That's difficult, there are so many! One of my favourite travel memories would have to be paragliding over the Himalayas in Nepal - or even just Nepal in general! I had the best time travelling all over the country - it's an absolutely beautiful place, with beautiful people, and I cannot wait to go back!
Staff Spotlight: Judy Larkin
Title:
Student AdvisorPhotos
Judy is a 24 year Dublin girl. Judy has worked in The TEFL Academy for over two years. Before that, she taught English as a foreign language in Vietnam for two years, and loved it!
What is your favorite travel memory?
How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?
I have definitely grown! Working at The TEFL Academy has exposed me to even more cultures around the world. Speaking with people from all over the world regularly throughout their studies, and building a rapport with the students. They all tell their reasons for wanting to go abroad, be it to simply travel the world or to make a better life for themselves. Also, I gained many great friends in the office!
What is the best story you've heard from a return student?
One of my favourite stories to date would have to be from Wendy Shortt, a lovely lady who decided to enrol on a TEFL course because teaching abroad was on her bucket list. She enrolled on a TEFL course, and while she found it a bit daunting going back to studying after many years, she ended up really enjoying the course! She applied for our volunteering position in Nepal, and spent a couple of months teaching in Kathmandu & Pokhara. She said the experience had ''enriched my life, given me confidence and motivation'' - I was over the moon for Wendy!
If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?
There are so many! A dream program for me would be volunteering in Tanzania. The role involves a range of things, not only teaching English, such as community development, women empowerment and creating awareness for diseases such as HIV. The right person would have so much to offer in this role, and could really make a difference.
What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?
I am always proud of our team, because we genuinely care about the students, and try to show that the best we can everyday. However, I'm extra proud when we build a genuine rapport over the phone with individual students. You can tell the team member really enjoys speaking with the student, genuinely cares about their plans and future, and gives personalised job support and advice. It makes the job so much more enjoyable!
What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?
I think one of the biggest factors in a company's success is the faith the staff has in the product, in this case, the level 5 TEFL course. Myself and my colleagues truly believe that becoming TEFL qualified opens endless doors for people worldwide, and we know the level 5 TEFL course is the key to those doors.