"It was an incredible coincidence, a sign I have to be here...closer to family".  This how Loredana Moccia describes how it was she ended up teaching at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  She had applied to nearly fifty universities, with a desire to move to a warmer climate after spending five years with her husband Bob in Canada.  The University of Tennessee was the first to seek out Loredana for a teaching position for their growing Italian department.   

            Moccia was born and raised in the large northern city of Torino, Italy.  Her parents were both brought up in southern Italy about an hour from Naples.  She explains the cultural differences between Italy's regions and how she is lucky to know, and love, both.  Her curiosity for cultures didn't stop there. After teaching English as a second language in Italy Loredana was ready for a change. 

            "I am not your typical Italian. Typical Italians at thirty years old would never leave family...Some people thought I was crazy...I had the American dream and it was a lot of sacrifice," she said. 

            She decided to move to Michigan where she worked for the Italian branch of a cargo shipping company and then taught at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor.  After about two and half years there, she decided to move to Canada where she taught at the Italian Consulate in Toronto.  Five years later, now with two twin four-year-old sons and Bob, she is finally in a job and atmosphere she loves.  She explains that finding a job here in Knoxville was meant to be because this is where her in-laws reside, thus bringing them closer to family which is very important to her. 

            As Loredana and her family approach their one year anniversary in Knoxville, she is full of good things to say about her experience here so far.  Her department is small and organized, one easy to work in. "Italy does not have a university setting, it's alive here!  The university is like a community versus in Italy where you go to just one school." 

            Currently, Loredana is teaching both elementary and intermediate level Italian courses.  Her greatest delight comes when students fall in love with Italy, the good and the bad just as she did with America.  As students sit in class with Loredana, they find themselves staying awake even at 9 a.m. on Friday morning.  Although she enjoys developing their language skills, there is more to offer in a foreign language class.  Junior Kevin Hurley has had Loredana for two semesters now. "Being from Italy, Loredana incorporates her knowledge of the culture rather than just teaching the language."  Kevin describes his fourth and final semester of Italian as challenging but worthwhile, as Loredana "always keeps us on our toes". 

            This great addition to UT's faculty contributes to more that just excellent teaching, she is part of a growing international staff.  Loredana is extremely fond of her diverse department.  She tells me about her Korean office mate taking her to the local Korean grocery store and cooking dinner for each other.  "There is a lot of interaction with my colleagues, we meet outside of UT." 

            Her first teaching experience was a horrible one but the words of her ex boss stuck with her. This man named Johnny who is now in his eighties once told her "You are a teacher, you have a gift," the two are still in touch, she credits her being here today to Johnny.  Loredana hopes to pass that kind of enthusiasm on.

"You have to love what you are doing, and if you love what you're doing, people get it and will succeed.  If they (students) only remember one thing I don't ask for more. You don't just convey information; students have to feel at ease learning something new and then they can fall in love with it." 

            In one semester alone, the average UT student may have several teachers from around the world, not just in the foreign language department.  With this is mind, it is fun to seek out how these worldwide individuals landed here in Knoxville.