Long before she could speak another language or have a sophisticated discussion on “cross-cultural relations,” Leslie Powell, an African American child from Connecticut, was fascinated by the glimpses of other worlds surrounding her. By the time she was four, she had staged her first imaginary flamenco dance, mastered half a dozen imaginary foreign languages, and traveled to countless made-up foreign lands. Her favorite recording artist was Harry Belafonte, known for his colorful collection of folk songs from across the world.
She studied Latin and Spanish in school, traveled to Italy, Spain, and Mexico in her secondary and post-secondary years, and embarked on a career as a language instructor of Spanish and English as a Second Language. While pursuing a Ph. D. in foreign language and culture education at The Ohio State University (1987), she met her future husband Mahmoud, a doctoral student in agronomy and gentleman from Iran who would eventually redirect her path from “established Spanish professor in America” to “adventurer in the Middle East.” After four years of living and working with him as an English language professor and coach in Iran, Leslie’s own cultural experience had profoundly affected her. She realized then that, upon her family’s return to the States, she would no longer be content with teaching language alone. Instead, she would actively pursue the career of a cross-cultural educator, trainer and consultant. She also knew that a book of her cross-cultural adventures was already brewing inside her.
After being hired as “Director of Spanish for the Professions” at her alma mater The Ohio State University, her post led her to several other opportunities to present on cross-cultural issues both domestically and abroad. To her surprise, when she asked the director of international programs at Monterrey Tech in Mexico what she should speak on, the director requested, among other things, a talk on her cultural experiences in Iran.
Currently the author lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband Mahmoud. Fluent in Spanish and comfortably conversant in Persian (Farsi), she has worked as a language coach and cross-cultural/diversity consultant, curriculum-developer, and trainer/presenter for corporations, industries, academic institutions, religious institutions, and service organizations throughout the state of Ohio and beyond.
She studied Latin and Spanish in school, traveled to Italy, Spain, and Mexico in her secondary and post-secondary years, and embarked on a career as a language instructor of Spanish and English as a Second Language. While pursuing a Ph. D. in foreign language and culture education at The Ohio State University (1987), she met her future husband Mahmoud, a doctoral student in agronomy and gentleman from Iran who would eventually redirect her path from “established Spanish professor in America” to “adventurer in the Middle East.” After four years of living and working with him as an English language professor and coach in Iran, Leslie’s own cultural experience had profoundly affected her. She realized then that, upon her family’s return to the States, she would no longer be content with teaching language alone. Instead, she would actively pursue the career of a cross-cultural educator, trainer and consultant. She also knew that a book of her cross-cultural adventures was already brewing inside her.
After being hired as “Director of Spanish for the Professions” at her alma mater The Ohio State University, her post led her to several other opportunities to present on cross-cultural issues both domestically and abroad. To her surprise, when she asked the director of international programs at Monterrey Tech in Mexico what she should speak on, the director requested, among other things, a talk on her cultural experiences in Iran.
Currently the author lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband Mahmoud. Fluent in Spanish and comfortably conversant in Persian (Farsi), she has worked as a language coach and cross-cultural/diversity consultant, curriculum-developer, and trainer/presenter for corporations, industries, academic institutions, religious institutions, and service organizations throughout the state of Ohio and beyond.