In a time of such global commerce, English has become one of the most widely used, influential, and empowering tools for any businessperson seeking to further their opportunity in today's world. Throughout our travel experiences, we have noticed the importance of bilingualism, the ability not only to communicate, but to express our individualism, and to understand the cultures and social structures within the foreign countries we have been able to visit. The importance of not just saying hello, but how are you? During our recent trip to Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala, we continuously sought the opportunity to enjoy a cultural exchange with native citizens in these countries, specifically a chance to step into a foreign classroom if only for a day of foreign language instruction. However, due to our time constraints we could not find the right occasion to satisfy our desires to teach, despite contacting a number of schools. We feel that we would truly enjoy a much longer-term experience and after talking to a number of friends who have had the chance to live and teach abroad in Japan, feel that this might just be the opportunity we have been looking for. A place where we can settle in and really put our best efforts towards both instruction and learning.
A second hope that we share is our goal of a truly two-way cultural exchange. When we say this, we mean that at heart we are students of society, of culture, and of modernity, constantly seeking to continue our education. We both feel that there is no better manner of achieving this than by complete immersion of oneself in a foreign setting. As our study-abroad experiences have proven, this immersion is stand alone the best way to gain a better knowledge and understanding of another culture, especially in terms of learning a new language. During our time outside the classroom, we hope to explore the abundance of cultural festivals and enjoy time to travel around the country, from cities, to mountains, to the coast.
We appreciate your consideration and would like to thank you very much for your time.
Welcome to our Web Resume! We are Jacob Warner and Rebecca Venkauskas. Below you will learn about us. We have included our qualifications, work experience, travel experience, and most importantly, why we want to teach english in Japan.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Who We Are...
Rebecca Lee Venkauskas
Physical Address: 1498 Pine Ave. Tahoe City, CA USA 96145
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 1432 Tahoe City, CA USA 96145
Phone Number: 484-553-1102
E-Mail Address: Rebecca.venkauskas@gmail.com
Marital Status: Single
Country of Residence: United States of America
Native Language: English
Jacob Burbank Warner
Physical Address: 1498 Pine Ave. Tahoe City, CA USA 96145
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 6231 Tahoe City, CA USA 96145
Phone Number: 207-632-6900
E-Mail Address: jakewarner9@gmail.com
Marital Status: Single
Country of Residence: United States of America
Native Language: English
Rebecca's Resume
Rebecca L. Venkauskas •P.O. Box 1432 Tahoe City, CA 96145 •484.553.1102 rebecca.venkauskas@gmail.com
EDUCATION
CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE, Burlington. Vermont Fall 2004-Spring 2008
` ● Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations, May 2008.
VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON, Wellington, New Zealand Spring 2007
●Completed one semester of study abroad in a foreign country.
EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE
SERVER, Fireside Pizza, Olympic Valley, CA
December 2008-Present
● Dedicated to ensuring customer satisfaction in a professional and friendly manner.
● Practice interpersonal and team building skills while in a fast-paced environment.
INTERN, Switchback Public Relations & Marketing, Truckee, CA
November 2009-February 2009
● Tracked media placements.
● Built media lists.
● Wrote, edited and disseminated press releases.
● Participated in creative brainstorming sessions.
SKI SCHOOL SALES, Squaw Valley USA, Olympic Valley, CA
December 2008-April 2009
● Administered customer service skills.
SPECIAL FUNCTIONS ASSISTANT, Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, VT
May 2008-October 2008
● Serve as a client representative for a wide level of hands-on event services.
● Assist with on-site logistics for all special functions on the farm.
● Act as a special functions staff providing services as a site host, proficient guest service skills, bartending and food service.
INTERN, Intrinsic Marketing, South Burlington, VT
January 2008-April 2008
● Assist owner in various activities, including: writing press releases, contacting individuals on media contact list, researching clientele, creating web-blogs, etc.
SALES ASSOCIATE, The Bern Gallery, Burlington, VT
January 2008-April 2008
● Administered customer service skills.
ASSISTANT GROUP SUPERVISOR, Fletcher Allen Y’s Time, Winooski, VT
September 2007-December 2007
● Responsible for caring for children from the ages of infant to age five.
CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, Chittenden Bank, South Burlington, VT
September 2005- January 2007
● Perform basic transactions.
● Interact with customers.
● Opened accounts for new and existing customers.
