Alumni Spotlight: Ian Bonnano
Ian Bonnano is an English language development instructor currently working with elementary students in Prince George's County Public Schools after working around the world. Find out what he’s been doing since completing his undergraduate TESOL Certificate in 2018!
What led to your decision to pursue the Undergraduate Certificate in TESOL?
I originally wanted to make myself a more competitive candidate when applying for an English teaching position with the Peace Corps in China. However, when I graduated in 2018, the Peace Corps wasn't recruiting there, so I decided to apply for positions with different English tutoring companies around China instead. Even though my original goal of becoming a Peace Corps volunteer didn't work out, I was still well prepared to work with English language learners by the TESOL program at AU.
What was your time at AU like as a student in the TESOL program? What’s your favorite memory?
The best experiences I had with the program were in my ELT I and ELT II classes. These were both cross-listed as 400 and 600-level courses, so I was in class with a lot of experienced teaching professionals. We had an English teacher from Vietnam, a teacher with experience in Morocco, and another with English teaching experience in Ukraine. It really opened my eyes to how pursuing TESOL could take me anywhere in the world!The required volunteer teaching and reflective writing I completed during my ELT I and ELT II classes were also very memorable. I was really nervous stepping into a classroom for the first time, but I had so much fun with my adult students. For anyone currently in the TESOL program at AU, I highly recommend the Washington English Center as a good place to complete your required teaching experience.
What did you do after you graduated from the AU TESOL program?
I had a job in Shanghai teaching English all lined up before I even finished my Undergraduate Certificate in TESOL, so two months after graduating from AU, I left everything behind and went to start a new life in China! In 2024, I came back to Maryland, earned my MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Maryland, and then applied for positions with PGCPS after getting my teaching license. I started in PG County this August, and I currently work with 4th and 5th grade students who have been identified for English l services.
What advice would you give to current AU TESOL students and recent graduates?
Don't be afraid to leave the US behind and start teaching overseas. My first job in China wasn't the best, but it was my first step in an over five-year career and led to many amazing experiences across Shanghai, Beijing, and a small city called Deyang.
Photo above right: Bonnano with his co-teachers.
Photo below: Bonnano and a colleague speaking at a school family outing day in Deyang.
