Hi everyone! My name is Jo Smeby and welcome to my year in Taiwan. I was born and raised in Mukilteo, Washington, and then moved to Fort Collins, Colorado when I was 18 years old to go to Colorado State University. I graduated from CSU with degrees in Agricultural Education and Equine Science and I am so grateful for the wonderful four years I had in Fort Collins. After graduating, I was a high school teacher in northern Colorado for one year before packing up and leaving for Taiwan this past July! I arrived in Taipei, Taiwan, on August 1, 2024, and have been having such a wonderful time exploring this gorgeous island.
In Taiwan, I am an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) grant recipient from Fulbright. Fulbright is a program through the U.S. Department of State that partners with international governments for language and cultural exchange programs. These include ETA programs in many countries and scholar exchanges.
Growing up in Mukilteo, I enjoyed being involved in many sports like softball and soccer but my favorite thing to do was marching band and colorguard at the middle and high schools. I also enjoyed visiting my mom at work. She is the librarian at the elementary school that I went to!
