There appears to be a revolution going on in Metropolia Business School. American lectures are on the rise and they now account for half of the native English speaking lecturers employed in the international side of the Business School. We heard from a reliable source that they were even discussing the introduction of Baseball in the school but no agreement could be reached due the rivalries of Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees among certain individuals.  The latest recruit to bring up the number of American lectures at Metropolia Business School is Krystal Michelle Sirota from Missouri, USA. Lets have a look what she says:

1. Why did you choose Finland?

When I studied my masters at my home university I wanted to be an exchange student but Finland was the only country for the masters level exchange program as the rest of my university’s partners were at the bachelor/ undergraduate level in countries such as Germany and Spain. So Finland was my ultimate choice. I came to Finland in 2002 for one year and completed my exchange studies in Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences, then called Rovaniemi Polytechnic. In Rovaniemi UAS I studied International Project Management.  During the spring term of my exchange I lived in Deggendorff, Germany where I took some German language courses and completed a small marketing research project for my exchange studies.

During my studies I met the man who would later become my husband.  After we were married we decided to stay in Finland for another year or so and here we are…seven years later!

2. Why were you willing to join Metropolia Business School?

I have been working in Rovaniemi UAS since 2003 and found the job very rewarding.  However, we decided to relocate to the south and I had a very good impression of Metropolia.  I had already visited the campus once in 2008 and I remember how bustling it was even though it was during the late afternoon.  I found that to be very positive.  I have a good friend, and previous colleague, working here so I’ve heard numerous stories about how great the work environment is. I also heard about the great students and the quality of studies here. I had the pleasure of meeting a few other teachers from Metropolia Business School prior to working here and my impressions of the school became even more favorable.

 

3. What is your educational background?

I completed both my bachelor (Major in Marketing in 2001) and master (Business Administration in 2003) degrees at Arkansas State University, USA – I believe they are a partner school of Metropolia. I have an International Project Management certificate from Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences, as I previously mentioned, and most recently I have completed the Vocational Teachers Education from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki.

4. What is your experience?

I have been working for the last seven years in the Rovaniemi University of Applied Sciences. I have been teaching marketing related and communication courses because those are my favorite courses. Beside those I taught a few courses in business planning and entrepreneurship.  Along with teaching, I was an international coordinator for my campus in Rovaniemi UAS and served as teacher tutor for 90 students.  I had a chance to do pretty much everything. Prior to my work in Finland I have experience working in a manufacturing facility, a boutique, a secondary school and a university.

5. What subjects will you teach at Metropolia Business School?

I will be working on the thesis process here in the English side of the Business School.  I will also be involved in a project between Metropolia and a local company.  Later in the spring I will teach an online course on Research Methods and during the summer studies I will teach a few courses.

6. What are your Hobbies?

I like to go to the gym, play volleyball, go for walks, etc.  I have always been rather active and hopefully will continue to do so.   I also enjoy travelling, although I’m not sure if that’s qualified as a hobby.

 We wish Krystal good luck at our Metropolia Business School. 🙂