New Faculty and Staff! Introducing: Ahmed Bitar

Ahmed is teaching both French and Spanish in the Lower School part time. He uses songs, videos, games and other fun activities to encourage students to use their new language knowledge and to enjoy it in the process. Ahmed is multilingual and has travelled the world bringing enrichment to our community. Welcome, Ahmed!

Here are Ahmed's answers to our questions!

1. Describe your life in six words.  Educator, student, traveler, vegetarian, inquisitive, inspiring.

2. If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be?  I would like to live with my extended family in Beirut, Lebanon.

3. If you could invite 3 guests, dead or alive, to dinner, who would they be?  Albert Camus, Frida Kahlo, Shakira.

4. What are some things you'd like to share about yourself, your family and birthplace? I was born in Fort Worth, Texas, but Michigan is home. I am fortunate enough to have traveled the world and I am always awaiting my next adventure. I was raised bilingual, in Arabic and English, and I strongly believe that my upbringing provoked my great interest in foreign languages and cultures.

5. What are your hobbies and interests outside of working at Roeper?  I enjoy swimming, reading, writing, and traveling. I am a graduate student at Wayne State University pursuing my Ph.D. in Spanish Literature. I am interested in medieval studies, art history, comparative literature, and foreign language pedagogy.

6. What is a topic or skill that you love to teach and why?  French and Spanish! It is my passion to use language as a tool to make students more empathetic, sensitive, and aware of the diverse cultures of our world.

7. What is it that appealed to you about Roeper when you took the job?  From the moment I saw the job posting I said to myself that “this is the perfect job for me.” After graduating with my BA degrees in French and Spanish, I  taught English in an elementary school in Madrid, Spain for three years and absolutely loved that experience. I was not expecting to enjoy working with young children so much and was sad when I returned to the US and no longer had that role. I learned a lot about child development and I am glad to have found this opportunity. Roeper is a good match for me and I am excited to get to know the campus, staff, and the students and their families.