By Janna Lelis, Florida State University
Hi everyone! My name is Janna Lelis and I’m a second-year Political Science and Economics student at Florida State University.
This summer, I will be volunteering as an English Teaching Assistant with Seeds of Hope Peru, a local nongovernmental organization (NGO) in Huaraz, Peru, which provides educational support and resources to students from elementary-age to adult-age who come from rural, impoverished communities. I’ve been working on earning my Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Certificate at Florida State, and I can’t wait to use the skills I’ve acquired this past year to a classroom.
Growing up as a military kid and being surrounded by different cultures has been one of the biggest influences on my life. I’m from Jacksonville, Florida, but I lived on a military base in Japan for five years. My interest in learning languages, traveling, and immersing myself in foreign cultures has translated into my passion for education, cultural exchange, and human rights and migration.
My research project investigates how participation in NGO-based English programs shape students’ investment in learning and teaching English as a form of social, cultural, and economic capital. Essentially, I will be looking at the roles that local NGOs play in their students’ motivation in learning English and how it has impacted their personal and professional trajectories.
I gained interest in research through FSU’s Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP). I had the amazing experience of being a Research Assistant under Latika Young, whose project investigated the long-term transformative impacts of study abroad on first-generation college students who received the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship. This experience brought to light my interest in education policy, and more particularly, the experiences and challenges minority communities may face in their education journeys. In relation to my project, current second language acquisition research and literature is concentrated in WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) countries, leaving the experiences of language learners in the Global South underrepresented. Therefore, this project focuses on the stories of the students of Seeds of Hope and how they reflect on their experiences with the organization. I am curious on how local community organizations and volunteerism can make education more accessible.
This is my first time in Peru, and the Ancash region is full of so many beautiful natural wonders that I hope to explore during my time in Huaraz. I usually have a packed schedule of activities during my solo travels, but I’m looking forward to enjoying my time in Peru slowly. I want to immerse myself in the local culture and get to know the community and their traditions, while also incorporating my usual routines from back home in Florida. I’m also excited to improve my Spanish while I’m in Huaraz.
This upcoming school year wraps up my time at FSU. After I graduate, I hope to continue teaching English abroad and eventually go to graduate school for education policy.
I am so grateful to be part of this year’s Tyler Fellows cohort and I can’t wait for what this experience has to offer.
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