Buenos Dias! Hello! My name is Catherine, but most people I know call me Cat. I am from a small town in North Carolina called Southern Pines. When I was growing up, I loved to be outside, play sports like soccer and volleyball, and read. If you asked six-year-old me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would’ve said two things: an explorer or a teacher. I’ve always loved adventures. This was because I read about them in my favorite books. But, I thought adults didn’t have grand adventures, just “jobs.” However, through this journey, I have discovered that my "job" as a teacher is actually leading to a great adventure- one where I get to learn to be brave and explore something new!
During college, I studied how to become a teacher who responds to my students' needs, backgrounds, and interests — a kind of teacher who helps students grow into the best versions of themselves. During this pursuit, I decided I wanted to learn Spanish because many of my students spoke this language at home, and I wanted to better understand them. This was the first step into adventuring outside of my comfort zone. And now, for the next nine months, I will be living in Spain and teaching classes to local students in a town called Gijón. While moving across the world from my family is a scary journey, I hope it will be an adventure I can share with others and that helps me grow more into the teacher I have always dreamed of being.
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!
