American Institute for English Profiency, Makati and Quezon City, Philippines

SPECIALIST PROFILE: MICHAEL ROWLAND

Michael Rowland graduated from DeSales University in Pennsylvania, U.S.A., where I also hail from.  He worked for several years in the U.S. for a political publication and its related policy committee.  He also studied classical drama (such as the works of Schiller and Shakespeare) in Los Angeles.  He came to live in the Philippines in 2011 and soon started teaching at the American Institute for English Proficiency.  He enjoys classical music, museums, astronomy, swimming, and hiking.  He loves imparting what I have learned in his various studies, adventures and learning experiences to his students at AIEPRO so they can not only learn to communicate in English, but also become more well-rounded individuals.  Get to know more about Mike.

  1. TALENTS: Although I’m more than a bit rusty, I once studied to sing classical music in a light baritone voice, as well as how to properly recite classical poetry and theater like Shakespeare and Schiller.  I also know a considerable amount about history, foreign cultures, and geopolitics.  If you want to know my opinion or analysis of what’s going on in the world, just ask me!
  2. HOBBIES:  I enjoy swimming, hiking (although I don’t have many chances to do it much nowadays!), astronomy, and reading.
  3. EDUCATION: St. Francis DeSales University; Center Valley, Pennsylvania
  4. MOTTO: Don’t sweat the petty things, and don’t pet the sweaty things.
  5. PROFESSIONAL PHILOSOPHY: In my profession as a teacher, I, like Socrates, believe that the purpose of education is not just to feed a pupil information, but also to develop his or her faculties of virtue.
  6. PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE TRAVEL…
    • I have been to a lot of locations inside the U.S. In fact, I’ve seen 26 states, and even once drove all the way from Los Angeles, California to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. That was a real adventure!
    • As for foreign travel, I’ve been to Philippines (of course!), Malaysia, Singapore, and China (Hong Kong).  I’d like to do a lot more foreign traveling.  It’d be nice one day to do a “triangular” Mediterranean tour of Greece, Turkey, and Egypt.
  7. FAVORITE…
    • MOVIE: The movie that really opened my mind in terms of history and politics was Oliver Stone’s  JFK.
    • TV SHOW:  If you want to learn lots of English slang and know about why major U.S. cities are being destroyed, watch The Wire.
    • SPORT: I loved to play roller hockey back in the States, but it’s nearly impossible to play it in the Philippines, so maybe I’ll have to get a new favorite.
    • BOOK: I have a lot, and picking a favorite really depends on the category.  Right now I’m reading the The Martian, and I’m really enjoying it.
    • FOOD:  This is a hard one if it comes down to choosing one.  But I’ll have to go with an onion bagel sandwich with cream cheese and lox.
  8. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:  In addition to various customer service jobs, I’ve also worked for several years for a political magazine and action committee headquartered in the greater Washington, DC area.  It was a great experience where I really learned a lot about the world.  I also got to travel all over the U.S.
  9. FUTURE HOPES/GOALS:  Above all, I hope that my son grows up to be a virtuous, kind-hearted, intelligent, educated, resilient, tenacious young man, and I hope to make that happen.
  10. MEMORIES:  When my brother and I were little boys, our father used to tell us a story each night about himself when he was growing up.  It’s one of those little things that you don’t recognize the full value of at the time because you were too young, but when you look back to how it shaped you, you understand its significance more.

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