Chris Schifani has his Master’s in Translation from National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, where he lived and studied for 9 years. We hope you enjoy learning more about this fine member of the Menaul School Community.
My Family
My parents are retired. I have one sister who works as Head of Snowmaking in Vail, Colorado. I also have a longtime Taiwanese girlfriend who lives in New Taipei City.
What I Enjoy Most As a Teacher and College Guidance Counselor
I love learning and teaching, especially about languages. As a teacher, I most enjoy helping students understand things in ways they can relate to. I encourage them to use what they know to think about what they aren’t sure about, and to make connections between what they know and what they don’t so that they can solidify their knowledge.
As a counselor, I most enjoy the feeling of joy when a student shares good news with me, especially when I know the student has worked hard to get accepted to a school that he or she is really excited about.
My Mentors
As a teacher, my two most important mentors were Jonathan Winn and Chris Ferrara, both of whom I met at Menaul.
From Jonathan I learned the importance of explaining things clearly and being organized in my teaching. From Chris I learned the importance of always being willing and ready to try something new and different in order to help students learn.
As a counselor, my two biggest mentors were Professors Anne Richardson and Julia Varriale of the UCLA Certificate Program in College Counseling. They taught me about how to counsel international students and how to tie all of the different facets of a college counselor’s job together into a coherent program.
I think the hardworking, committed example of all of these mentors had a much bigger impact on me than any one thing they said to me. They always saw room to improve even though they were experts, and they always made time for others, two things I also try to do in my own work.
Why Menaul School?
I love the diversity of our international students and the general good character of all Menaul School students. The community has a caring and supportive nature. Our students are open to new ideas and willing to try new things.
Stay up-to-date on Menaul School Stories by visiting our Stories Page.