Sonja was born and raised in Graz, Austria, has Egyptian roots, lived in Spain for a few years, and moved to Sacramento in 2017. She is a native speaker of German and is also fluent in English and Spanish. After traveling through Europe, Sonja returned to Austria in 2006 to complete her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English and American Studies as well as her Magister/teaching degree in German, English, and Applied Ethics at the Karl-Franzens-University in Graz. Back in Austria she worked in the field of telecommunications for 10 years and started teaching German and English as a Second Language in 2010. Sonja works as German instructor at the University of the Pacific in Stockton as well as a lecturer of German at the Sacramento State University. In her spare time, she loves long runs along the American river and cooking for and with friends and family.