Howdy! My name is Michel Graham, and I am from Graham, Texas. I have the same last name as my hometown because my grandpa founded the town way back in 1872! Graham is very rural, which means that not many people live there and it is far away from a city. For example, I have to drive over an hour to get to Chick-fil-A or Target! One of my favorite parts of my small town is that I live on a ranch. In my backyard, I have a lot of animals, such as buffalo and cows. In my free time, I love to read and craft. Ecuador, the country that I am moving to, is famous for weaving blankets and making hats. I hope to learn these crafts during my year there.
I just graduated from TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. There, I studied Spanish and Speech-Language Pathology. With these degrees, I hope to become a speech therapist who helps people who speak both Spanish and English and struggle to communicate find ways to express themselves better. The most commonly spoken language in Ecuador is Spanish. Living there will give me plenty of opportunities to practice and improve my Spanish.
In Ecuador, my main job will be to teach English. I will be teaching at a university in Cuenca, and I am very excited to start my journey. What I am most excited about is how much I will learn from my students. Even though I will technically be the teacher, I will also be the student, learning about how Ecuadorians live. Fasten your seatbelts and prepare for takeoff; I’m taking you to Ecuador with me!
Want to learn how you could be a Fulbright Scholar like me? The Fulbright Program is the United States government's flagship international exchange program. Fulbrighters foster mutual understanding between the United States and partner nations, share knowledge across communities, and improve lives around the world. Learn more by clicking here!
