Who am I?

I was born on August 11^th, 1993, in Izmir, Turkey, to a Turkish mother and father. I have a brother who is 6 years older than me. Turkish is my mother tongue; I speak English and lower-intermediate-level Spanish as well.

I grew up in where I was born, Izmir — third most populous province in Turkey. I went to elementary, middle and high school in my hometown. In Turkey, you are required to choose a major in your sophomore year in high school, which basically requires you to focus on either language and history, math and science, or foreign language studies (mainly English) for the rest of your high school study. Oddly, I chose to focus on math an science, but I realized in my junior year that my actual interest is focusing on foreign language studies. At that point, I did not have a chance to change my field of study, so I had to struggle my way through high school.

When it was time to go to college, I decided to shift my focus towards languages. I entered Izmir University of Economics, where I pursued a Bachelor’s degree on English-Turkish Translation & Interpretation. I also took Spanish classes for 4 years in college. During my Bachelor’s degree, I worked as a freelance translator for various clients and translated various texts, including medical, technical, legal and literary texts, from English to Turkish and vice versa. I tutored Turkish students as they prepared for Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), specifically for the writing part of the test. I can confidently say all these experiences has taught me how to communicate with people effectively and  helped me build a strong foundation in teaching in general.

In my senior year, I took elective courses on both Teaching English as a Foreign Language and Language Teaching Methods, which got me interested in pursuing a graduate degree in related fields. That is when I started seeking graduate programs abroad, mainly in the United States. In 2015, I moved to Ames, Iowa, to pursue a Master’s degree in Teaching English as a Second Language & Applied Linguistics at Iowa State University. Throughout my degree, I worked as a teaching assistant and taught both first-year composition courses and English courses for non-native speakers. Working as a teacher, I found that my passion is to teach rather than solely focusing on research. I graduated in 2017, and then decided to find a job as a lecturer in the United States to gain more experience. Luckily, I got hired by the same college again to work as a lecturer in the English Department and keep teaching what I had been teaching in the department. I have been working as a lecturer in the English Department at Iowa State University since August, 2017.

Interests, Activities and Plans

Music has always been a passion for me. I have been playing drums since my second year in high school. I used to drum in a small band when I was in college, but that did not last too long due to the intensity of my responsibilities as a college student. I have an acoustic drum-set, which I left in my hometown because I don’t have room to put it where I live. I mostly listen to rock and metal music, specifically 80s, and 90s rock music — yes, I am still listening to bands such as AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Queen or Metallica! (to be honest, why would anyone stop listening to those bands?)

Playing video games have always been something I like to do outside of school (or work now). I have been playing video games since I was a teenager; I can say they helped me learn English back when I was going to elementary school.

Currently, I am on Optional Practical Training in the United States, which allows me to work here for a year. It will expire in June, 2018, so I am seeking jobs that offer sponsorship so I can change my visa status and keep doing what I have been doing passionately so far.