Lydia DeWolf

Reporter

 

1. What is your full name? 

Jennifer Ann Vrablic.

 

 2. What classes do you teach at Brighton, and how long have you taught them? 

This year I teach Junior High Spanish B, Spanish 1, 2 and 3.  In the past, I also taught Elementary Spanish and Junior High Spanish A.  This is my fourth year at Brighton.

 

 3. Where did you grow up? 

 I grew up in Gladstone, MO.

 

 4. Where did you attend college and what did you major in? 

I went to KU for my undergraduate degree in Spanish Language, Literature and Culture.  I completed my M.A. at the University of Illinois-Chicago in Spanish Applied Linguistics.

 

 5. Do you have any children?  What are their ages? 

Yes, I have two children.  Mark is twelve years old and in seventh grade.  Sarah is nine years old and in fourth grade.

 

 6. What is your favorite holiday tradition? 

Oh…it’s hard to pick one.  Christmas Eve is my favorite day of the year.  We get together with all our relatives (my parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, their kids, everybody) and eat and open presents…and eat some more.  We then go to late church service and go home and get ready for Santa to come by putting out cookies and milk for him, carrots for the reindeer, and we sprinkle reindeer food (oats with glitter mixed in) on the lawn so Santa can find our house.  We then read ’Twas the Night Before Christmas before bed.

 

 7. Have you traveled any places interesting or exciting? 

Well, I studied in Spain when I was in high school…that was very exciting!  Since then, I’ve traveled to Mexico and throughout Europe and Eastern Europe visiting my sister who has lived in all sorts of different countries.

 

 8. What is your worst fear? 

 My worst fear is that something bad would happen to my children.

 

 9. Do you have any hobbies? 

 I love to swim, water ski, tube…anything in the water.  I also like to read, watch old movies, and work out at Jazzercise.

 

 10.  What do you usually do in your free time? 

Ha!  There’s not much during the school year, is there?  When there is, I like to read or watch an old movie.

 

 11. What was your first car? 

Oh!  My first car…I haven’t thought about that in a LONG time!  It was a two-tone brown ’82 Buick Skylark passed down from my mom when she got a new car.  Definitely not the coolest car to have.  But I was happy to be able to drive to school and not have to take the bus.

 

 12. What advice do you have for any student considering entering your field (education and/or Spanish)? 

 I would say get out there and talk to people in Spanish as much as possible and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.  Once you get over being worried about speaking perfectly, a whole new world opens up to you.  It’s amazing all you can learn just from having a conversation with somebody else! p