Nicholas J.

Combes
c/o Teach For America·Nashville
One Vantage Way, Suite C-140
Nashville, TN 37228
615.242.6263
Education
8/2006- MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN
5/2010 Bachelor of Arts in German, May 2010 (Minor in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages)
GPA 3.90 (4.0 in Major)
Awards: Deans List, all semesters; Phi Beta Delta member (Honor Society for International Scholars); Delta Phi Alpha
member (National German Honor Society); German Language and Culture in Mayen 2008 Study Abroad Scholarship
Recipient; Nominee for the Outstanding Graduating Senior Award in the Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic,
Asian and African Languages.
Activities: Campus Crusade for Christ, Kaffeestunde (weekly German coffee hour), Coffee Club

Experience
Summer 2010 TEACH FOR AMERICA (TFA) NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE
Corps member. Selected from approximately 35,000 applicants nationwide to join national teacher corps of recent college
graduates who commit two years to teach in under-resourced public schools. Participate in intensive training program to
develop the skills and knowledge needed to achieve significant gains in student achievement. Teach in a summer school
program run by TFA for students in Atlanta schools under the supervision of a faculty of experienced teachers. Engage in a
full schedule of professional development activities, including seminars, discussion groups, workshops, individual and
group reflections, readings, and ‘learning teams’ specific to my teaching license area.

8/2007- MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY DEPT. OF RESIDENCE LIFE EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN
5/2010 Resident Mentor. Responsible for facilitating a positive living environment on a residence hall floor consisting of
approximately 50 diverse college students. Create an engaged and active floor community, and design educational
initiatives that meet the learning, social and emotional needs of residents. Founded Environmentality, a building-wide
educational initiative to encourage residents to think green and help stop global warming.
2009-2010
School Year Senior Mentor. Responsible for planning and organizing sessions for the Akers Hall Leadership Academy, a building-
wide initiative to train residents in their leadership skills and assist them in setting educational and career goals.

11/2009- PROFFESIONAL EDUCATIONAL SERVICES GROUP, LLC LANSING, MI

5/2010 Substitute Teacher. Substitute teach in classrooms of all different grade levels, gaining classroom management
experience.

6/2009- TEACHING INTERNSHIP IN GERMANY NÜRTINGEN, GERMANY

7/2009 Assistant Teacher. Lived and worked with a teacher for three weeks, observing her classes and teaching self-designed
English language modules in classes ranging from the 1st through 10th grades.

Community
9/2008- GERMAN FOR KIDS EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN
5/2010 Volunteer Teacher. Help teach the weekly beginning-level German class for this Michigan State outreach program
designed for children. Also assist with German culture events for children one Saturday of each month where the lessons
are focused on German traditions and holidays.

9/2009- ENGLISH CONVERSATION PARTNER EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN

12/2009 Met weekly with two international graduate-level MSU students, engaging in conversation with them and helping improve
their English language proficiency. Focused specifically on oral communication, but also assisted them in grammar and
writing skills.

Personal Fluent in German, and was ranked as having Advanced Mid proficiency by the American Council on the Teaching of
Foreign Languages. I am also an avid music fan, and enjoying singing as well as playing the cello and guitar.