Millennium Magazine_4th Ed

84 Millennium - A Marquis Who’s Who Magazine EDUCATION S hirley J.S. Fioravanti has loved language from an early age, recalling an announcement she made to her sixth-grade class of her lifelong desire to be a translator with the United Nations. Surrounded by different cultures growing up, she also recalls listening to Spanish music when she was young. As she got older, she attended the University at Albany, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1952. From there, she began her tenure as a Spanish teacher at North Rose Central School, a position she held for six years. Receiving a Master of Arts from Syracuse University in 1957, Ms. Fioravanti then served as a Spanish teacher at Shaker High School from 1958 to 1961 before moving onto higher education. For the subsequent 29 years, she was a respected and admired associate professor of Spanish at the State University of New York at Oneonta. She retired in 1990. Although in retirement, she continues to sit on the advisory board and serve as a teacher for the Center for Continuing Adult Education in Oneonta. A former member of the League of Women Voters and president of the Association of University Women, Ms. Fioravanti also serves as a historian for the Eastern Star. However, she cites her tenure at SUNY Oneonta as the highlight of her career. The first individual to teach Spanish at the college, she was afforded the opportunity to build a collection of Spanish literature in the library. In addition, she thoroughly enjoyed founding an honor society for foreign language students at the college and traveling to Spain, where she would frequently converse and make friends with the Spanish civilians. She has regarded Spain as her second home. As a testament to her success in the field, Ms. Fioravanti was featured in the 63rd edition of Who’s Who in America, the seventh edition of Who’s Who in American Education, and the 25th and 27th editions of Who’s Who of American Women. Happily married to the late Joseph A. Fioravanti for over 25 years, she has five children, 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. SHIRLEY J.S. FIORAVANTI LANGUAGE EDUCATOR (RETIRED) State University of New York at Oneonta Oneonta, NY