● Opened accounts for new and existing customers.
SUMMER NANNY, Field’s Family, Shelburne, VT
June 2004-August 2004
● Planned daily activities for the children.
ASSISTANT GROUP SUPERVISOR, Lilliput Corner Learning Center, New Tripoli, PA
April 2002-August 2004
● Responsible for caring for children from the ages of infant to grade eight.
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
NEW ZEALAND DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION; Mauti-Somes Island, New Zealand April 2007
● Participated in a weekend-long conservation volunteer project
● Cleaned historic building while working with a team of volunteers
● Contributed in a beach clean of the historic reserve
AMERICAN RED CROSS; Burlington, Vermont
January 2007, September 2007-November 2007
● Filled paperwork
● Entered paperwork into the computer
● Assemble bandage kits which were used for First Aid classes
Jacob's Resume
EDUCATION
Saint Lawrence University, Canton, New York
- Graduate, May 2007
- Bachelor of Science in Spanish, Minor in Caribbean and Latin American Studies
- Overall G.P.A. of 3.25/3.5
- Saint Lawrence University study abroad program in Spain: Fall 2005 - Spring 2006
- Two weeks in February of 2001 spent aboard the Tall Ship Harvey Gamage. Sailed throughout the Caribbean studying culture and marine biology.
LANGUAGES
- Advanced level of spoken and written Spanish
- Knowledge of Italian
SKILLS
- Knowledge of MS Windows 98/2000/XP, MS Word, WordPerfect
- Knowledge of Apple computer systems
WORK EXPERIENCE
Server and Bartender at Fireside Pizza & Pasta Co., Olympic Valley, California. Telephone: 1-530-584-6150
- November 2008 - Present
Co-Owner and Employee of a small painting company, based in North Yarmouth/Cumberland, Maine; Summers 2004-2008
- Established contracts with clients
- Created schedules for the two teams of painters throughout the summer
- Organized the distribution of equipment and workers
- Managed the bills and accounts with various supply stores
- Managed the payroll wages of the employees
- Organized statistics and created new databases in the club’s network
- Observed training sessions and wrote reports and comments
Third Mate and Crew on the charter sailboat Palawan out of Portland, Maine; Summer 2003
- Tasks ranged from cleaning and maintenance to raising and tending sails, steering the ship, and providing local history and information about the Casco Bay Islands.
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Safe Passage (Camino Seguro) November 6, 2007 through December 14, 2007
- Worked as a full-time volunteer in a 1st Grade classroom. Ten hour days were spent with children who live in and around the Guatemala City garbage dump. Responsibilities included tutoring, mentoring, classroom and emotional support. Subjects undertaken ranged from teaching English to the introductions and explorations of foreign cultures and ideas.
- Edited papers, held conferences, and conducted study sessions with other St. Lawrence students. Acted as a tutor and mentor while giving a three week series of Spanish lessons to non-students.
ACTIVITIES
Co-Founder, of the Saint Lawrence University Alpine Adventures Club, 2003-2005
- Organized and created the schedule of trips/excursions to various ski mountains and outdoor activities such as hikes and dryland training
- Managed relations and the budget between the club and St. Lawrence University
Player on, and Assistant to the Director, of the Saint Lawrence University Club Soccer team, 2004-2005
- Helped to establish a schedule of practices, games, and the league play.
- Distributed this information to other players.
Rebecca's Travel Experiences
In the recent years as a young adult, I have been lucky enough not only to have spent some time traveling, but also to spend a semester studying in the beautiful country of New Zealand. While abroad I enjoyed a life of complete immersion, studying alongside new friends at Victoria University of Wellington. During my time spent outside the classroom, I was able explore the beautiful landscapes and native Mauri culture that make New Zealand such a foreign and exciting place. While my studies focused mainly on understanding the geography, history, and cultures of both New Zealand and Australia, I was also enrolled classes with a more global context, such as an introduction to world religion. I feel that learning alongside my New Zealand classmates gave me the chance to understand another perspective, another view of the material that would not have been possible had I been learning at an all-American university.
While living in New Zealand I was able to explore most of the country as well as parts of Australia and Fiji. Since then I have traveled most of the western United States, Canada, and recently, Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. These travel experiences have helped broaden my vision of the world as I previously knew it, helped me to really understand and interact within cultures foreign to my own in the United States. Exploring Central America also helped me to realize the importance of language studies, and the ability to communicate across borders. Since returning to the U.S. I have been so intrigued by the possibility of both teaching English and learning Japanese, to begin anew the process of educating and immersing myself in a new culture.
