Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Student Life
Ms. Krista Sanelli Spanish teacher Krista Sanelli discusses her fear of fish, passion for ballroom dancing and first experience eating pigeon. Allison Reagan Staff Reporter Design by Ian Ong Where did you grow up? I grew up in Bucks County, in Doylestown. (I went) to Central Bucks South High School. Why did you choose to become a Spanish teacher? I always really liked languages in general and I also was always very interested in the idea of teaching. And then I got to a point where I realized I actually want to teach a language. Originally I thought maybe I wanted to be a history teacher for a while, and then there was just something about Spanish and learning about other cultures and getting to explore new places and talk to people from different walks of life that I really liked. If you weren’t a Spanish teacher, what do you think you would be? I actually always wanted to be a teacher, to be honest. When I was very young, I wanted to be a marine biologist, but that was before I realized I was afraid of fish. So I think that wouldn’t have worked out. Maybe something like working in the community with some kind of community group, like a nonprofit. Maybe even the business world, like working in international business. What are your interests outside of school? I like to ballroom dance. I’ve been taking lessons for two years, since I started working here basically. Initially, I wanted to learn how to salsa dance, and that was my motivation. I have a lot of friends who can do salsa dances and other Latin dances, so I jumped in because of that. But then I just really got caught up in the whole world of it. It’s a v e r y
important part of the culture, and I realized that, and it was a part I felt like I couldn’t take part in, so I wanted to be able to access that side of the culture as well. Why do you travel and where have you been? I love being able to use Spanish, and maintain it, and being able to use it in context. I studied abroad in Argentina when I was in college, and I went back a couple years after that. I’ve been to Italy. I spent a lot of the summer in Spain last year. Spent a little bit of time in Uruguay as well when I was in Argentina. The Bahamas and Canada. I love it. I think it’s a great way to see how other people live and also it has given me a different perspective on the world. Not looking at things so much from the perspective I grew up with, but trying to see things from a different standpoint. Have you kept in touch with a lot of the people you met during your travels? I have a lot of friends that I still maintain contact with from Argentina. My best friend is from Venezuela — lives in Venezuela. I met her when I was in Argentina and she, in particular, has had a major impact on me. Just the way she sees the world. She was raised in a very different sort of setting. I think I’ve learned a lot about being open and even more tolerant towards other people, other cultures as a whole. Are there any specific cultural differences you notice when you’re in a Latin American country? The first time that I had met (my friend from Venezuela), kind of early on when we were becoming friends, she had this impression that I didn’t like her. It was because in Latin America, there tends to be a little bit more of a closeness associated, based on how far away you stand from someone when you talk to them. In the U.S.,
that’s not super common. So I didn’t do those things because I wasn’t fully used to being in that setting yet, and she took that as me either not liking her or not wanting to be a friend to her. A cold American tends to be the impression that is given because of the fact that we tend to maintain more personal space. What is the most interesting thing that you have ever eaten? When I was in Spain in the summer, I had pigeon at this restaurant in San Sebastian. So that was kind of weird. That was something I wasn’t sure if I would like. It was a little different. I think it was also the idea of it. I couldn’t really get over that (I was eating pigeon). Have you ever met anyone famous? I think I passed by Conan O’Brien on the street in New York, but it was one of those things where you didn’t recognize them right away. And also one time when I was in Disney World when I was very young, I walked by (Dylan and Cole Sprouse). And I met my favorite singer, KT Tunstall. (She’s) not super well known, but I got to see her.
Favorites: Movie: “It’s A Wonderful Life” Book: “Harry Potter” series Food: Italian Sport: Swimming Color: Blue Spanish Dialect: Argentinian Song: “Heal Over” by KT Tunstall Quote: “Sólo una cosa vuelve un sueño imposible: el miedo a fracasar.” By Paulo Coelho “Only one thing makes a dream impossible: the fear of failure.”
The Spoke 11