Faculty Spotlight: Emilia Sorensen
Born and raised in Slovakia, Emilia Sorensen first worked as a summer camp counselor in the United States during her college years. During that summer camp, she met her husband, Ben. After summer camp, he followed Emilia to Slovakia, where they married and later welcomed their first child.
After completing a double master’s degree in philosophy and literature from Constantine the Philosopher University in Slovakia, Emilia earned her doctorate. In 2006, the young family moved to the United States and made their home in Wilmington.
To further acquaint herself with the regional dialect, Sorensen accepted a position at a childcare center before accepting her first teaching position at CFCC.
Emilia joined CFCC’s faculty— of which her husband, Ben, is also a member— in 2016 as a philosophy instructor and has positively impacted her students ever since. University transfer student Alec Ott was happy to comment on his experience in Dr. Sorensen’s class.
“Dr. Sorensen is a great professor. She made a subject that I didn’t think I was smart enough to understand, philosophy, completely understandable. She inspired me to work hard and to achieve success. She is one of my biggest supporters. When I look back at my time at CFCC, I am so happy with my decision to sign up for one of her classes. It has had a profound impact on my academic and personal life. I look forward to taking more of Dr.Sorensen’s classes in the future!”
We asked Emilia to share more about herself and her CFCC experience.
WHAT YEAR DID YOU START WORKING AT CFCC AND WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE?
I started in 2016, I believe. My husband told me that there was a new philosophy adjunct position here, so I applied. It wasn’t long before a full-time position opened, and I applied for that one, too! The rest is history!
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR WORK?
I love the students. They are what keep me going in this job. I also love the subject matter—what is there not to love about philosophy? It is always exciting to learn new theories, apply them to new situations, and watch students view the world in a new light. I also love that each semester, I don’t just influence the students, but they also influence me. I have become a better teacher and a better person because of them.
WHEN YOU’RE NOT WORKING, WHAT DO YOU DO?
I play volleyball, run, walk our dog, and try to spend time with the family. Each summer, we return to Slovakia to spend time with my family. We stay there for about two months every year so I can say that I have two homes.
WHO HAD THE GREATEST INFLUENCE ON YOUR EDUCATION AND/OR CAREER PATH?
I don’t have a specific person who inspired my career path. My parents and the whole family were very supportive of my choice to be a teacher. I started teaching at 19 in a small Slovak village and all my coworkers encouraged me to be the best teacher I could be. Also, my colleagues at CFCC inspire me every day.
WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
Anything is possible with hard work and a great attitude. Anyone can reach the impossible; I came here to America, learned proficient English to teach philosophy (which is not the same as everyday English!), and I am a philosophy instructor at CFCC. I was scared to death about teaching philosophy with English as my second language. I studied philosophy 24/7 when I found out that I would teach at CFCC to relearn the subject in English. Even now, I continue to try to improve myself. I believe that if we put our minds to it, stay open to advice, and have a good attitude and work ethic, we can achieve our dreams.
DEGREES & CERTIFICATES
M.A. in Philosophy, M.A. in Slovak Language and Literature from the University of Constantine the Philosopher. Ph.D. in Slovak Language and Literature.
