Starting From Scratch

In September 2026, I packed my life into a few suitcases and moved more than 6,000 miles from home to Kardzhali, Bulgaria. I came as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant, knowing that for the next ten months I would be immersed in an entirely new country, community, and culture.

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During the week, I teach English at Hristo Botev Foreign Language School, working with students across different ages and levels. A lot of the job is learning how to communicate in ways that actually connect. Sometimes that means changing an explanation when it isn't landing, getting a quiet classroom talking, or finding common ground with students whose experiences look very different from mine.

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Beyond the classroom, Fulbright has given me the opportunity to experience Europe from a completely different perspective. I am building relationships within my community, traveling throughout the region, and learning firsthand how people in another part of the world live, communicate, and think.

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I chose Fulbright because I wanted to spend a year doing something completely outside of what was familiar. Moving abroad has given me exactly that opportunity, and I plan to make the most of every part of it.