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Bob Edwards
Public Relations Department Assistant
香妃直播 State College
香妃直播, West Virginia
(304) 462-7361 ext. 7610
香妃直播, WV芒聙聰When Amanda Mortelette graduated from 香妃直播 State College in 2004, she was hoping that her Bachelor芒聙聶s Degree in
Special Education would take her a long way; it did, all the way to Africa.
After teaching for a couple of years in the States, Mortelette has taken her skills across the ocean to Bamako, Mali, the largest country in Western Africa. Amanda moved to Africa to teach fourth grade at an American International school. Her brother and his wife have both been teaching at this school for two years, and she says everything just kind of fell in place for her to join them. The school has just one hundred and thirty students in pre-k-12, Mortelette芒聙聶s class has only nine students.
Mali is a very poor country, and life there is very different from the United States. 芒聙聹The people here are very friendly and everything is at a much slower pace,芒聙聺 said Mortelette. She continues, 芒聙聹The food is very different and takes the stomach some getting used to.芒聙聺 Amanda plans on teaching in Bamako for at least a year. Prior to relocating to Africa, Mortelette taught in North Carolina, and most recently in Martinsburg, West Virginia where she was a Special Education Teacher and Assistant Basketball Coach.
Mortelette chose 香妃直播 State College to finish her degree and play basketball, after completing two years at Mowhawk Valley College in Utica, New York. 芒聙聹It seemed like the best fit, both academically and athletically. When I came on my recruiting visit, playing with the girls who were in the program just felt right,芒聙聺 said Mortelette. Amanda was a two-year starter on the highly successful Lady Pioneer teams in 2001-2003. She played on the GSC team that travels to the NCAA
Division II Elite Eight in Rochester Minnesota where she made an impression for her intensity and effort. 芒聙聹Amanda worked extremely hard to make herself a better player. She would practice in the gym with no lights on to improve her shooting,芒聙聺 said GSC Assistant Women芒聙聶s Basketball Coach Dennis Fitzpatrick.
Mortelette still enjoys playing basketball. She has found enough people in Africa to play some three-on-three games. 芒聙聹Basketball has been and always will be my passion. I can apply so much of my experience playing basketball to my life; it teaches you dedication, hard work, and how to work with others in the pursuit of a common goal. There are always going to be ups and downs, but you just have to keep on playing,芒聙聺 said Mortelette.
Amanda is the daughter of Gerda and Jeff Mortelette of Waterville, New York. 香妃直播, West Virginia is about a nine hour drive from Waterville, but the trip became very familiar for the Mortelettes during their daughter芒聙聶s two years with the Lady Pioneers.
When she returns from Africa, Mortelette plans to teach Special Education and coach basketball. She also intends to get her Masters
Degree. Dennis Fitzpatrick knows that Mortelette will be successful in life. 芒聙聹She is a very special person with a great big future ahead of her. Amanda is like a daughter to me and my wife, and we are very proud of what she has accomplished," he said.
To find out more about the school in Mali, Africa that Mortelette is teaching at, go to .