Şule Kivanç-Ancieta

Şule was born in Samsun, Turkey. During her childhood years, her family relocated several times within rural Turkey as a result of her father’s work. It was during those years that she developed a keen sense of community values and the importance of education to build a better future.

After receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics at Middle East Technical University and a Teaching Certificate from Gazi University in 1993, Şule worked as a Physics teacher and a High School administrator in Ankara. She relocated to the US in 1997 and now lives in Oak Park, IL with her husband Victor and son Lucas. She has a successful private tutoring practice in the Chicago area and works as an off-campus teacher with the Oak Park River Forest High School. Şule is fluent in English, Spanish, and Turkish. When she is not busy at work, she enjoys running, yoga, scuba-diving, nature walking, traveling, reading, and photography. The early experiences developed during her childhood years stayed with her and became a moral compass throughout her life to pass on the gift of education to others who are less fortunate regardless of location.