Before coming to the US, Dana was the manager of the Health Department of the Argentine Government, and she still works for the government remotely. She came to Ann Arbor with her husband, a physician at the University of Michigan Hospital. Right after she arrived at Ann Arbor, she joined the classes at MLC.
“I have always been studying English because my father has been telling me the importance of learning the language. Especially I wanted to improve my speaking skills when I came to the US,” she said. Her father Rafael, who is a physician and head of ICU in Argentina (*), also learned at MLC by taking the Professional English Course online from Argentina. *Rafael’s spotlight can be read here.
Dana says she didn’t have much confidence in speaking. “I was afraid of saying something wrong. Sharing my thoughts and ideas was challenging for me.” Her favorite class is Speaking and Listening, and Dana says the most challenging part of this class was the presentation. “At first, I was almost crying when I needed to do my presentation,” she laughs. “However, it’s actually wonderful to practice speaking here because everyone at MLC is so nice. In addition, the topics that we deal with in the class are always very interesting. We can also share our different cultures with other students from diverse backgrounds.”
Despite her lack of confidence in speaking, Dana has been committed to co-curricular activities, including Conversation Hour. She participates in almost all conversation hours during the lunch time and has built a wonderful relationship with students and MLC staff members. “Now I feel more comfortable about speaking in front of people and sharing my thoughts.”
She is now interested in starting something new in the business field, and thinking about taking the Professional English class. ”Also, I still want to enhance my speaking skill more and I will see what I can do for my next step.”
Dana is looking forward to seeing her father as he visits her during the winter in Ann Arbor. It’s been a great joy for us to have such a dynamic father and daughter duo at MLC!
