Hello from Taiwan! My name is Alyssa Soejima, and I am a Japanese American living in Taipei, Taiwan, this year! I was born and raised in Florida, and went to the University of Florida for college. There, I studied a lot of things because it was hard to choose just one! I majored in Education Sciences, but also got my certification in Teaching English as a Second Language, and minored in Japanese, Anthropology, and Linguistics.
All of this studying was so that I can become successful at my dream job to become a teacher. I taught elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, for three years, but now I am here in the capital city of Taiwan as the foreign English-speaking teacher in a bilingual elementary school. I have always loved teaching and my goal is to found a school of my own in the future, so I thought: "What better way to become a better teacher than to experience what schools are like outside of what I know?" So here I am now in a country where I don't speak the language, but am surrounded already with a community that has helped me grow and learn so much!
Besides teaching, I love spending my time in nature through going on hikes and doing arts and crafts during my free time! I also love food and cannot wait to share all of the new foods I have tried here.
I hope you enjoy coming along on my journey as I learn and experience the daily life, language, and culture in Taiwan. Zai Jian (see you again)!
Want to learn how you could be a Fulbright Scholar like me? The Fulbright Program is the United States government's flagship international exchange program. Fulbrighters foster mutual understanding between the United States and partner nations, share knowledge across communities, and improve lives around the world. Learn more by clicking here!
