John Kennedy
Program: Teach in Spain
Where in Spain?: Jerez de la Frontera
Bio: grew up in Rome, NY moved to Purcellville, Virginia for high school. I attended Longwood University in Farmville, VA and graduated in 2012. I currently live my dream, teaching in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.
Nina Portugal
Program: Teach in Spain
Where in Spain?: Palma del Rio
Bio: Nina Portugal graduated from the University of Southern California with a major in English with the passion to teach. But, she also has always had the passion to travel and live abroad.
After a year teaching at a charter school on the South Side of Chicago she decided to combine her two passions and turned to CIEE To facilitate her year teaching in Andalucia, Spain. Currently, she is at IES Antonio Gala in Palma del Rio and has loved her cultural immersion. When she is not at the high school you can find her running through her pueblo's orange groves, attending flamenco or painting class, or teaching yoga in the evenings to members of the community.
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Allison Clark
Program: Teach in Spain + Four-Week Immersion
Last Seen in America: Walking my dog on the beach by Lake Michigan in Chicago, Illinois.
Where in Spain?: Huelva, Huelva
Bio: I’m a writer, traveler and explorer who loves food, culture, adventures and humor.
I was born in San Francisco and have lived in Chicago for almost six years. I've studied anthropology and Spanish and have a Masters of Journalism. Traveling is my passion and some of the favorite places I’ve visited are the Galapagos, Tanzania, South Africa, Germany, Peru, Mexico and Botswana. And after a lot of work, my dream of living in Spain has finally come true. Some of my favorite things are fine wine, dancing, markets and street food. I hope to continue to travel all over the world and share my experiences.
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Rachel Epstein
Program: Teach in Spain
Last Seen in America: Boogie Boarding in Long Beach, New York
Where in Spain?: Ayamonte, Huelva
Bio: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." –Mark Twain
My grandmother was a world traveler. She was one of those people who took off whenever she had the chance and the time, and always came back with stories and trinkets from the places she’d been. She always told me that to see the world was one of the greatest things in life and that I should take full advantage while my knees are still good, and while I have the freedom to explore. I have been fortunate enough to have traveled extensively around the world, from Australia to the Middle East, Europe and South America. The most valuable life lessons I have ever learned have been from when I was wandering the earth. So now I am choosing to travel once again. I never want to look back and say that next time, in my next life, I’ll take more trips, learn more languages, swim in more oceans or take more risks. Adventure is what makes life worth living for. An adventure stimulates the mind and spirit; it inspires independence, demands courage and contains endless possibilities to experience the excitement of the unknown. Would taking the more conventional path of my peers be a wise decision? It may be, and it is for many people. But, as I told my parents, paths are just paths- they make it easier to follow the same route again, but they also discourage finding other routes.
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Alexandra Torrens-Vilas
Program: Teach-in-Spain 4-Week Immersion
Last Seen in America: Swimming under the moon in the Atlantic Ocean off Miami, Florida
Where in Spain?: C.E.I.P. Ntra. Sra. de Fátima in Osuna, Spain
Bio: As I flew back to Washington, DC from my Florida base for my graduation, I felt like I was coming home.
When I visited my friends in New York City and took the subway to their apartment, it also felt like home. I realize that I will soon be traveling to a whole other continent, a couple of time zones away, but when you strip away the superficial differences, every place begins to feel like home. I always envisioned myself going abroad after graduating, and as the days count down for the plane ride, I am imagining all of the possibilities for what I will come across, but underlying every interaction are the values I harnessed at Georgetown University that underscore Jesuit ideals of "Cura Personalis," educating the whole person, women and men for others, and contemplation in action.
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Erin Cousins
Program: Teach in Spain: 4 week Immersion
Last Seen in America: Serving drinks and studying conjugations in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Where in Spain?: Aznalcóllar, Sevilla
Bio: I'm a recent graduate from the University of Michigan with degrees in English Literature and Acting.
I've spent the last five years on stage, on camera, or in between pages, and I'm excited to break out of the comfortable and expand my perspective in Spain. In the past I've studied acting in Ireland, done stunt work in Finland, turned sixteen in Paris, and made second families in Spain and Denmark - whatever comes next, I know it'll mean a whole new learning experience. As a self-acknowledged book nerd who is most at home in the woods of Michigan, I'm not at all sure what to expect, but plan on bringing an open mind and lots of journals.
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Samuel Shaikh
Program: Teach in Spain (4 Week Immersion)
Last Seen in America: Houston, TX
Where in Spain?: La Palma Del Condado
Bio: I was born and raised in Houston, TX to a Filipina mother and Pakistani father. Growing up, I was always exposed to an international way of living.
