About Me: Creativity, Teaching, and a New Life in Madrid

Hi! I’m Emily, and I just moved to Madrid last week to teach English as an auxiliar de conversación for the year. I joined CIEE to do the Teach In Spain Program + 4 Weeks of Spanish Immersion. I’ll be using this space to share some of my experiences, both inside and outside the classroom, as I adjust to life in Spain. 

A little about me: I’m 26 years old and from NYC! I graduated from Philadelphia University in 2020 with a degree in Fashion Merchandising. After college, I worked in the fashion industry for a while but eventually realized that the work wasn’t as fulfilling as I had hoped. I’ve always been drawn to creativity. That’s what initially attracted me to fashion, but over time, I discovered I wanted to channel that creativity in a more meaningful way, especially by working with kids.

I joined Teach For America and taught 3rd grade in the Bronx for three years while earning my Master’s in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education, which I completed in 2024. During that time, I developed a strong interest in working with English language learners and recently earned my TEFL certification to further explore that path.

Now that I’m in Madrid, one of my biggest goals is to improve my Spanish and learn more about teaching in multilingual environments. I’m eager to pick up new teaching strategies and connect with students from diverse backgrounds. I’m also excited to explore the city, embrace the culture, and travel to other parts of Europe along the way. First on my list is visiting a beach!!!

Outside of teaching, I spend a lot of time making music. It’s one of the ways I stay creative and grounded. I’m looking forward to seeing how that part of my life evolves here and how my music is influenced by the local culture.

So far, Madrid has felt incredibly welcoming and full of energy. Of course, I miss NYC and my family and friends, but texts and video calls help me feel close. I can’t wait to secure an apartment and have them visit me! (More information about apartment searching coming soon.)

Overall, I’m really excited about what the future holds and curious to see where this experience will take me.

More soon! Ciao.