Shawna Freischlad, BA
Biography
I was born and raised on US soil, however my exact origins are slightly more difficult to pinpoint. I was born in Denver, Colorado, the “Mile High City” in the highest mountain range in the US. I went to elementary school in Southern California, but first found ground to set deep roots when my family moved to Georgia in 1996. After high school, I completed a BA in Language and Linguistics at the University of Georgia. During my undergraduate studies, I prioritized international and cross-cultural experiences at home and abroad. This included time living in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Marrakech, Morocco; and Granada, Spain.
After 11 years of being immersed in the sweet simplicity of Southern life, I ventured back to California, to pursue a career in Education. While in Northern California I taught all subjects to public school students in Gilroy, the Garlic capitol of the world, as part of a national initiative called Teach for America (www.teachforamerica.org). I learned about the injustices of America’s public educational system and was equipped to do something about it. Although I enjoyed the challenges and rewards of school teaching, I met my future husband in the summer of 2008. After one year apart, we decided life would be better together in Austria and got married in July of 2009.
I now live in Guntramsdorf with my husband and our ferocious Slovenian kitten.
Since marrying and moving to Austria, I have been happy to join the Pro Active English team. As a former classroom teacher, I especially appreciate the value of the methods used by Pro Active English that create rewarding and enjoyable learning experiences.