Eleann Rodriguez Villafañe, Teaching Assistant

Eleann Rodriguez Villafañe was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico and she grew up in a quiet and peaceful town called San Lorenzo. In San Lorenzo she pursued her basics studies (elementary through high school). During her last two years of high school she discovered her passion and ability for working with children with special needs by helping the special education teacher at her high school, during her free time and after school.  These two years and the fact that she has a deaf uncle influenced Elean’s academic goals. As a high school student, she earned an award from the Department of Education of Puerto Rico in union with the governor's office for her academic excellence.

After graduating with high honors from high school, Eleann began her Bacherlor’s Degree in Elementary Education (K-3) with a minor in Special Education at the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao. While obtaining this degree she participated in the following programs: Student Support Service, Honor and Ronald E. McNair Post-Baccalaureate Scholars Program. For Eleann, the McNair Program changed her life. This program gave her the opportunity to have two different and significant researches experiences.  One of them was in Puerto Rico working with families with autistic children and the second was when the McNair staff support her in her application for the SROP-2008 (Summer Research Opportunities Program). That summer changed her academics goals and life; these experiences were so significant that Eleann decided to apply for a Master’s Program out of her country.

While she finished  her research on Autism during spring 2009, Eleann spent time teaching science and social studies in third grade at S.U. Pedro Rivera Molina in Juncos, Puerto Rico. It w as during the spring of 2009 when she received the acceptance letter from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Program in the University of Texas at Austin with a full scholarship.  She recently graduated from UT with high honors and with several memorable experiences.

Eleann’s future goals are finishing her Ph.D. in Autism and Developmental disabilities, obtaining her Texas Teacher Certification in bilingual and special education and receiving her Behavior Annalistic certification. Eleann sees the Magellan International School as a place where students learn by doing and where they are able to understand intercultural ideas. For Eleann, MIS is the next step in her professional life and she is excited to learn more about the PYP and IB.