Jacob's Travel Experiences
As a child, my parents always taught me to embrace foreign cultures, to learn from my experiences, and to pursue any and all opportunities that presented themselves. The first of these opportunities came my way with the Ocean Classroom Foundation and the "Tall Ships Race" in July of 2000. At age 15 I climbed aboard the Schooner Lettie G. Howard to serve as her crew for the race from Boston, Massachusetts to Halifax, Nova Scotia, alongside ships and sailors from all over the world. Along the route we studied the abundance of marine life around us, as well as the histories and pastimes
of our competitors.
of our competitors.
Several months later, I was fortunate enough to have been selected for enrollment in another Ocean Classroom program, this time, sailing on the Harvey Gammage throughout the United States and British Virgin Islands. Here again we had a chance to study the cultures of the places we visited, and enjoy an introduction to the very unique marine biology of the Caribbean Sea. This experience lead to a very peaked interest in understanding the cultures and histories of the Caribbean societies, which later became a focus of study during my four years of university education.
My desires to pursue educational opportunity, and my love of foreign languages, took me to Spain where I was fortunate enough to spend my third year of college abroad studying in Segovia and Madrid. Here I lived with two host-families, first in the small village of La Lastrilla, outside Segovia, and then the remainder of the year in the heart of Madrid, enjoying many chances to travel throughout the country and across Europe for about eight months. I will look fondly on these experiences for the rest of my life as they gave me a firm grasp of the Spanish language, and satisfied my desires to understand and live within a society foreign to my own.
Upon completion of my formal studies at St. Lawrence University, I began seeking out a volunteer experience abroad that would both continue my education and realize my ever-present desire to visit Central and South America. After two months of research I came across the Safe Passage/Camino Seguro project based in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Spending approximately six weeks living and working in the heart of Guatemala I began a quest South passing through El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, before flying down to Cartagena, Colombia. Over the course of the next five months I was able to travel throughout almost all of South America, including the southern reaches of Patagonia, the Argentinian jungle, and the Bolivian salt flats, before concluding my adventure with a trek to Machu Picchu in Peru. Throughout the journey I was able to meet and get to know the people whose countries I was visiting. From bus rides to conversations in a cafe, jungle hikes to cityscapes, I was able to communicate with and start to understand the histories of these people, these new friends who had taken me in along the way.
I feel that there is no better way to understand a society until you are actually there to see it with your very own eyes, both the joy and the hardships that all humans have to overcome. The amazing opportunities that I have had to travel have truly given me a special perspective on life, to help me understand that opportunity is endless in the world today, it only depends on how we approach it.
My desires to pursue educational opportunity, and my love of foreign languages, took me to Spain where I was fortunate enough to spend my third year of college abroad studying in Segovia and Madrid. Here I lived with two host-families, first in the small village of La Lastrilla, outside Segovia, and then the remainder of the year in the heart of Madrid, enjoying many chances to travel throughout the country and across Europe for about eight months. I will look fondly on these experiences for the rest of my life as they gave me a firm grasp of the Spanish language, and satisfied my desires to understand and live within a society foreign to my own.
Upon completion of my formal studies at St. Lawrence University, I began seeking out a volunteer experience abroad that would both continue my education and realize my ever-present desire to visit Central and South America. After two months of research I came across the Safe Passage/Camino Seguro project based in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Spending approximately six weeks living and working in the heart of Guatemala I began a quest South passing through El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, before flying down to Cartagena, Colombia. Over the course of the next five months I was able to travel throughout almost all of South America, including the southern reaches of Patagonia, the Argentinian jungle, and the Bolivian salt flats, before concluding my adventure with a trek to Machu Picchu in Peru. Throughout the journey I was able to meet and get to know the people whose countries I was visiting. From bus rides to conversations in a cafe, jungle hikes to cityscapes, I was able to communicate with and start to understand the histories of these people, these new friends who had taken me in along the way.
I feel that there is no better way to understand a society until you are actually there to see it with your very own eyes, both the joy and the hardships that all humans have to overcome. The amazing opportunities that I have had to travel have truly given me a special perspective on life, to help me understand that opportunity is endless in the world today, it only depends on how we approach it.
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