Meet The Faculty

Ross Fenske

I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach and travel in a number of different places around the world, as well as here in the United States. My career in teaching ESL/EFL began in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

After graduating from Rollins College in Florida, I decided to travel for about six weeks. My original plan was to visit several countries in the Southeast Asian region and then return to the United States to look for work. However, I was so intrigued by the beauty and exquisiteness of Thailand that I wanted to stay, and the only way I could do that was to teach English, so I did. Before I knew it, my six-week holiday became a five-year adventure. I taught for four years at Chiang Mai University and for one year at a conversation school in Japan.

After these experiences I felt that I had found my calling: teaching English to international students. To do this properly, I needed to further my education, and I returned to the United States to seek a master's degree in English, specializing in TESL. Upon getting my master's from Oklahoma State University, I returned to Japan and taught in a small town just outside of Kyoto for two years. I then returned once again to the United States and began my current job at Penn State.  

Living in a foreign country can be an incredible journey. Learning something new, like a language, only enhances the experience. This is true no matter how old or how young you are, and simply deciding you want to learn is only the first step; however, it is up to you to get the most from your "adventure." Learning a language may not always be an easy path to follow, as you need to attend your classes and fully engage yourself in them, not to mention doing ALL of your homework! Remember too that learning also takes place outside the classroom. Go out and meet new friends, get involved in different clubs and activities, watch TV, and listen to the radio. Interact with native English speakers whenever and however you can. The more you involve yourself with the real world, the more helpful your classroom instruction will be. So, as I have continually stressed with all of my students, practice, practice practice! And don't be afraid of making misteaks ... oops ... mistakes.

Pat Herrick

I grew up in Newfoundland, Canada, and studied TESL at Carleton University in Ottawa and at Penn State. I have taught ESL in Newfoundland, with the Association for New Canadians; in Istanbul, Turkey, with the Turkish-American University Association; and in the IECP.

Traveling is the joy of my life, and I have visited a large number of European countries, as well as Morocco. I love to watch how people in different places live and to experience their food, their music, their art, and their architecture. Teaching ESL is the ideal profession for me because I get to work with people from all over the world.

I believe that learning a language takes more than just studying your textbooks. When you know a language well, you will simply have a "feel" for what sounds right. You need to listen to people, to hear what they really say, and it's not always what is in your grammar book.

I have noticed that people who master a language are curious about it, excited about it. They take it as a logical puzzle (or an illogical one) in some cases. You need to wonder what Americans really mean, and what emotions they are expressing, when they say such and so. This kind of learning comes mainly from you, with your teacher as a guide.

Mary MacDonald

While getting my B.A. in English literature at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, I spent one year studying abroad at Durham University in England. That experience changed my life, and I decided I wanted to learn more about the world.

After graduating I went to Japan on the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Education, and I taught English in Japanese high schools in Ibaraki-ken. When I came back to the United States, I completed my master's in education at the University of Massachusetts and then decided to return to Japan to teach at Chubu University for three years. Since Chubu University and Ohio University are sister schools, I then worked at Ohio University as an instructor before coming to IECP at Penn State. I have been with IECP for seven years now and enjoy the natural beauty of the State College area.

In my free time I like to hike, bike, ski, play ultimate Frisbee, scuba dive, and read. I still love exploring new cultures and have traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Mexico, and Central America.

Studying and living abroad was a wonderful experience and adventure for me, and I hope it will be the same for you.

Jim Runner

I've been with IECP for many years, and I have seen many students come through our English program. Learning a new language takes hard work, but IECP students meet new friends and work together with other students. They find that living in a new country and studying language is a great adventure and can also be fun. I am happy to have seen so many students meet the challenge of learning a new language, and become so good at English that they can study at an American university. That is a great accomplishment, and one of which you will be proud!

A teacher's job is to help when help is needed. That is actually much of the pleasure of being a teacher. We like to be there at the time you need us. When you leave the IECP with the English that you need for taking your next step, we feel that we are a part of your success.

I enjoy art, music, and poetry. I did graduate work in linguistics and my undergraduate studies were in biology. For me, these subjects relate to each other. Science is a logical way to uncover relationships in the physical world, and the arts provide ways to uncover and express our own feelings and opinions. I find that both the arts and the sciences provide insight into language learning. We expect language to be logical. We expect our university studies to make sense. We also need to be able to reach into ourselves and know our own thoughts. Through language, we find ways to express ideas about life, logically and personally.

The energy of a city is an amazing thing, but it is also good to know the quiet of the woods. My wife and I have chosen to live in the woods, on the side of a small Pennsylvania mountain. We see animals every day, often deer, and sometimes a bear. It has taken several years of work, but we have built our own house. I enjoy working with my hands and seeing the results. Building a house is similar to learning a language or earning a university degree. We persevere, taking many small steps. Some are difficult, some are easy, and in the end they add up to another big and important step in life.

Linda Wesley

I still remember the first day that I entered my first Spanish class in eighth grade—I was so excited! The idea that I was going to be able to communicate in a second language thrilled me. This passion continued throughout high school and college…and continues today.

When I went to college, I decided to study photojournalism and Spanish at Western Kentucky University. Upon graduation in 1987, I had an opportunity to combine my two majors when I developed a photographic partnership with a school in Bogotá, Colombia. After that summer, I spent one year as a photojournalist but quickly realized that Spanish was still very important to me. By chance, I got a phone call from a principal back in my hometown in Tennessee. He wanted to know if I would become a Spanish teacher. I tried it, loved it, and have been teaching ever since!

After teaching Spanish for several years, I began working on a master's degree. I returned to Western Kentucky and completed an M.A. in English with an emphasis in teaching English as a second language in 1996. Soon, I began teaching K–12 and junior college ESL in many schools in my county. I also became very involved in teacher training and even had to the opportunity to train English teachers in Ecuador.

In 2004, my husband and I moved to State College from Tennessee. We really love our new life here and all the great opportunities the move has given us. In our free time, we both like to travel, read, and see movies. In addition, I still love photography and also enjoy scrapbooking.

I was very fortunate to begin teaching with the IECP in 2005. This program offers such an amazing opportunity for students from around the world to interact with both native speakers and fellow learners from a variety of cultures. I hope that you will have a wonderful experience here and that you will embrace all the opportunities there are for you!