Mary Jane Onnen

Meet Mary!

Mary Jane Onnen lived in the Middle East from 1954 to 1986.  Her childhood was spent in Saudi Arabia, where her father worked for Aramco, a Saudi Arabian Oil Company. She attended high school and her freshman year of university in Beirut. She had planned to attend all four years at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. When she received the National Defense Scholarship at the University of Utah, Onnen decided to attend the U instead, and moved to Utah the week before classes started. She began taking courses in the Middle East Center, and the professors kindly looked out for her, knowing she was far from home and alone in Salt Lake City. Professor Dr. Zaki Abdel Maled mentored her and steered Onnen towards the TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) courses under Dr. William Slager. She graduated with a Bachelors in English with a linguistics emphasis. Onnen later received her Master’s degree in TESOL from the University of Illinois, through a program in Tehran, Iran. After finishing her MA, Onnen taught at Kuwait University. In 1977, she returned to Saudi Arabia with her husband and taught in Aramco. Onnen, her husband and three children repatriated to the US in 1986. She has studied Arabic, French, Spanish, and Farsi.

During her time living in Texas, Onnen returned to school to earn an elementary education teaching degree and Montessori certification which led to her position as a first-grade teacher at a Montessori school. Sometime later, Onnen and her family moved to Peoria, Arizona, and she transitioned back to teaching at the college level at Glendale Community College. Onnen has since retired, and resides in Arizona with her husband.

 

Q: What advice would you give to current humanities students?

A: Since 9/11 and COVID-19, TESOL opportunities in the U.S. have significantly declined. However, if you’re open to traveling overseas, the Middle East continues to offer a range of teaching opportunities!

 

Q: What is the best professional advice you have ever received?

A: “If you ever feel satisfied, you’ve failed.” Continue to try to improve throughout your life. Never stop learning, and continue taking classes. Focus on being a forever student!

 

Q: What was your favorite class while at the U?

A: I really enjoyed my linguistics classes! I’ve always seen languages as puzzles, and I love exploring how different languages express the same idea. Linguistic courses not only helped me improve upon my secondary languages, but also helped broaden my overall communication skills.