Introducing Andrea!

My name is Andrea Gorman. I'm currently living in Novi Pazar, Serbia. I received a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship and will be teaching at the State University of Novi Pazar this academic year. Novi Pazar is a small city of 100,000 near the Kosovo border. It is one of the youngest cities in Europe, with 50% of the population being under 30. This demographic is exciting to me as I want to develop youth programs that promote intercultural exchange and global citizenship.

In addition to my responsibilities in Serbia, I am taking online graduate classes and mentoring online for the University Studies program at Portland State University. I've mentored for University Studies since 2010, but this term will be my first time serving as an online mentor. I took this class to assist me in my mentoring efforts and to explore the potential of online education! I look forward to building a more sophisticated course shell that will engage and inspire the students I work with.

I have a B.A. in Social Science with a minor in International Studies. During my undergraduate education, I co-founded a service learning program that promotes undergraduate leadership through the framework of art, sustainability, and social responsibility. I studied art history and language in Spain, taught English to youth in rural South Korea, and volunteered with NGOs that aim to empower women through microfinance loans in southern Mexican villages. Additionally, I was involved with the Office of International Affairs at PSU in an ongoing effort to promote and encourage international education.

I am the first person in my family to live and work abroad. In fact, I didn’t even venture out of North America until I was 27. Prior to my life in higher education, I worked as an Executive Assistant. I’m passionate about community development. I was on the ground floor of starting Portland’s Rose City Rollers. I served this organization in a variety of positions, including: athlete, board member, sponsorship salesperson, event planner, media liaison, and spearheaded the social responsibility division. I was raised with my five siblings in Sublimity, Oregon. I embarked on a lifelong commitment to service work at the age of ten, volunteering time with the elderly in my rural community. My family instilled in me the importance of education and social justice; these values ignited a passion that I carry into my vocation each day. When I’m not living abroad, I reside in beautiful Portland, Oregon.

I look forward to working with all of you this term!