Sarah Faccenda’s grandmother is part of the reason she became an ESL teacher.
Her grandmother started losing the ability to speak English as she got older and went back to speaking mostly Italian.
¨As she got older and my grandfather passed away, she kind of regressed and went back to just speaking Italian,¨ Faccenda said.
That made it hard for Faccenda to communicate with her grandmother. And that stuck with her.
She realized how important it is to help kids who are learning English to feel understood and confident. Now Faccenda is helping ESL students at the high school achieve that.
There were other moments that led to her career choice. When she was little, she played “teacher” at home. As she grew older, her passion for education deepened.
Her softball coach and senior year English teacher at Bishop Canevin High School also provided inspiration. He made an effort to communicate well with all of his students, she said.
¨He was the type of person who, I think, just connected with his students,¨ Faccenda said.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Faccenda grew up in Robinson Township.
Outside of the classroom, she can usually be found spending time with her husband and kids. Her children play basketball, so she is busy attending their games and practices. They usually vacation at the Outer Banks or Hilton Head.
“We go there a lot with family, so those two places I have been going to pretty much my whole life. And my kids love the beach too,” Faccenda said.
