Professoressa Marilyn Anania has over twenty years of experience in teaching Italian, Spanish, English, and ESL in several Southern California schools and colleges.  She earned a  B.A. degree in English from California State University, Northridge, an equivalent to a B.A. in Italian from San Francisco State University while participating in the CSU International Study Abroad Program in Florence, Italy, as well as an M.A. degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis in TESL and Foreign Language Instruction from California State University, Long Beach.

During her studies for the M.A. degree she was awarded two scholarships to study in Florence, Italy.  Ms. Anania was recently selected as one of 25 in the nation to participate in the NEH (National Endowment for the Humanities) 2007 Summer Institute in Rome, Italy to study and incorporate Italian Art into lessons of Italian. The Institute was co-sponsored by the Italian Cultural Society of Washington, D.C.  In addition to her successful student sponsored trips to Italy, she has made several trips to Italy on her own. Her academic background in Italian paved the way to create an Italian Program at Millikan High School in Long Beach where she taught full-time and was the Foreign Language Department Co-Chair.  Additionally, she has participated in many workshops and trainings to boost student performance and enhance the curriculum she teaches.

For many years she was active with the American Association of Teachers of Italian, the California Language Teachers Association, LBCC's Foundation Support Group "Friends of Languages" of which she was President for two years, the Assistance League of Long Beach professional affiliate, CAMEO, that mentors talented youth in Long Beach, and is currently a member of Alpha Delta Kappa, Zeta Chapter, of Long Beach, an international honorary organization for women educators, and serves at the ADK Recording Secretary for the State of California.   Her name has appeared in “Who's Who in America's Teachers" several times in recent years, being nominated by students who feel her teaching has been an inspiration to them.   Ms. Anania joined LBCC's Foreign Language Department as a part-time instructor of Italian in 2001.