Julia Gaona

Julia Gaona

Author: Shirley Wachtel February 22, 2021 Duration: 23:38

Julia Gaona has been an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in Irvington, New Jersey for the past sixteen years. A first-generation immigrant, born and raised in Moscow, Russia, she came here as a student and earned her second Master's Degree in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) from Arizona State University on a full-tuition scholarship. In addition, she teaches writing classes to ESL students at Kean university as an adjunct faculty member, and is studying in a post-Masters Graduate program at Kean. She and her husband are raising ten-year-old twins, and she is also the mother of a son who resides in Philadelphia with his fiancée. During the Covid crisis, she has been balancing these demanding roles, and like so many other teachers, Julia is one of our unsung heroes.


You might pass them on the street or sit next to them in a cafe, never knowing the depth of their journey. EXTRAordinary PEOPLE is built on a simple, powerful idea: remarkable stories are held by everyday individuals. Host Shirley Wachtel sits down with people from all walks of life-entrepreneurs, artists, community organizers, teachers, and quiet heroes-who have chosen to leverage their unique talents to impact the world around them. This isn't about celebrity; it's about the substance of lived experience. In each conversation, guests share their narratives in their own words, detailing the specific hardships and obstacles they faced and, more importantly, the resilience and choices that allowed them to rise and create change. Listening to this podcast feels like being part of an intimate, revealing dialogue where vulnerability meets triumph. Shirley guides these discussions with empathy, drawing out the nuanced lessons within each story. The result is a collection of authentic accounts that collectively explore themes of perseverance, innovation, and human connection across society, business, and personal growth. Tune in not just for inspiration, but for a genuine sense of what it means to contribute something meaningful, and how ordinary moments can build an extraordinary life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 44

EXTRAordinary PEOPLE
Podcast Episodes
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Santi Buscemi-Educator, Author, Lecturer (EP.01) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:41
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