Pina Sylvers

I was born in Sicily. Although I have lived in many other places both in Italy and elsewhere, my core identity is still tied to Sicily and not only for emotional reasons. I am interested in the language (some call it dialect), the rich multicultural history, and the land itself, the geography and spirit of the place.

I left Sicily to attend the “Scuole Medie” and the “Istituto Magistrale” in Trentino, in Northern Italy. It could not have been further, literally and figuratively, from Sicily. It was almost the equivalent of being in a foreign country. My experiences in Trentino formed another aspect of my identity: I had to adjust to being an “outsider” and to respond to people’s preconceived ideas about Sicilians. However, the understanding that I gained from those challenging situations have helped me in my teaching, since in one way or another, the feeling of “not fitting in” is universal, I believe.

I could not have known it at the time, but my experience in Trentino served to prepare me for another, more dramatic uprooting, the immigration to New York with my family. I arrived without knowing a single word of English; I had studied German in school.

Eventually I graduated from Brooklyn College with a B.A. in French and Italian. It was there that I met my future husband.

My further intellectual pursuits, studies and family history:
- Received an M.A. in French and Italian from Northwestern University (in Evanston, Illinois)
- Studied and worked in France and Italy for three years. While in France, I studied Chinese as well as French.
- Accepted in the Ph.D. program in Romance Languages at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I completed two years.

During that time I had a daughter and later a son. Raising them became the focus of my life. They taught me a lot and I loved watching them grow and learn new things.

When I decided to go back to school, I chose to study philosophy.
- Received an M.A. in philosophy from Stanford University.
- Accepted in the Ph.D. program in philosophy at the University of California, San Diego. Have advanced to candidacy, but have not completed my dissertation.

At San Diego State University my students get to know me as their Italian instructor. But I also teach Philosophy at the University of San Diego and often at San Diego City College. This variety of teaching experience gives me a good perspective on students’ backgrounds, interests and concerns.

- I am devoted to teaching. I love the theater. Some of my other interests: learning languages, reading about Native American cultures, hicking, traveling and writing.
In March 2005 I became a grandmother. Now there is another love in my life.