This year, from August to April, I have served as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Pontianak, Indonesia. The Fulbright Program is a scholarship from the US government that lets young Americans travel to different countries to teach English or do research. When you get the scholarship, the government gives you money for a certain amount of time (usually 8 to 12 months, but sometimes longer) and helps you move to the new country, find somewhere to live and get your teaching job.
After being an assistant teacher in San Jose, California (shoutout to Cureton Elementary!), I was so excited to continue teaching across the world in Indonesia! I have learned lots of valuable lessons this year about how to live and work in a completely different country with people who are different from myself. I also grew my teaching skills and worked with some awesome Indonesian teachers and students.
While I will be sad to leave Indonesia and conclude our beautiful journey together, I am excited to see my family in America again. Next year, I might teach English in Spain or Japan, or I might go back to college to continue learning about education and the world around me.
