And she makes her debut!

After weeks of waiting, Mrs. Rachel Zahn has finally joined us at Beaver Area to teach Spanish 1 and 4. Mrs. Zahn formerly taught Spanish in Pittsburgh for three years, and she taught in Chile and Peru for two where she taught English and Art.

However, Mrs. Zahn’s passion for Spanish didn’t come to her immediately.

“When I was younger I wanted to be a skydiving instructor, then a beekeeper, then make it on Broadway. In high school, I wanted to be a photographer and a chef.”

“It took me a while to realize that what I really wanted was a career where I could travel and talk to people, and that is when I fell in love with the idea of bringing culture and adventure to others. I have always liked Spanish and other languages, so for me, it was a natural progression,” explained Mrs. Zahn.

Mrs. Zahn grew up in Pennsylvania and attended a small high school just like Beaver, then attended Westminster College where she earned an undergraduate in Spanish, Art, and Secondary Education, as well as studying abroad in Valparaiso, Chile.

“After graduating, I worked for AmeriCorps, taught English in Chile, the Dominican Republic, and Peru, and traveled with students to Spain, Peru, and Chile for art and language programs,” Mrs. Zahn said.

One sign of a true educator is being a continuous learner, and Mrs. Zahn fits the mold.

“I am currently getting my Masters in Global Education and Liberal Studies,” Mrs. Zahn shared.

Along with teaching, Mrs. Zahn enjoys many activities, including traveling, cooking, learning other languages, hiking with her dog, watching Survivor with her husband, musical theater, coffee, Dave Matthews Band concerts, and environmental and social justice causes!

To those looking to teach or study language, Mrs. Zahn offered some good advice.

“Be bold and willing to try. I guess that is a life lesson as well. You will never learn to speak another language if you don’t speak to as many people as possible. Also, travel. Anywhere. Pittsburgh or Paraguay, Cleveland or Colombia. Never turn down the opportunity to learn something new.”