Greetings,

                My name is Julia Hedges and I am from Missoula, Montana. I have spent most of my life in the United States, although I have also lived and studied in Spain. I know the challenges of learning a second language and I have always wanted to help second language learners with their English. I currently work with non-native English speaking children in the public schools. I’m also working toward an M.Ed in TESOL (Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language). After I graduate in December, my dream is to teach English in Asia for a few years.

                I have a wonderful family with three brothers and three sisters. We are very close and love to snowboard, hike, and travel (when we can afford it) together.  My two brothers and I bought a house together last year and we are fixing it up in honor of our Father who passed away. It has been an amazing experience working with my brothers on such a big project, and it has brought us closer. We are fortunate to have an amazing mother who is extremely supportive. I also have two beautiful nieces and two adorable nephews. Finally, I have a sassy dog named Guinness who is very smart, and gets mad if I pet other dogs!

                I’m really looking forward to working with all of you this semester. I want to help each of you reach your English goals and assist you to the best of my ability. Please feel free to ask me for help anytime. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your class family this semester.  Please share something about yourselves with me, because I really want to get to know each of you better. We are going to learn so much from each other!

Warmest regards,

Julia

Unique Experience:

In 2002 and 2003, I fought wild-land fires for the United States Forest Service.  It was a challenging and rewarding experience.   My favorite fire was in a very remote wilderness location.  I was flown in by helicopter to the very top of a ridge in the middle of nowhere.  We camped and worked there for two weeks, and I had never seen anything so gorgeous. This experience taught me so many things about my strengths and how to overcome my weaknesses.  More importantly, it showed me the power of working together with a group of people for a common cause and how important it is to be positive and support those around you.