Elizabeth Marriett

Teaching and Research Interests

Vocational ESL, Refugee Identity and Mental Health

Biography

Born and raised in Northwest Illinois, Elizabeth became intrigued and curious about cultural exchange and languages at a young age through exposure to her classmates’ refugee experiences. She began traveling as a student ambassador for the U.S. while in high school through People to People Student Ambassadors Program: participating in cultural exchange and relationship building in Western Europe, the UK and South Pacific. Her love for cultural immersion grew and led her to study abroad in college on a 100 day voyage shipboard education program where she circumnavigated the world- participating in service projects, interviews, home stays and university exchanges. Her professional background centers on social services for marginalized communities (re-entry services for ex-offenders, truancy, domestic violence and refugee resiliency and employment), and adult ESL.

She began teaching ESL in Chicago during her college years through volunteering with refugee advocacy organizations through home visits, and studying refugee youth identity formation through storytelling and traditional folklore in local elementary and junior high schools. She taught in adult ESL classes in community colleges within Northwest Illinois, with students from more than 15 countries. She focused on teaching debating and storytelling skills, and employment based ESL while working with newly arrived refugees and asylees. Her passion for adventure and cultural exchange later led her to move abroad to the Empty Quarter where she was the first of 2 foreign teachers ever invited to teach in the public school system in the Sultanate of Oman. She lived amidst 3 nomadic, Bedouin tribes teaching EFL in the local junior high and high schools, as well as advocacy for community educational engagement and development. She has studied Spanish and Arabic for years and has a goal of reaching fluency in the future. In her free time, Elizabeth dabbles in cycling, Irish dancing, travel and interfaith engagement.  Elizabeth currently is a student at Seattle University studying for a Masters in Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counseling.