International Education Faculty
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Leona Ansley
Intensive English Program (IEP) Instructor
lansley@pierce.ctc.edu
Leona's formal education has taken place in various educational institutions and countries. She completed a Bachelor of Political Science at the University of Washington Seattle. While living in Europe, she attended language courses at the Sorbonne in Paris and Cologne University in Germany. She later moved to Miami, Florida where she earned a Masters of International Relations/Education and certification in TESOL at Florida International University. Finally, she received a Master of Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Washington Tacoma.
Leona has always enjoyed discovering other cultures and has cultivated this passion by residing and travelling abroad. She spent eight years living predominantly in France, Germany, Lebanon, and Greece and travelling throughout Western and Eastern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. While based in Miami, she toured the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Now as a Washington resident, Leona continues to go abroad every year and in 2012 visited Poland and Germany. Her passion for experiencing other cultures is also enhanced by her work as a professor in the Intensive English Program at Pierce College.
Leona attaches great importance to her hobbies and interests and especially treasures the visual arts world -- photography, architecture, urban design, interior design, film, painting, and fashion in particular.
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Kristine Chester
Intensive English Program (IEP) Instructor
kchester@pierce.ctc.edu
Kristine Chester has a Masters in Teaching, with special certification in English Language Learning, as a result of her lifelong interest and involvement with other cultures. She grew up in a distinctly Latin-American community in Miami, Florida; under the roof of a Norwegian-American household. Living, working and studying overseas, while negotiating the dynamic cultural exchanges in Miami, cultivated Kristine's familiarity and skill-set with being immersed in culturally diverse communities.
Before Kristine taught academic English to international students and English as a second language, she worked in Human Resources in an international shipping company and as an artistic set designer for music videos and films. She got her B.A. at Sarah Lawrence College with a focus in philosophy and art. A thread that can be teased throughout her eclectic experiences is her curiosity, creativity and interest in others. Becoming an educator in international education meets her desire to serve others while being stimulated by new ideas in a culturally diverse environment.
With regards to teaching English, Kristine's special interest is in writing and grammar.
When Kristine is not teaching, she loves learning about history, travelling the world, nurturing her relationships with family and friends, and not letting her fluency in Norwegian and Spanish get too rusty...with future goals of learning more languages.
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Christina Cox
Intensive English Program (IEP) Instructor
ccox@pierce.ctc.edu
I have been teaching English since 2001, both in the United States and abroad, and in that time I have had diverse job experience in TELL, TEFL, TESOL, and ESL. I have lived and worked in South Korea and have traveled extensively around Southeast Asia. I have experience teaching and communicating with students from around the world.
I earned my M.Ed. from the University of Washington Tacoma, where I had two foci: Teaching English Language Learners and Multicultural Education. I am currently enrolled at University of Washington Tacoma in the Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) program. My focus for my doctorate is excellence in teaching and learning in higher education.
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Marc Hobbs
Intensive English Program (IEP) Instructor
mhobbs@pierce.ctc.edu
Marc is a native Washingtonian with a passion for English language education. He earned a BA in English Literature from Western Washington University, a Post-baccalaureate Certificate in TESOL from S-TESL in Seattle, and an MAEd in TESOL from Seattle University. Marc has taught English to students from all over the world. Prior to working at Pierce College, Marc taught in an intensive English program at ELS Language Center in Seattle. He also lived on Jeju Island in South Korea for a year, teaching elementary school English.
In his free time, Marc enjoys writing short stories and novels, reading, hiking, and playing video games.
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Mishelle Pasinato
Intensive English Program (IEP) Instructor
mpasinato@pierce.ctc.edu
Mishelle Pasinato has been teaching with Pierce College since 1999. She has taught various English, ESL, and IEP courses throughout her time here. Her Bachelor's degree in English, Washington State teaching certificate, and Master's Degree in Education have all contributed to her philosophy of education, which is 'every student can learn!'
Mishelle has traveled to several countries, including Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Spain. She spent three years teaching in Korea at private language schools and three months teaching at a private high school in Vietnam.
Mishelle loves reading, gardening, and raising chickens.
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Margot Rose
Intensive English Program (IEP)
mschwan@pierce.ctc.edu
My name is Margot Rose and I teach in the IEP program here at Pierce College. I have taught in a wide variety of ESL and IEP programs over the years. At last count, I have taught English to students from over 65 countries. My master's degree in TESOL is from Shenandoah University in Virginia. My research interests include but are not limited to the history of the English language and the role of motivation in second language learning.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my adult children, exercising, learning languages, gardening, walking my dog, watching international movies, cooking, reading, and traveling.
My international experiences include living with my family in France and summer IEP teaching contracts at the International University of Japan where. I have taught academic English to young Japanese professionals and IMF graduate students from developing Asian countries. However, most of my international experiences have evolved right here in the United States through extensive volunteer and professional experiences both as an English language teacher and, in the past, as a Southeast Asian refugee family advocate, ESL family literacy instructor, and immigrant youth worker. These experiences have all helped me to broaden my global perspective, develop cross-cultural skills, and deepen my commitment to diversity and justice.
Finally, I love teaching beginning to advanced level English listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills to international students from many different countries and cultures. I cannot imagine a more rewarding profession and feel very fortunate to be teaching in the IEP program here at Pierce!