Gateway Staff

A specialized faculty member, Dr. Thomas Ahrens, works specifically with the Gateway students throughout the year. He teaches the Academic English classes, and he serves as an academic advisor and mentor.

Additional teaching support is provided by the faculty of the Academic Support Center and the Mathematics Department.

In addition, an administrative team is available to work with Gateway students regarding questions they might have about the admission process, financial aid, registration, and social support. See Contact us to learn how to get in touch with this team.

Staff Background

Dr. Thomas Ahrens is the Gateway Program Director. He teaches English in the Gateway Program, and he advises and mentors Gateway students. He was born and raised in Germany, lived in France and has been living in the United States since 1986. He received an advanced degree in English and French from the University of Berlin in Germany and holds a doctorate in German Literature and Culture from Indiana University Bloomington. He has a great deal of experience as a college teacher and program administrator. His specialization is in cross-cultural issues and second language acquisition, and he has taught a wide range of courses in English, French, and German. He is a published author and has also worked as a professional translator. Over the past twenty years he has worked with a very diverse group of learners at U.S. colleges and universities. His learners come from many different countries, among them China, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Korea, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Turkey, and Yemen.

Semira Ibrahim is in her second year at Otterbein College, majoring in Early Childhood Education. She is a Student Ambassador for the Gateway Program. She is from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and speaks Arabic and Eritrean. In 2004 she graduated from Brookhaven High School in Columbus, Ohio, and she attended community college for one year. After her transfer to Otterbein, she was a student in the Gateway Program in 2005-06. Since coming to Otterbein, her greatest challenge was deciding on a major that fit her. After thinking about it and speaking with her advisor, she found that she liked working with children and decided to study early childhood education. She feels that Otterbein is the best choice for her because it is a small college that allows her to interact with her teachers at a personal level.

Theresa Barbour is a sophomore at Otterbein College, majoring in International Studies. She is a Student Ambassador for the Gateway Program. In that capacity, she works with the Gateway staff to develop ways to encourage students to attend the Gateway Program. Since becoming a student at Otterbein, she has been involved in many activities. For example, she is an active member of the African American Student Union and the Gospel Choir. In addition, she is treasurer of Alpha Lambda Delta, a collegiate honors organization. She also works with Otterbein's new Center for Community Engagement to plan programs for middle school students in the Indianola Mentoring Program.