Recent Bachelor of Arts graduate, Sarina Leon ’18, is now working at Al Akhawayn University (AUI) in Ifrane, Morocco, as Coordinator of the Writing Center within the Center for Learning Excellence. In this role she will be in charge of hiring and training student tutors, working with professors to help support students with academic needs and organizing writing workshops in collaboration with the writing center, among many other activities.
Born in Seattle, Washington, she started at Franklin four years ago when she was 17. “Within my first year I traveled throughout Switzerland during Academic Travel learning about travel writing, and then later that year to Germany and Poland focusing on art and history.” This helped pique her innate curiosity to learn more about different parts of the world, understand intercultural communication and explore her interest in international education, which eventually led to the positions of Research Assistant for Professor Marcus Pyka and Tutor in the Franklin Writing and Learning Center (WLC).
During her most recent Academic Travel course, “Reading Moroccan Culture” taught by Professor Patrick Saveau this past summer, she visited Ifrane and was given the chance for a preliminary in-person interview at the University. “My experience working as a research assistant and tutor with Professors Pyka and Gardiner absolutely helped me get this new job opportunity at Ifrane. Additionally, as I plan to continue working in academia, this new position offers many opportunities to explore the different facets of an international university by working with students, faculty and staff, and it will strengthen my opportunities to pursue a career path in the future.”
Both Franklin and Al Akhawayn are members of the Global Liberal Arts Alliance (GLAA), a multilateral partnership of equals intended to strengthen education in the liberal arts and sciences. Part of Sarina’s new job will also be to help future collaboration between the academic support and writing centers of the two universities.