Hello, and welcome to Ms. Antonacci’s English class blog! A little about me…
I am half-Japanese and half-Italian and was born in Tokyo, Japan. After my dad retired, my family traveled around the globe, visiting places like Costa Rica, Australia, Hong Kong, England, and Hawaii, just to name a few. We moved back to the United States, to Acworth, Georgia, where my parents still live. I have attended Cobb County schools for the vast majority of my K-12 educational career and am a proud Harrison Hoya!
After high school, I attended Georgia State University and earned my Bachelor of Arts degree in English. During my four years of undergrad, I served as the Vice President of Community Service for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and Chapter President of Golden Key International Honour Society. These leadership opportunities have truly shaped me into the woman I am today, and I am so grateful for the amazing professors and mentors I encountered during my time at GSU. During my sophomore year, I started a partnership between Golden Key and Literacy Action, a non-profit organization in Atlanta dedicated to providing basic adult education. There, I discovered my undying love and passion for teaching and quickly added my secondary education concentration to my English degree.
During my senior year at Georgia State, I worked as a recruitment intern for Teach for America, an organization that trains and places the top students in the country in the most high-need schools. I was accepted into the program as well, and spent my first two years out of college teaching some amazing students in rural eastern North Carolina. As much as I loved my students and my school, I felt a need to return to my community and make a change back home. As a result, I am now proudly a teacher and yearbook adviser at Pebblebrook High School!
In May 2017, I earned my Master of Science degree in education from The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland.
If I am not at school, you can probably find me on the wall at the Stone Summit climbing gym. I love rock climbing and hot yoga in particular! I also enjoy caving, hiking, and pretty much anything that takes place outside – below, on, and above ground. I absolutely love the serenity of the outdoors and being one with nature. My dream is to traverse the entire Appalachian Trail (Georgia to Maine) one day! (The background photo is a picture of me at The Devil’s Backbone in Fort Collins, Colorado.)
More than anything, though, I love my students. I cannot imagine myself doing anything other than sharing my love of literature with some cool high school students! Everything I do, it’s for you. I can’t wait to hear your voice and your story.
You have a voice and it is valid.
Contact me!
mariko.antonacci@cobbk12.org
Follow me on Twitter!
Ms. Antonacci 