Thomas W. Lammons

Auxiliar de Conversación2011-2012

I.E.S. AlpujarraÓrgiva, España

Who am I?

How old am I?

I am 26 years old.

Where am I from?

My Family

What was my occupation prior to my arrival?

What are my hobbies?

I’m from South Carolina (SC), in the USA.

South Carolina is located in the southeast of the USA.

South Carolina was one of the original 13 British Colonies.

• South Carolina was the 8th state to ratify the US Constitution, on May 23, 1788.

• Parts of Carolina (mostly the coastal areas) were colonized earlier by Spain, but battles between the Spanish and the Native Americans caused the Spanish people to retreat to Florida, Cuba, Mexico, and Central and South America.

The Geography of SC

“Upstate”

“Midstate”

“Lowcountry”

Geography of SC cont.

The Upstate consists of the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.

Columbia, the capital of SC, is located in the center of the state (i.e., Midstate).

The oldest and most renowned city in SC is Charleston, which is located along the

southeastern coast of the state (i.e., Lowcountry).

Geography of SC cont.

I’m from Greenville, SC, located in the Upstate of SC.

The Upstate

Greenville, SC

Facts about Greenville, SC

Greenville is the second largest city (by urban population) in the state of SC (an urban population of ~302,000 people, and a municipal population

of ~58,000).

Greenville has a humid subtropical climate, with generally mild, short winters, hot, humid

summers, warm springs, and cool autumns. Monthly averages range from 4.9 °C in January to 26.0 °C in July. Lows can reach -3.8°C, and highs

sometimes breach 37.8 °C.

Historically, Greenville was part of the Cherokee Nation's land. After a campaign in 1776, the

Cherokee agreed to the Treaty of DeWitt's Corner, ceding territory that includes present-day

Greenville County to South Carolina.

Jobs in Greenville

• Hospitals (2 main health systems, which include approximately 9 campuses)

• Engineering Firms• Large Corporations (e.g., Michelin, BMW)• Botanical Nurseries• Lawn Maintenance Companies• Construction Companies• Service Industry (e.g., restaurants,

grocery stores, bike shops, bars etc.)

What do People for FUN in and around Greenville?

Sports• Road & mountain bike• Waterski & go to the lake• Hike, camp, & backpack

Social• Go downtown for food,

drinks, and good times• Go to music venues (i.e.,

concerts)• Go to college football games

Universities in South Carolina

Clemson University (Upstate)

University of South Carolina (Midstate)

College of Charleston

(Lowcountry)

I went to Clemson University

Clemson University

Aerial View of ClemsonDeath Valley during Night Game

Typical Clemson Fans

At Clemson University

I studied philosophy & Spanish

I graduated in May, 2008

I studied abroad in Tarragona, Catalonia

(Spain)

My favorite part of my university experience was studying abroad My roommates in

Tarragona Hiking around Figueres

My Family

My Family cont.

My father, Tom, is a geologist.

My mother, Debbie, is a preschool teacher.

My brother, Andrew, is a land surveyor.

My family cont.

On a mountaintop in MontanaPops & Andrew pickin’

bluegrass

My brother and I are best friends.

Where does my family live?My parents live in Greenville, SC.

My brother lives in Billings, Montana (MT).

By car, how long does it take to get from Greenville, SC to Billings, MT?

30 Hours!

Where does my extended family live?

My mom’s side of the family lives in West Virginia and Florida.

Extended Family cont.

My Dad’s side of the family lives in Mississippi and Alabama.

My friends live throughout the U.S., from Florida to New York to California.

Friends cont.

What was my occupation prior to my arrival in Órgiva?

From May 2008 until August 2011, I worked as an environmental consultant for an engineering firm.

What does an environmental consultant do?

• Assess real estate (i.e., property) for potential subsurface (i.e., soil & groundwater) contamination

• If a piece of real estate is suspect (i.e., likely has subsurface contamination), analytical testing of the subsurface is performed (i.e., soil and groundwater samples are collected for analysis).

• All of this is performed in an effort to reduce and remediate (i.e., clean) subsurface contamination.

My Hobbies

Road & Mountain Biking

Mountain Climbing & Backpacking

Soccer (Football)

Waterskiing

Reading & Studying

Why did I come to Órgiva, Andalusia (Spain)?

I came to Órgiva to…

• Facilitate the learning process of English as a second language

• Help I.E.S. Alpujarra with its Bilingual Project

• To learn about and experience another culture, while sharing my culture

• Have adventures in the Sierra Nevada mountain range!

I’m excited for the opportunity to participate in I.E.S. Alpujarra’s Bilingual Project.