Мельніченко Аліна Юріївна

My name is Alina Melnichenko, and I was born on July 6, 1981 in Kyiv’ska Oblast, Ukraine. I am divorced and a single mother to my 19 year old son, Dania. My immediate family consists of my son, mother, and father. I finished secondary school at Olexandr Rybalko School of Klavdievo in 1998 and went on to pursue an education at the Kyiv National University of Economics. After graduating in 2003, I worked in economics and gave birth to my son. Shortly after his birth however, he was diagnosed with diabetes, and this led me to change career paths. I knew that I would have to pursue a career that would allow me enough time to attend to his medical and emotional needs. In 2009, I graduated from the National Pedagogical Dragomanov University and become an English teacher at Olexandr Rybalko School of Klavdievo in my hometown. Today, I work as an English teacher for grades 5 – 11 and have served as the vice principal for the past 5 years. This past year, I had the exciting opportunity to work with a Peace Corps Volunteer from America. We worked on developing methodological and student-centered techniques for teaching English. We also worked on developing the skills of the other English teachers at my school. This year, I also received a certificate for the successful completion of a Peace Crops Project Design and Management workshop and a certificate of participation for attending the ELT Professional Development Summer Institute on “Teaching American Culture.” I am a very hard-working and dedicated teaching professional and mother. I love engaging with community members and improving the lives of families and children in my town. In my spare time, I love beading and creating handmade crafts. I’ve also recently taken up painting, which I really enjoy. My goals for the future include improving my English, continuing to improve the English of my students, travelling around my mother country of Ukraine and travelling to America and other parts of the world.