Sidonie Emerande

M. A. Studies in Civilization on Gender and Social Issues, Antananarivo University, Madagascar
B.A. Applied Linguistics in a Language Teaching, Antananarivo University, Madagascar

Sidonie’s very first journey with Dragons was in June 2015 as one of instructors for the pilot summer program in Madagascar. It has been a very unique as well as enriching experience for her as Dragons made her believe and turn the impossible into possible: sharing, representing, and exploring the wonders of her country with her outstanding Dragons colleagues and engaging students. Indeed, she is still nurturing the burning passion of getting involved in Dragons programs.

Sidonie grew up in 4 different places due to her parents’ previous jobs and started the experience of living alone at the age of 11. That has given her the sense of “do it all” and “figure it all out”. It has taught her to open up with her neighbors, classmates and even people from different origins. At the age of 19, she had the opportunity to participate in a cultural exchange event held outside her country which reinforced her sense of adventure. She explores her potential in Seychelles where she did an exchange with young people from the Indian Ocean Islands such as La Reunion, Mauritius, Comoros, and Madagascar. She started her teaching journey with Peace Corps as a Language and Cross cultural Facilitator which trained her to be professionally responsible and to excel with American volunteers serving in different regions of Madagascar and collaborating with different partners and local authorities. In 2007, she became an EFL teacher, a teacher supervisor at an English Teaching Program , an Academic Assistant at SIT Study Abroad Madagascar, and an Academic mentor as well as a volunteer in different associations helping vulnerable children (Zara Aina: Sharing lives, HARDI and ManaoDE: reinsertion centers for vulnerable children in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar). She has participated in leading academic and cultural sessions for students. She has also led team building activities and has volunteered in taking groups of teenagers to conduct activities in centers for vulnerable children and also in nursing homes.

Sidonie really believes in the power of learning from others and she is open to any professional development opportunities in which she can share and learn with others. She does not mind roughing it when it comes to exploration of a place or a new environment, as she is open-minded and flexible. She also likes travelling and learning new languages. She speaks Malagasy, English, and French, some German, a little Arabic and some words in Spanish.
On weekends, you can find her hiking with a group of friends, singing, dancing and writing poems. Occasionally, you can watch her playing soccer as a goal keeper and running around while playing ultimate Frisbee. She is also wild about dogs.

Her favorite quote: “Change and growth take place when a person has risked themselves and dares to become involved in experimenting with their own life.”- Herbert Otto