I had the opportunity to learn about the cultures of my mother and father which eventually sparked my interest to learn about the languages and cultures of other countries. I graduated from Strake Jesuit College Prep in Houston and matriculated to UTSA to earn my BBA in international business. After I graduated from college, I realized that I had traveled to many countries but never to Spain. I stumbled upon CIEE and was very fortunate to be placed as a Language and Cultural Assistant in La Palma Del Condado. It is my goal to make a difference in the children I teach and blog about all of my experiences abroad which will hopefully inspire others to pursue the route I have taken.
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Tina Garcia
Program: Teach in Spain Professional 2012 - 2013
Last Seen in America: Traveling back and forth across the US in planes, trains and automobiles.
Bio: My name is Tina; it's short for Christina. I left my former life working for a PR agency in San Francisco to explore the world and live out the stories I will tell my grandchildren 40 years from now. Originally from Los Angeles, I left southern California to attend UC Berkley where I recieved my BA in 2006. Needless to say, wearing the color red is something I'm slowly easing myself into...
I've never lived anywhere besides California and can't wait to see what else the world has to offer.
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Shanda Brown
Blog Name: The New Adventures of Princess Shanda
Program: Teach in Spain: (2-week immersion)
Last Seen in America: Trying to condense my must-haves to avoid the ever-so-challenging sitting on my suitcases situation.
Where in Spain? Malaga, Malaga
Bio: I am a recent graduate of the University of Florida. After taking a TEFL course, I was certain that teaching abroad was the right fit for me at this moment in my life.
This is my first time teaching or living abroad, so I was a bit hesitant about the move at first. However, I am excited to face my fears and live my dreams. I hope that my experiences will lead me to more amazing opportunities in the future.
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Rachel Ramke
Blog Name: Rach in Spain
Program: Teach in Spain: 4-Week Language Immersion
Last Seen in America: Working as a Software Auditor, dreaming about Spain.
Where in Spain? Seville, Spain
Bio: I graduated from Anderson University in Dec. 2009 with a BA in English and Spanish… and zero job prospects. I eventually landed a job as a Software Auditor for a good-sized company and worked in that position for a couple of years.
While lost in the cubicle jungle, however, I dreamt of living in Spain. I’d studied abroad with CIEE in the Dominican Republic during college, which was a great experience, but I had always wanted to go to Spain. When I found the Teach in Spain program through CIEE, I knew it was fate. I started preparing before I even applied, and then, I applied, got accepted, and am now living the dream!
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Rachel Berk
Blog Name: The Very Hungry Blogger
Program: CIEE Teach in Spain (Sevilla)
Last Seen in America: Binghamton, New York
Where in Spain? Teaching to Tomares, Sevilla
Bio: The blog of a very hungry vegetarian living in Sevilla Spain. Hungry to learn, teach, discover and just plain hungry. I am a 23 year- old adventurist, avid runner, skier, and foodie. A recent graduate of Binghamton University where I studied health and human development. I want to travel the world and capture every single moment of it! From New York to Spain, join me on my adventures eating, living and working in Sevilla!
Jennifer Bundy
Blog Name: J|B: Notes from Spain
Program: Teach in Spain (Two Week Immersion)
Last Seen in America: Writing her way towards a poetry MFA, selling stationery, and giving goodbye besitos to lovebugs in Jacksonville, Florida and Virginia Beach.
Where in Spain? TUtrera, Sevilla
Valarie Duquette
Blog Name: A Siesta in Spain
Program: CIEE Spanish Immersion
Last Seen in America: Trying to finish Gossip Girl and Friends before I board the plane.
Where in Spain? Mijas Andalusia
Blog Name: J|B: Notes from Spain
Bio: Lover of all things Glee and Supernatural, addict to the British culture, and someone who probably laughs too much. I wanna see the world and make friends everywhere.
Andrew Kosiarski
Program: Teach in Spain
Flickr Photo Stream: akosiarski
Last Seen in America: As a 2009/10 Teach in Spain participant (Scholarship Winner)
View Andrew's photos on Flickr.
Betsy Bostick
Blog Name: Slightly Nomadic
Program: Teach in Spain Two Week Immersion
Last Seen in America: Puttering around Block Island, RI on a moped.
Where in Spain?: Mairena del Aljarafe (Sevilla)
Bio: Living up to her blog's name, Betsy is slightly nomadic. An American who just completed her BA in Modern Languages in both the United Kingdom and France, she has finally decided to set up camp in southern Spain (for now).