In July, Vakaru Ekspresas newspaper published an article about LCC MA TESOL alumni Agne Stankevičienė. The article highlighted Agne’s successful English program and her family life. We also want to highlight Agne as an example of a excellent MA TESOL alum.

As a child Agne set up her dolls and teddy bears in a row and “taught” them. Her mother was an English teacher, so she considered this as a valid profession for herself. Agne graduated from LCC International University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2007.

She enjoyed her work as an administrator for the American School of English (AMES), and soon decided that she wanted to teach an English course for herself. After seeing her success, the AMES management offered her a full-time teaching job.

In 2017, Agne co-founded her own English language school in Plunge, named “HI.” The program grew to nearly 100 students. This experience raised her eagerness to gain more professional training.

Agne first learned about LCC’s MA TESOL program in 2017, but it took two years for her to consider her options, discuss the choice with her family, and finally to apply. By this time, Agne, her husband and small three children were living in Agne’s great-grandparents’ home. The old home needed constant repairs. But instead of building a new house, they committed themselves to repairing and renovating the homestead.

In fall 2021, Agne began as a student in LCC’s MA TESOL program. She attended the Summer Residency Sessions in August and launched into reading online, writing essays, and learning about second language acquisition. She enjoyed her studies and earned top marks. However, in September 2022, her mother, her “hero” passed away. Agne’s professors gave her a few extra weeks to complete assignments enabling Agne to successfully complete the semester and continue her work.

 The focus of Agne’s senior thesis was English teachers’ perceptions of their own professional development. As a life-long learner herself, Agne was intrigued with professional development for teachers; she wanted to know if workshops for teachers were truly impactful for others. Her research suggested that teachers should be included in making decisions about their professional development and be given more time. Teachers would benefit from more opportunities for collaboration.

Agne graduated from the MA TESOL program in August 2023. This fall, she began new job at Liepiju moklykla in Plateliai, Lithuania. Watch out for Agne; she is an amazing person!

Author: Robin Gingerich, Ph.D., MA TESOL Program Director at LCC International University.