Position: Albanian Language and Literature Teacher

Yllza Pista has been an Albanian Language Teacher at the American School of Kosova, since 2014. Previously, Ms. Pista served as a lecturer of Albanian Language at ‘Xhelal Hajda – Toni’ High School, as well as in the Education Center, in Rahovec. Yllza graduated from the University of Prishtina in Philological Faculty for Albanian Literature, also she has a Master’s degree in Albanian Language and Literature. In addition, she has published some research articles and her first compilation of poems “Ditto”.

Yllza’s passions consist of reading, writing and art as a general concept. She deals with literary writings, writes poetry and poetic prose which she plans to publish soon. Her first work “Ditto” is a collection of poems on love, life and the feeling of deep spiritual knowledge. During her free time she uses her time working on her passions, such as writing, painting and recently she has found another passion, pottery. Her passion for the beauty of arts that impacts the life of so many others is represented by Yllza through different influential ideas, which she conveys to her students.

Mariklena Niço was born in Korça, Albania. She began her teaching career in 2001. Since then, she has taught Albanian Language and Literature in various high schools in Korça: F.S. Noli High School, Faik Konica-Foreign Language High School, Raqi Qirinxhi High School.
Mariklena has been an Albanian Language and Literature teacher at the American School of Kosova, since 2016. Ms. Niço holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Literature from the University of Tirana. In addition, she received training and certification in literature, from the Ministry of Education Science and Technology.
Mariklena strongly believes on what Aristotle wrote, “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” She chooses her strategies of teaching based on this Einstein quote, “Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think.” Mariklena published her first collection of poetry “Pylli i muzave”, in 2007 (by Ombra GVG). She has been publishing in various literary magazines, such as Haemus, Poeteka.