Dobrý den! Jsem Jelani

Hello! My name is Jelani. This is my first blog post for CIEE's Teach Abroad in Prague program and I'm excited to share my journey with you for the next 10 months. I'll be co-teaching 6th-9th-grade students in a small town called ZŠ. The town is about 35 minutes away from Prague and I'll commute there from the city by train. I have the privilege of being the first native English teacher and I'm super excited! I've never interacted with kids that age on a daily basis and I may be the first African-American many of them have encountered, so this is going to be a completely new experience for me. 

Who am I? I'm a 23-year-old, native New Yorker, born and raised in The Bronx. I love reading, watching movies, eating new food, going to church, and playing with my black cat named Penny. In May 2016, I graduated from Susquehanna University with a Bachelor's degree in Public Relations. Before I graduated, I made an Excel spreadsheet that would determine the next steps of my life. It included everything you could think of- volunteer opportunities, part-time jobs, internships, and grad schools. After graduation, I barely looked at the spreadsheet I'd prepared for over a year. Yes, I was anxious about what the future would hold, but I needed time to focus on myself and adjust to my new, post-grad life.

Ultimately, I decided to teach abroad. I always knew I wanted to do something like this, but I wasn't sure about the details. This program is less than 5 years old, but I felt like it was the perfect opportunity for me. I had a feeling that I wanted to be a teacher and I was given a chance to experience teaching on a part-time basis and see if this is something I really want to pursue for the rest of my life. I'm a city girl who loves Prague. It's a big city with a small town feel and it's extremely easy to get around. Plus, I studied abroad here with CIEE in 2014 and I trust them- I knew they would have my best interest at heart and going back to Prague through them felt like coming home.

When I'm done teaching, my plans are to go back to New York City and figure it out from there. I'm not making an Excel spreadsheet with all of my options (yet) and that's okay. I'm content with life and the unknown for the next year because I know the possibilities are endless. I'm ready to see where life takes me and I hope you'll follow along on my journey- it's gonna be a wild ride!