I chose the CIEE volunteer program in Portugal because I was looking for a short-term commitment and was interested in gaining teaching experience and working with children.
Alumni Spotlight: Emily Szabo
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Emily is an artist living in Richmond, Virginia. She scours the web for cheap flights in her free time.
Why did you choose this program?
The timing (I was looking for something kind of last minute, too) and the cost had me interested in this program as well. I loved the organization and interface of CIEE's website and the whole application process was very straight forward.
What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?
Once I started my application I had a personal advisor from CIEE help me with anything I needed. They were very easy to get in touch with and made sure I was on track to complete my application. After being accepted into the program, I had another CIEE employee in Portugal who I didn't interact with too much besides during the initial orientation. Basically, CIEE took care of placement in the school and then the rest was up to my Portuguese advisor, including my host family placement and my day-to-day concerns.
What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?
I would tell someone applying to this program to be flexible. There were a lot of factors that were not realized until I landed in Portugal and settled in with my host family. For instance, I lived very far from the school where I taught, which meant I had to figure out the bus and use public transport on a daily basis. I wasn't expecting this kind of independence but ended up thoroughly enjoying the learning experience.
What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?
I think everyone who participated in this program in 2017 had very different days, but I can speak to my own experience! The volunteer program requires you to work about 12 hours a week. I worked in the afternoons, so I had very leisurely mornings and then walked to bus station around 11am. I worked about 3 hours everyday at the school. I worked in two different classrooms and divided my time between them. Weekends are free for exploring!
Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?
My biggest fear was not having the kind of autonomy I have at home. I'm very accustomed to doing things on my own and I was worried I would feel stuck in a little village without being able to have my independence. There were some things I needed to adjust to, like having a family meal at a certain time every night instead of eating when I wanted. I actually ended up having tons of freedom on this trip. I took the train to Porto almost every weekend and my host family made me feel very comfortable and free in their home. I feared for no reason at all!
What should prospective travelers to Portugal know?
People should know to only fear of falling in love. I am kind of a romantic, so things like colorful tiles, long talks over espresso (or Port wine), and sunsets over the Douro river are kind of my thing. People should really be warned of the charm that they probably aren't expecting.
Oh, and go to Porto. It's the best.