Meet the Spring 2018 Office and Lab Assistants!

Ellen Eng

I am from Minneapolis, MN and am a sophomore majoring in Gender, Women, & Sexuality Studies and minoring in Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature. I have previously taken French for six years, and have also taken some Swedish. In addition to school, homework, and sleep, I also enjoy yoga, reading, and writing. I am also in the University Women’s Chorus. In the future, I hope to either have a job that allows me to both live comfortably and help women in situations of injustice and danger, or become a yoga instructor. Maybe both! I have worked at the Language Center for more than a year now, both at the front desk and in the Multimedia Lab.

Evan Mendoza-Bjorkstrand

Hello! My name is Evan Mendoza-Bjorkstrand. I am from Champlin, Minnesota, which is a suburb of Minneapolis. I speak English and a small amount of German. I am also taking German classes! I am studying computer science currently, and after I graduate I plan to get a job in the field. I am not sure of exactly where I would like to work, but something along the lines of cybersecurity sounds very interesting! When I’m not doing school work or working, I am usually playing sports or working with computers for fun. I play soccer as much as I can year round, and during the winter time I snowboard.

Lucy Thao

Hello! My name is Lucy and I am a junior studying Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering, thinking about a Statistics minor in CSE. I’ve called Minnesota my home my entire life and have moved around in the cities a few times, but currently reside in Maplewood. I love anything mystery-related. Give me a book, movie, or TV show with an unexpected plot, and I’ll read or watch it! During high school, I learned a little bit of French and Chinese. I wish I would’ve continued learning those languages throughout college as well, but was unable to due to time. However! I love music and enjoy listening to music from all around the world, and that helps me learn a few words from different languages from time to time. Another interesting fact about me is, I love donuts! LOVE. DONUTS. I also really want to learn Muay-Thai.

Lydia Elhadi

I am a sophomore this year studying Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management, with a focus on Conservation Resource Management. I am from Chanhassen, Minnesota and I have lived there my whole life until I moved to the campus. I took French for three years in high school and college. Although I am not still taking French classes in school, I still try to study it. I also intend to take an Arabic class in my senior year. After I graduate I would like to do some lab technician work for a couple years until I go back to school to get my Masters. After that I will hopefully find a job doing climate change adaptation and mitigation. Other than science, I enjoy reading, playing the piano, and hanging out with my roommates and friends. I also sing in a choir at the University and have played in a band class in previous semesters.

Michelle Her

I am a Junior, majoring in Economics with a minor in Statistics. I am from Woodbury, Minnesota. I have lived most of my life in Minnesota although I don’t really enjoy the cold winters. Aside from English, I speak Hmong. Currently, I am not learning a new language but I would like to learn French and Chinese. After I graduate, I plan to find a job in the finance and analytical field. When I’m not working, I like to exercise, read, and listen to music.

Mirah Yoon

Hello! I am Mirah. I am a senior this year studying Sociology with an emphasis in Nursing. I am from Minnesota and California #WEST COAST, BEST COAST.  Although not fluent I have been learning French, and Korean! I also know Vietnamese, but it's very conversational. I am studying at the University since we have great programs offered here, and I want to continue my studies in languages. For fun hobbies, I would say I like to try new things out. One thing I absolutely cannot say no to is KARAOKE. It's literally one of my favorite things, and it brings out my inner Beyonce.

Polina Matveeva

My name is Polina. I am a freshman at the U, and it is my first year in Minnesota. I was born in Moscow, Russia and moved to Menasha, Wisconsin my sophomore year of high school. Throughout all twelve years of school I was involved in all kinds of arts: theatre, choir, painting, dance. Singing and dancing are still my main hobbies, and I am planning on joining one of the dance clubs next year. As for my academic career, I will be double majoring in Art History and Studies in Cinema & Media Culture as well as minoring in Comparative Race and Ethnicity.

Sophie Gray

I'm Sophie, a sophomore majoring in Chinese and minoring in Public Health. I'm also a member of the university’s Chinese Flagship Program, and am hoping to study abroad this summer in Taiwan. After college, I want to work abroad in China, focusing on public health research and epidemiology. My favorite foods are cinnamon rolls and the Chef's Dry Chili Chicken from Lao Szchuan. In my free time I enjoy watching Chinese movies (Zhang Yimou films are my favorite), painting, reading, and researching Game of Thrones conspiracy theories. I also love dogs and cats, because they're cute. I have two kittens, an older cat, and a dog at home (the kittens have an Instagram account: @pokeyandthebandit).

Trang Son

My name is Trang, I’m a third year student of University of Minnesota. I’m currently working on my Medical Laboratory Science major. I originally come from VietNam, so I can speak and write Vietnamese influently. I love going out with friends and family. I work part-time at the CLA Language Center, and I love my job. I learn new things every single day from my coworkers and supervisors.