Welcome to our new intern and teammate!

Anna is the newest addition to the Tandem team, serving as a Summer intern at Tandem since July 2018. She is currently a student studying a Bachelor in Education (Primary) at the University of Sydney in Australia and is here undertaking exchange at the University of California, Berkeley. With a strong passion for creating sustainable happiness, she has worked with children in a range of elementary aged spaces over the past 5 years. In her downtime, Anna loves to cultivate her photography and editing skills, try out new recipes, and travel around the world. Let’s learn a little bit more about her!

How do your values and goals align with the work that Tandem does?

I have always believed in equal opportunity, whether it be in education or issues that play out in the wider society. Through the StoryCycles program, Tandem provides the chance for families to enjoy reading with their children, whilst developing early literacy skills such as print and phonological awareness.

The idea of ‘un-learning’ has been quite the buzzword in recent times, especially in the education field. The workshops that Tandem deliver focuses on adding to your toolbox of skills because there’s always a need to keeping learning new things. Yet, sometimes this comes at the expense of ‘un-learning’ our old ways to form new ones.

Why did you choose to be in education?

I love being able to influence the future, creating change and generating sustainable happiness. What a better way to do that than with children? By partnering together with each kid to build a strong foundation, there is no doubt that they will experience the world for all that it has to offer.

What is your vision for the future of teaching?

I want to take every child to the end of their smiles with creativity and open mindedness, both of which shapes new perspectives. Key attributes such as respect and kindness, paralleled with high expectations and transparent communication are so important to the overall wellbeing of an individual.

Most inspiring picture book for children?

‘The Dot’ by Peter H. Reynolds.

Favorite American snack so far?

Definitely Cheetos. Hershey’s Cookies and Cream comes pretty close too.

If you could tell one thing to the children that we work with, what would it be?

Take every opportunity as they come so that you can keep growing, and remember to smile about it!