-Ms. M. Emeran -- Far from Home

Mrs. Monika Emeran - Far from Home

by Sylvin Laguerre

How many languages can you speak? Well if you travel to Poland, France, and some other countries, Mrs. Monika Emeran can be your translator.

In 1973 Janina and Andrzej Szczepaniak gave birth to a beautiful baby and named her Monika Emeran. She is Caucasian with a slim body, and her hair color is blonde with darker shades. Her face is a round, and her nose is straight.

Ms. Emeran grew up in a small city in the south of Poland as a Catholic. She spent her summer time with her grandparents. During her school years, she was very active. When school was over in the afternoons, she sang and danced in different school groups. She hiked very often with the students and teachers in the mountains. She was also a member of the scouts.

Mrs. Emeran is now a foreign language teacher at Kean High who speaks Polish, French, and English. From the time she was in high school, teaching French was one of her dreams.

When she graduated from high school, she attended a university in Krakow, Poland; she then got a scholarship to Paris 12 University in Paris. She has a Master’s in French as a Second Language from Paris 8 University. She worked as a librarian in a junior high school. Last year, she attended Jean Monnet University in France to begin her doctorate.

‘’Life in France is completely different compared to life in America. American people live for work and everything is about the money. In France, people live to enjoy their lives, family, and free time,” she said.

She moved to Guadeloupe to teach in 2004, and she came to St. Thomas to teach at Addelita Cancryn Junior High School in 2007.

Ms. Emeran has been teaching French here at Ivanna Eudora Kean High School since fall 2011. “The challenge that I am facing right now is that students need to study, be more serious, and think about their future,’’ she said.

“You must study hard to have a good future because without education you can not reach your goals in life,” added Ms. Emeran, with a smile on her face.

Ms. Emeran is interested in reading, hiking, swimming, and traveling. This past year she organized a trip to France for Kean students. She is planning a trip to South Africa for the coming school year.

She has a daughter who is eleven. “ My daughter is my motivation and my inspiration,” said Mrs. Emeran, as she wrote in her notebook.

At this point I can say that Ms. M. Emeran is a very hard working teacher; she has a great life experience and she is working hard to reach her goal, to earn her Ph.D.