Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings
Loading
MK![]()
author
Maria Haendel Koonce Ed.D.
Dr. Maria H. Koonce first came to East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, from Uruguay with an Exchange Student Fulbright Scholarship. In her first week there, she met Bill, her Gri...view moreDr. Maria H. Koonce first came to East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, from Uruguay with an Exchange Student Fulbright Scholarship. In her first week there, she met Bill, her Gringo, and both their lives changed course. They married and had their first child in Uruguay but returned to the United States to continue their education. She became an educator in the areas of foreign languages and English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), teaching in secondary and higher education institutions.
In 1976, Bill and Maria, with their two children, moved to Florida. Maria earned a Doctor’s Degree, became an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University, and was appointed coordinator of the Adult ESOL program in Broward County. She has also represented the county in the Florida State Practitioners Task Force since its inception in 1996. This opened many doors for her as consultant, trainer, translator, and author. Since they retired in 2007, Maria and Bill embraced their golden age, moving to a retirement community in Cocoa, undertaking a vibrant lifestyle full of new challenges, including worldwide travel and adventure.view less