You may be thinking, “Valery studied French? Why French!?” This is a very good question! Learning English in school, with the help of ELL programs, helped me realize I love learning languages; I remember how fun it was to have Spanish-speaking AND English-speaking friends. In fact, having bilingual friends (friends that could speak two languages) was the cherry on top! For me, learning a new language was like a superpower that allowed me to communicate, understand and connect with people who were different from me. I wanted to meet people from all over the world and French was next on my list. I started learning French in high school and continued to do so in college. During college, I was able to put my language skills to the test by traveling to France!
Today, I live in Bogotá, Colombia as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) where I work at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, or the National Colombia University, in English. As an English Teaching Assistant, I teach Colombian college students English by practicing reading, writing, and sharing US culture and traditions. Although my students are adults, a lot of them are just starting their English-learning journey. Teaching English has been a really rewarding experience, reminding me of when I began to learn English.
While working here, I also get the opportunity to travel. Bogota, where I currently live, is the capital of Colombia and a big city with nearly eight million people. Although the big-city life is one part of Colombia, I also enjoy exploring the small towns and villages. I have been in Colombia since August 2024 and have been able to travel to such different, amazing parts of the country!
