Becoming a leader in the Teach and Learn program was one of the wisest decisions I made during my time in the Master’s program. I chose to become a leader because I wanted to take a greater interest in my education. In addition, I had never really been one to take on leadership roles in the past: high school, college, and professionally. This master’s degree allowed me the opportunity to take a personal stake in my own education and provide feedback to the Instituto administration.
The position of Leader was extremely rewarding due to all of the responsibility that was thrust upon me. I was the point of contact for all the members of my degree with the Instituto administration. Any questions or issues that they had, I was the person to whom they spoke to resolve them. Also, if a classmate had a particular conundrum with a professor, I took charge in contacting the teacher so as to not create unnecessary confusion for the rest of the class.
If you are someone who enjoys being at the front of the proverbial pack and setting an example by which your friends can follow, this is a position that will suit you well. As the primary point of contact for your class, the leader is the person with whom the Instituto Franklin – UAH relies on and the first one who they will contact when they have a question or want to take the pulse of the class. The opportunities provided while in the program are numerous: first 
contact with the Instituto administration, the chance to establish contact with professors, aid in graduation preparation, provide input about the coursework, meet successful alumni from the program at networking events and via email, and help shape the future of the program.
When interviewing for teaching positions in the United States toward the end of the school year, not only was the master´s degree extremely helpful in this quest but being a Teach and Learn leader was paramount. I was frequently asked questions during the interview processes about what I did during the master´s degree at UAH. By being the “presidente” of my program I could explain all of the extracurricular activities in which I partook: participating in a radio interview, assisting in the election celebrations, coordinating the graduation sashes, and making a speech at graduation.
Overall, I had a wonderful experience as a Leader. The Instituto Franklin – UAH administration was kind and helpful and seemed to favor my requests over others. Iulia even wrote me a letter of recommendation which eventually led to me being hired as a full time Spanish teacher in the United States before I had even stepped a foot back on US soil. Instituto Franklin – UAH is accommodating and willing to listen to all advice on how to improve the program. It´s an exciting time in your academic career and becoming a Leader is the next logical step if you choose to pursue education and want to show your future employers that you take the initiative.
Steven Kellner Alumni Instituto Franklin, MA in Learning & Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language 2016-2017 
