It was difficult to leave home and move across the country, especially to a place where I did not know anyone. However, I was fortunate to work in a lab where everyone was friendly and open. I made good friends in Michigan and enjoyed science, but eventually, I decided that I did not want to continue in research, and I applied to become a teacher in Chicago.
So after two years in Michigan, I packed my bags once again and moved to Chicago. I taught high school chemistry, biology and Earth science at CICS ChicagoQuest for two years. As I said, I loved science, so I was happy to teach those subjects. While I had strong experiences in both Ann Arbor and Los Angeles, I think my time in Chicago was the most impactful for me. I realized how much I enjoyed working with students and loved developing relationships with them. It also taught me how important speaking another language could be.
The majority of my students spoke English as their first language, with the exception of one boy, Fernando. Fernando was from Venezuela and spoke Spanish. It was difficult for me, as a teacher, to see 99% of the class understand a concept and see Fernando struggle. At that point, I decided that if I was going to serve all my students, I would have to learn about bilingual education. Bilingual education is schooling that is administered in two languages. With that in mind, I decided to apply to programs that would offer the opportunity to learn about bilingual education, primarily in Spanish speaking countries.
And so in April of 2018, I was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach English in Madrid, Spain. I have been here nearly four months now, and it has been a great experience.
