Nǐ hǎo! Hello! My name is Reese Bergschneider, but I'm known as "Teacher Reese" to my students. I grew up in Taylorville, Illinois, a rural town in the middle of the state. While in high school, I fell in love with food, cooking, and traveling after going abroad for the first time. In May 2018, I graduated high school, and shortly after, I attended the University of Louisville in Kentucky to study chemical engineering and Spanish. During my college career, I traveled internationally to Germany, France, and China. Most of my time and energy were dedicated to food, cooking, and sustainability. When I was not traveling abroad, I explored all the unique restaurants, volunteered with a non-profit organization and provided meals for unemployed restaurant workers and worked at an organic farm all in Kentucky and Texas. My love for food and cooking led me to discover Indonesian cuisine, leading to a deep cultural interest rooted in its food and community. Although I originally planned to travel abroad as a U.S. Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Indonesia, my program placed me on this beautiful island, Taiwan, to teach high school students.
I currently live in Penghu, Taiwan, a small archipelago off the west coast of the main island. I work as a cultural ambassador and English teaching assistant at Magong Jr. High School. I look forward to sharing my stories about Taiwan and what life is like living and working abroad. I can't wait to connect with you all!
