I was born in Los Angeles, California, and moved to Corvallis, Oregon when I was 13. Since then, I have found both a love for the outdoors, and a passion for education and teaching. I left high school after my junior year for higher education, and graduated Pitzer College in 2019 with a degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics; a second degree in Organizational Studies; and a minor in Science, Technology, and Society. In my free time I love to cook, play the ukulele, and practice Mixed Martial Arts. I'm thrilled to make An Giang university my next big adventure, and cannot wait to immerse myself in Vietnamese culture, learning as much as I can while I teach.

My name is Blansefloer and I am originally from Bruges, Belgium. I was born in one of the most idyllic cities of northern Europe, Bruges is a medieval town and endlessly romantic. I grew up in its little streets and went to school and university in buildings that are hundreds of years old. It is a city that attracts millions of tourists, but to me it always felt to small. The world beyond my home fascinated me from a young age, I read books about great adventures and dreamt about the day I could start my own journey. So after graduating from university with a degree in Education, history and religion, I left everything I knew behind and moved to London where I worked and lived for two years. But there is still so much of the world I haven’t experienced, so many people I haven’t met, so many stories I have yet to hear. Vietnam is the next chapter in my book, and I cannot wait to see where it will take me.

I am excited to be entering a wonderful new chapter in my life. In June I retired from 33 years of teaching middle school English and social studies in Gig Harbor, Washington. I have been married for 32 years and together we have two grown children and a daughter-in-law. The new adventure of teaching Vietnamese college students will provide me a terrific new challenge. During my career teaching in the public schools, I was fortunate to have participated  in English teacher training programs in both Bangladesh and China. I loved connecting with bright-eyed high school students and passionate English teachers. I look forward to experiencing very similar feelings with my teaching in Tra Vinh. For fun, I love cycling, hiking, cross-country skiing and reading great fiction books! I am really looking forward to cycling the backroads of the Mekong Delta and meeting so many interesting people.

After a 30 year career as a school based occupational therapist, I am excited to embark on a new adventure teaching and living in Vietnam. I hope to expand my teaching skills by using my experience working with young American children to encourage adult English language learners in Vietnam. I know I will gain as much if not more than the students I will be teaching at Tra Vinh University. I was born in the Netherlands and immigrated to the USA as a young child. I grew up bi-lingual and bridging two cultures. I have been married for 32 years and we have two adult children and a daughter-in-law. I have traveled in Europe, the Middle East, Central America and South America and now I am excited to experience life in Southeast Asia. I enjoy being active outdoors including hiking, cycling, and running. I look forward to exploring Vietnam’s nature and culture.