DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

 

 

Abriana Mayer (Ay-Bree-Ah-Nah  My-Air) 

 

          Education has always been a foundational aspect of my identity. I came from a very academic-oriented family and was taught to take, honor, and privilege every learning opportunity that I could get. I learned to read and write at a very young age with the help of my parents and was encouraged to pursue whatever path in life brought me the most joy. Ever since second grade, that path has been teaching.  

        My journey as both an individual and a learner took off when I attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts for high school. PA is an independent, coeducational boarding school for 9th through 12th graders from all over the world. I was a Day Student, meaning I commuted to school every day, although I had friends from New York, France, Chicago, Italy, and many places in between! I was able to take classes in everything from Short Fiction and Choreography in Dance to American Popular Culture and Encounters, a course on social justice in philosophy and English. These classes informed my understanding of positionality and context as well as the importance of community and collaboration. I graduated from Andover in 2014 with Cum Laude distinction as part of the top 20% of my class and headed off to college.

         From there, I attended Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. I was fortunate enough to know exactly what degree I wanted to pursue while at Tufts, so I jumped right in and started taking the credits I needed right away. In my free time, I was primarily involved in the Child Development Association on campus, of which I was co-president for two years. I was also a student representative to the Department of Education's Programming Committee, through which I helped the department host events, lead inter- and intra-departmental meetings, and incorporate feedback into the major, minor, and MAT programs. I graduated in May of 2018 with degrees in English and Education, as well as a minor in Child Study and Human Development. I was on the Dean's List every semester and received Summa Cum Laude and Honos Civicus distinctions (Latin Honors and civic engagement honors) upon graduation. I also completed a Senior Honors Thesis in Education titled "Teaching Taboo: A Comparative Study of Secondary School Sex Education Curricula and Philosophies," in which I received Highest Thesis Honors. 

       Throughout my education and to this day, I am passionate about issues surrounding gender, sexuality, equity, and intersectionality both in and outside of the classroom. My focus in English is primarily in American fiction and popular culture, specifically in "reading" unconventional texts, such as film and music. My favorite books are Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, and Song of Solomon, by Toni Morrison. 

            In my free time, I love to dance and travel. I have been dancing since I was two years old, and have done everything from modern and ballet to jazz and African fusion. In traveling, I have been lucky enough to visit Rome and Tuscany in Italy; Paris, France; London, England; and Cape Town, Grahamstown, and Johannesburg, South Africa. My hope is to continue to develop these passions in the future and to continually meet new people and hear their stories every day. 

            I know that I will never stop learning, growing, and asking questions. My hope for you as you read this portfolio is to get a glimpse of this process and see the joy with which I am approaching this humbling, beautiful profession.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.