Study Abroad leads to Service Abroad

I didn’t know what kind of teacher I would be before flying to Ecuador for my Cambridge CELTA teacher training in spring 2010.  My professional experience was in nonprofit administration:  I had spent five years as a Director of Development for local mission-driven organizations.  My itch to travel abroad while expanding my career path led me towards education.  As I hauled my luggage into the sparse beachfront “eco-resort” near Montañita, I was filled with nervous excitement, adventure and hope.  I was about to embark on a life changing journey.

After settling into my cabana, I located the thatched-roof hut where classes would be held.  Despite the hippie surroundings, our trainers were excellent professionals.  They had us in the classroom, teaching locals, on our second day.  I found that my former acting training gave me the confidence I needed to engage the class creatively and energetically.  Over the course of the five week intensive session, I acquired the skills and techniques to teach student-focused communicative lessons effectively.  It felt good to watch my students acquire new language, to hear them laugh and participate in class with confidence.  I was a good teacher.  I enjoyed it.  I was ready for the next step.

My purpose for earning the CELTA certificate was to follow my dream of moving to South America and immersing myself in the culture.  In January 2011, I took one of the boldest steps of my life thus far…I resigned from my job, packed all of my things into boxes, rented out my house, and got on a plane to Montevideo, Uruguay.  I didn’t know anyone in Uruguay.

I found a job teaching general and business English in a private institute, which was walking distance from the apartment I shared with foreign students.  The year-long experience built my confidence as a teacher, as I was able to delve into more grammatical structures, to creatively solve problems, and to work with a greater variety of individuals.  At the same time, I was able to be a student, studying Spanish and exploring Uruguayan culture.

My CELTA journey didn’t end when I returned to the U.S. in January 2012:  I got a job substitute teaching in an institute where the majority of my students were Saudi Arabian.  Teaching students from Arabic culture presented a whole new set of challenges and adventures.  As a teacher, I was once again the student, learning how to navigate a different set of values and communication styles effectively.

It’s no surprise to my family and friends to find me immersed in intercultural experiences, and I marvel at how my early experiences with study abroad have shaped my education and career choices.  My most significant study abroad was a nine month trip to Taiwan, India, and Turkey.  I majored in Religion at Davidson College and participated in Long Island University Global’s Comparative Religion and Culture Program my junior year of college.  The program was experiential and reflective, incorporating research and reading with cultural experiences and personal reflection.  The program took me out of my comfort zone, challenged my thinking, and opened my eyes to the incredible diversity of our world.  It gave me my first glimpse of mass poverty in India and my heart for social justice.

I’ll never forget sitting in a rickshaw at a traffic crossing in India when suddenly, I felt something jab into my back.  I turned to find a poverty-stricken young woman with a baby wrapped against her in her sari, begging for rupees.  She reached up to where I was sitting and poked her calloused finger into my spine over and over again.  The images of abandoned children, elderly outcasts and disfigured beggars continued to poke at my conscious, as if to say, “Hey you up there.  What are you going to do to help us?”

Study abroad inevitably led to service abroad…and to service at home.  I participated in Orphanage Outreach in the Dominican Republic, volunteered at a homeless shelter in New York City and worked in a transition house for at-risk youth in Charlotte, NC.  Post graduation, I was fortunate enough to work for a local direct service agency that is intently focused on solutions to poverty and homelessness.

It’s been an incredible journey thus far, and I’m ready to take the next step into a career path that incorporates my passions and utilizes my strengths.  Graduate studies will equip me with theoretical knowledge, field experience and professional skills, building upon my nonprofit administration experience and my teaching experience while preparing me for new challenges and greater responsibilities in the nonprofit, higher education and governmental sectors.