Why did you pick this program?
I choose CETP because I wanted to live and work in Central Europe. CETP provided the opportunity to work in Hungary and an excellent support system for my years abroad teaching English in Szeged, Hungary.
What is the most important thing you learned abroad?
I learned so many things abroad. My first significant period abroad was during my undergrad studies when I studied abroad in Luxembourg. I knew after that trip that I wanted to move to Europe as quickly as possible.
Once I graduated from Uni I found CETP and leapt at the opportunity to teach English in Hungary. What I learned during my time in Hungary was how to live life without predictability, schedules could change at a moment's notice and I had to be able to adapt quickly to those changes. Because I had to be on my toes making quick decisions I became a lot more confident in myself and my teaching and learning abilities.
I also learned how to be more direct and honest about what I needed. These are skills I will carry with me for life.
What do you tell your friends who are thinking about going abroad?
I would recommend going abroad to anyone. It is essential to be able to critically examine the place we came from in order to understand our beliefs and values. Living abroad is the best way to better understand the place we come from because we can look at it from an outside perspective.
What made this experience unique and special?
What made my experience with CETP special is that I was completely emmersed in Hungarian culture. All of my colleagues were Hungarian, I became friends with Hungarians, and I learned the language. This immersion allowed me the opportunity to learn a lot about the country I was living in because I could experience it with the Hungarians.
What made this trip meaningful to you, or how did this trip change your perceptions, future path?
My experience teaching English in Hungary greatly altered my life. I was planning to go there for 10 months and move on to another country. But I fell in love with Hungary and continued to teach for three years, and even then I wasn't ready to come home so I studied Human Rights at Central European University in Budapest.
There I met people from around the world right there in one of Europe's most beautiful cities. That experience opened so many doors to the world and now I am ready to move out of Hungary and take my skills to a new country.