Zhanar Beketova is a PhD student in the Francophone, Italian and Germanic Studies (FIGS) department at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2023 she graduated from the Penn Graduate School of Education (GSE), where she explored language teacher identity development through critical autoethnographic narrative. This critical exploration led to a co-authored article submission to the peer-reviewed RELC Journal. While at Penn GSE, Zhanar was awarded the GSE Prize for Community Service for advocacy for master’s student-parents. After 2023 graduation from MS Ed program in TESOL, Zhanar taught first and second semester German and Italian at FIGS.Zhanar’s current research exploration lies in identity construction and choice-making through the lens of multilingualism and cultural heritage. Her geography of interest is the multilingual areas such as South Tyrol or Switzerland.