Kimberly Bellows
Program: Teach in Chile
Last Seen in America: Enjoying life in our nation’s capital
Where in Chile?: Valparaíso
Bio: A native Northern Californian (trust me, Californians know there’s a difference between northern and southern), I often feel much more at home among the hustle and bustle of the East Coast.
After graduating from UC Davis with a degree in International Relations and a minor in Spanish, I immediately moved to Washington, DC and (not so) immediately landed an internship and then a job with Californian members of the House of Representatives. Although sitting on the sidelines of all the political change and controversy of the past few years was eye opening and life changing, I gradually remembered my two true loves: education and traveling. So I decided to combine the two and I hope to do so for the rest of my life in some form or another. Preferably in Latin America, Ireland, or the East Coast.
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Alexander Sternberg
Program: Teach in Chile
Last Seen in America: In my hometown of New York City
Where in Chile?: Santiago
Bio: I am the 23-year-old son of two Australian immigrants. Making me a first generation Australian American.
While both mine and their native language is English and Australia is merely the US’s more British little sister, I’m still excited to say that I am living the American Dream. By which I mean moving to Chile to teach English and immerse myself in a new culture. In all seriousness, since graduating from GWU in 2010 I have performed stand up comedy, interned at a website, a production company, worked at an after school and assisted on commercial shoots. All the while, my love for living abroad (I studied in Granada, Spain) remained in my mind. I received my CELTA certificate to teach English in March, taught students from France throughout the summer and now here I am!
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Justine Kay
Program: Teach Immersion Chile 2012
Last Seen in America: Hiking through Southern California with a Beagle named Jake
Where in Chile?: Maule Region
Bio: I caught the bug and I’m never letting ago. Traveling is exhilarating and even scary at times.
When I am learning new languages and cultures, I realize the world is much greater than me and I can use my knowledge as power. As an undergrad, I spent my time writing plays and acting on stage as a Theater Performance major at Chapman University. After my short-lived career as a student performer, my heart urged me to explore the theatrics of the everyday classroom. While interning as a high school English and drama teacher in the Coachella Valley, I simultaneously earned my teaching credential and Master’s of Art in Education from Claremont Graduate University. I seemed to accomplish everything I had set out to do yet a heavy thought rested upon my head: How could I possibly teach these students if I had not experienced the world for myself? After that, I decided to venture off into Latin America, learn Spanish and bring back with me a refreshed view of the world in which I could share with my future students.
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Kerry Anderson
Program: Teach Immersion Chile
Last Seen in America: Indianapolis, Indiana
Where in Chile?: Metropolitana Region, Chile
Bio: I am a Midwestern girl who loves creative writing, Thai food, dancing, and photography.
Growing up, my family never went on the “typical” vacations. We never went to Disney World, and the beaches we went to were mostly on Beaver Island, in northern Lake Michigan, instead of Florida, like a lot of kids I knew. Therefore, I developed a strong sense of the world’s hidden beauties; of the specialness of exploring a new place outside one’s regular bubble. I got bit by the travel bug pretty early on as my family had three exchange students when I was in high school. Also, my sister and I visited our host sister in her home country of France when I was 17.
My major at Indiana University was International Studies and my minors were in Spanish and Creative Writing. So voila, a travel blog seems to be a perfect combination of these things!
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Emelia May
Program: Teach Immersion Chile 2012
Last Seen in America: directing 5 middle school boys’ choirs near her hometown of Round Rock, TX
Where in China? Central Chile
Bio: Emelia May graduated from Louisiana State University in December of 2011 with a degree in vocal Music Education and a minor in mathematics. She has since worked as a long term substitute teacher for a middle school choir director on maternity leave. Having finished that, she is excited to explore more of the world after having caught the “travel bug” while studying abroad in Quebec in 2010 and visiting fellow exchange students at their homes in Europe the following summer. Her friendships with them are her inspiration for pursuing a foreign language. She hopes to be able to call herself bilingual by the end of her time in Chile and use the language in her future music classrooms.