American Institute for English Profiency, Makati and Quezon City, Philippines

SPECIALIST PROFILE: WYNNEAL INOCENTES

Wynneal Inocentes or “Wyne,” a graduate of Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Communication Arts, is the Specialist Supervisor at the American Institute for English Proficiency.  She has enhanced her skills though various trainings, such as classical theater acting, public speaking, singing, and other performing arts.  She is a trained bel canto singer, and she can sing classical songs such as operatic arias, chorales, lieders, and Italian art songs.  Here are some things about Wyne.

  1. Skills and TalentsI grew up singing. I was involved in my high school’s glee club.  I was also a part of my college’s chorale.  When I was living in the USA, I learned how to sing using the Bel Canto method, which means “beautiful singing.,”  a  method used by opera singers.  I am able to sing Italian art songs and Arias and German lieders.  I also learned how to sing “Negro Spirituals.”I also honed my skills in acting.  I have undergone classical theater acting.  That means working on some pieces by classical playwrights like Friedrich Schiller and William Shakespeare.  This is how I further improved my English communication skills.
  1. HobbiesMy hobbies involve a lot of mental activities.  I enjoy sky watching.  This means I watch the movements of planets, stars, and constellations.  Not in a passive way.  I even try to calculate the time and degree of movement.  This also involves my pointing out the constellations in relation to another star.  This hobby of sky watching is ignited by my love for Greek mythology and its connection to astronomy.I also love watching historical documentaries, especially about ancient civilizations. Examples are Ancient Greece, Roman Empire, Babylonian Empire, Egyptian Empire, etc. This helps me understand human civilization better.I used to be so involved in physically challenging work-outs, such as boxing and tae-bo.  These work-outs really helped me focus.  I wish to go back to these kinds of work-outs again.
  1. Education and TrainingI grew up in the Philippines, but my pre-school was spent in the US. When I came back to the Philippines, I received education in a former exclusive school for girls from elementary through high school.  This was called Our Lady of Grace Academy  (now known as St. Mary’s Academy, which is now co-ed).  I went to Colegio de San Juan de Letran in Intramuros, Manila, where I received my Bachelor’s degree with major in Communication Arts.
  1. Personal MottoMy personal motto is in a form of a question: “What have you contributed to society?”  This question is important in building my identity.  It makes me happy knowing that I have done something for the future generations, whether I contribute politically or socially.
  1. Professional Philosophy“That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well.” –Abraham Lincoln.  I keep this in mind with faith that Filipinos living in poverty also have the ability to achieve success.  This is what makes me feel empowered every time I teach my students because I know that I am part of helping them reach this.
  1. TravelsMy family didn’t really travel much when I was growing up.  We were content with visiting a nearby province and de-stress from city life.  However, that changed after college.  Immediately after my college graduation, I moved to the US to work.  I lived in California, mostly Los Angeles. I experienced living in San Francisco for six months. While in California, I enjoyed my vacations camping in the Santa Barbara Mountains and the Joshua Tree desert.  I visited Las Vegas, Nevada and stayed there for 3 days.I worked for four months in Leesburg, Virginia after visiting Washington D.C. for three days where I first met my life partner, Michael.  I enjoyed my week vacation in New York, especially Times Square.  I toured Massachusetts (Boston and Salem) with Michael and his family. I decided to move to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. While living there, we toured Philadelphia.  Later, I moved back to the Philippines. Since I have been with AIEP in 2011, I enjoyed exploring different places in the Philippines with the staff.  We went to Zambales, Baguio, Naga, Puerto Galera, Boracay, Tagaytay, Quezon, Laguna, and many others.In the future, I have my own dream destinations: Italy, Greece, Egypt, Jerusalem, and Spain.  I really hope to go to these places. Watching historical documentaries piqued my interest in visiting these countries.
  1. FavoritesI will list three of my favorite things: movies, food, and music.I really love watching movies, TV shows, and documentaries, specifically with topics of human interest or historical significance. Examples: Selma, The Help, Dream Girls, The Great Debaters, Turn, A Beautiful Mind, Boardwalk Empire, Pacific, etc.Food!!! I love eating. I will try any dish in the world as long as it is decent. No,  worms for me, thank you.  But really, I will try any restaurant.  My favorite is Thai food. I just love how they blend different flavors in one dish.  My second favorite is Indian food. My third pick is Japanese food.

    I enjoy two kinds of music:

    • Classical Music – I love chamber music, especially ones that are composed by Johannes Sebastian Bach. My all-time favorite opera composer is Giuseppe Verdi.
    • African American Spirituals – These songs make me feel very human. It uplifts me whenever I am troubled. They are so inspiring as it reflects the black-Americans’ struggle for equality and how they see hope despite of desperation.  They usually tell biblical stories and stories of hope from slavery.
  1. Professional ExperienceAlthough my mom exposed me to her business and trained me to be her admin, my first official job was at the Universal Studios Theme Park. I worked part-time in admissions and selling tickets.  My other part time job was in a laundry! Yes, I accepted work in the laundry business. I didn’t exactly wash their clothes. I was just at the front desk and took in laundry of other people.  Later, I was in a publishing company. First, I was part of their sales team; later, I started editing for them and even contributed articles for a magazine.  I was in clothing retail as well.  I love fashion; I love clothes. I enjoyed putting together outfits for men and women. Since I moved back to the Philippines, I have been with the American Institute for English Proficiency, now as a supervisor.
  1. The FutureAs a lover of singing and acting, I have told Chris and Vin that I want to have a cultural center where I can help people enhance their talents or even build their confidence.  I still want to do this! I envision myself having a small learning center. I also would like to provide quality education to my children. This may be realized in the United States of America or the Philippines.
  1. Growing Up MemoriesThey say that I have always been good in speaking, writing, listening, and reading English. It is actually the language that I am more comfortable with than Filipino. However, it is funny for me to think now that I am teaching English because I have always hated studying English grammar. In fact, I had very low grades in that particular subject (close to failure).  I thought that I would never be able to teach, also, because I used to have very short patience.  My mom would tell me that if that happened, my students wouldn’t like me because I was so impatient, strict, and angry all the time.  If she could see me now, she would also laugh at her own words because of my current professional practice.I also remember how I hated math.  My mind blanks out the moment I see numbers. I honestly didn’t enroll in any major that involves math, especially algebra. I didn’t even want to be an engineer because of it.  In 2003, I met two people who walked through shapes and motions with me, including movements of the stars.  This is when I fell in-love with physics, geometry, calculus, and astro-navigation.

 

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