Volunteer Spotlight: Lucía
by Jordan Cowell
Lucía Iannantuono (She/Her)
Student Services Coordinator
Sydney, Australia
Lucía has traveled the world teaching English, from her native Argentina, to the U.S., and all the way to Australia where she currently lives. She has been volunteering with Felt Education as a Student Coordinator since last August, where she helps with new student enrollment and placement.
“Felt is definitely a community, even if it’s online.”
Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself and your role at Felt Education.
Lucía: My name is Lucía. I am a Student Coordinator, and I am currently based in Sydney, Australia. My main job is to get new students enrolled in the class. When someone is interested in taking a class, they fill out a form online with some basic contact information and their level of English. Then, I reach out to them via WhatsApp and email, and based on their assessment of their own English level, I give them some different class options. Once they choose, I share our policies, class information, and add them to the class WhatsApp group!
Q: What is your profession?
Lucía: I have a degree in scientific and literary translation, but my work experience is in teaching. I have taught English and Spanish in different countries. Right now, I’m a residential life coordinator at one of the on-campus residencies at the University of Sydney, so I basically look after the mental health and wellbeing of the students and plan cool events for them.
Q: Can you tell us about some of your travels and experiences teaching abroad?
Lucía: I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and went to university there. My university had a study abroad program in Australia, so I came to Australia and absolutely loved it. Then I went back, finished my degree, and decided to go to New Zealand. It was originally going to be a short trip, but I stayed all through COVID. After New Zealand, I flew to the United States and taught Spanish for a year at College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts through a language-teaching program. It was a really cool experience because I lived there with 16 people from different countries. We were teachers from all over the globe. Then I went back home for a bit and worked at a cultural assistance program where I helped students who were thinking of studying abroad in Argentina. After that, I came to Australia and got my job here. And now, my sister is living in Australia with me. I inspired her.
Q: What are some of your hobbies and interests?
Lucía: Here in Australia, it’s so easy to have cool hobbies like swimming and paddle boarding. I recently joined a rugby club. I like reading, meeting new people . . .
Q: What is a fun fact about you that not many people know?
Lucía: I’ve never tried chewing gum in my life. There’s something about the texture that I just can’t . . . I reckon a less weird fun fact would be that I’m trying to learn Maori, which is an indigenous language spoken in New Zealand. It’s awesome, but it’s really hard. I know I’ll get there. I had a Maori coworker who would teach me a bit, but now I’m just using an app, which isn’t the same as learning from an actual teacher in a class.
Q: Has your experience learning Maori as an adult informed your perspective at all when it comes to the students you interact with at Felt Education?
Lucía: It definitely helps me empathize with the students because learning a language is hard. But as a teacher, obviously I have the mentality that everyone can do it. What I like about Felt is the social aspect. Students are not alone. They get to socialize with their classmates, and the teachers make it collaborative and fun.
Q: What motivates you to give back to the community with Felt?
Lucía: I wanted to have a volunteer experience that was long-term, which is difficult because I travel so much. But I love getting involved with the community and in community projects. I’ve volunteered at a library, at a plant nursery, at a cancer society . . . but all of that ended the moment I moved to a new place. That’s why Felt, being online, is perfect.
Q: Has volunteering been a big part of your life, then?
Lucía: Yes. It’s such a good way of meeting people and understanding other aspects of life. You also learn different skills. I’m learning so much about registration and communication and organization. In my interview with Felt, I remember asking one thing that was really important to me, which was, “Do volunteers stay?” And they do! The student coordinator before me had been volunteering for over two years. Felt is definitely a community, even if it’s online.