languages teaching with emphasis in English at the Industrial University of Santander, and I just graduated this year. I have a strong love for teaching, languages, and teaching languages! I am fluent in Spanish and English, and also proficient in French. I have worked as a teacher at language institutes and as a tutor. I like spending time with my family, friends, and my significant other, going to the Eucharist, reading about the saints, cooking, travelling, and listening to music. Some of my favorite genres of music include indie, classic rock, and disco music. I am looking forward to my experience in Minnesota so I can share my cultural perspective with new friends and acquaintances; I want to share information about Colombian cuisine, music, and our traditional dances. I want to learn about what life is like in the US, especially life in the classroom.

Hello everyone, my name is Franklin Diaz, I am from El Salvador. I was born in San Miguel city in 1997, I have lived in El Salvador all my life, with my parents: Esmeralda Diaz and Tomas Paniagua, my grandmother: Silvia Diaz and my younger brother: Osvaldo Diaz. Before coming to Minnesota I was studying and working at the same time, actually, I was finishing my Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages (English & French)  at Universidad de El Salvador (State university of my country) and doing an internship as a Translator. My parents are business people, we have a small business store where we provide all kind of spices to the communities around ours. My brother Osvaldo is studying to be a math teacher, he is currently in his last year at college, he loves numbers. As for me, besides learning and teaching languages, I love biking, running, playing soccer and ping-pong. I am super excited to go to Minnesota because it is my first time traveling abroad and I like the idea of meeting new people, new places, in a different culture. On top of that, I will be able to learn from the US education system and share the beautiful culture of my country, El Salvador.

My name is María Carazo, I am 22 years old, and I am from Valladolid, Spain. I have recently finished a bachelor´s degree in primary education at the University of Valladolid.

I have completed an internship during my bachelor, I have taught in the second, fourth and fifth grades of elementary education. During the school year I have given private lessons to children between 9 and 15 years old.

My hobbies include listening to music, reading, watching series and movies and sports. I love all kinds of sports, especially soccer and basketball. I played basketball until I was 16 years old in the school league by categories in the city of Valladolid.

In my family we are 4 people. My father, Alberto, my mother, Mercedes, my older brother, Raúl, and me. We live in the city of Valladolid. We like to spend our summers on the beaches of northern Spain and travel abroad.

I am looking forward to learning a new culture and its different ways of teaching in a different country.

My name is Adrián and I’m 23 years old. I was born in Valladolid, Spain, and I have always lived here. I live with my mother Biljana, and my little sister Marina. My mother is from Croatia, a very beautiful Mediterranean country. I have been in Croatia many times, visiting my mother’s family. I can also speak Croatian since I was a child. I studied a degree in philosophy and then a master’s degree in teaching and education. I have a few months of experience teaching in a High School here in Valladolid, but I am willing to work with Elementary School students at PSI, and to know the lifestyle of your community. I am sure we will get along really well and have a lot of great experiences. I can’t wait to share everything I know about my culture with all of you. Apart from my interest in philosophy and education I am also a musician and a sportsman. I play guitar and enjoy all kinds of music, classical and modern. I have also done sport for years. I like working out at the gym, canoeing and ice skating. Finally, I really enjoy reading and watching movies. I am very excited to meet you all and have a great time!