Meet Sharon Bradish

 

 I am a retired educator who taught high school Spanish in Columbus, Wisconsin for 38 years.  I am widowed and have two grown children and two grandchildren.  My interests are travel, hiking, and baking.  I consider myself to be a lifelong learner and I enjoy sharing my knowledge and experiences with others.  I am currently leading a Spanish conversation group once a week with 6 very motivated adults and I have been an English tutor for the Columbus Literacy Council. 

 

I have two accomplishments of which I am most proud.  My first was achieving National Board Certification for teaching Early Adolescence through Young Adult/World Languages.  I worked on this certification for two years and was required to submit a portfolio, take a written exam, and complete a speaking proficiency test.  The second accomplishment came after retirement.  Two of my friends and I walked the Camino Francés to Santiago de Compostela, Spain from Jean Pied de Port, France a total of 500 miles.  We walked ten days in 2021 and returned in 2022 to complete the Camino in five additional weeks. 

 

I am not a good singer and have only done karaoke a handful of times.  However, if I were to sing karaoke, I would sing to Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

 

I have attended three Béla Fleck concerts.  Béla and his wife Abigail Washburn gave a great concert in the Green Lake Opera House in 2020.  I like to attend concerts at the Stoughton Opera House and loved Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi, the Kruger Brothers, Anaïs Mitchell, and BeauSoleil.  Any concert that I would have to stand the entire time would be the worst concert for me. 

 

My first job was when I was in high school taking care of my four younger siblings and keeping house during the summers while my mom attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to get her Bachelor’s Degree in teaching.  My first paying job was at Heale Manufacturing in Waukesha, Wisconsin during the summers of my university years.  I always say that my one and only professional job was being a Spanish teacher in the Columbus School District.

 

I have traveled to Spain, France, Ireland, Norway, Iceland, Mexico, Hungary, and Costa Rica.  I am delighted to have Global Entry.  There are so many places that are calling to me including South America and New Zealand and I intend to keep  traveling while I am able.