Why I Chose to Teach in Madrid

Hi there! My name is Skyler Perry, and I am from Columbus, Ohio. 

I just graduated from Miami University of Ohio in May after getting my degree in Journalism, Professional Writing, and Digital Marketing.  

When I was envisioning my life after graduation, I didn’t know where I wanted to live or what I wanted to do for work. However, I knew that I wanted to go somewhere new and exciting where I could make plenty of friends while also doing something fulfilling. As a freshly graduated college student, finding a way to meet both desires felt like a tall order.  

In the past I had jokingly dreamt of moving abroad and learning a new language and writing about my travels but before I discovered CIEE, my dream didn’t feel possible. When I found out I was accepted into CIEE's Teach in Madrid program, it was truly a dream come true.

While I have yet to truly embark on my Teach in Spain experience, I can barely put into words how excited I am. In college, I worked as a teacher’s assistant several times and knew that I enjoyed helping others and watching them succeed in the classroom, so I felt that becoming an auxiliary would be a great way to continue fostering that passion. I’m also looking forward to exploring a new city, fully immersing myself in the local community and hopefully putting my handful of high school Spanish classes to good use.  

My goal for myself during this program is to develop my teaching skills, gain valuable international experience, and further expand my horizons both personally and professionally. I want to connect with people from across the world and travel to places I’ve only seen through a screen and eat good food and learn how to take on life and newness as bravely as I can. This is the same philosophy I adopted when I studied abroad for a few weeks in Florence, Italy. 

I know there will be challenges along the way. Right now, I find myself going about mundane tasks in my Columbus suburb and thinking about how when I get to Spain, I won't automatically know how to do "the easy things." Something as seemingly simple as buying a stamp at the post office will be a whole new adventure. I won’t naturally know where I am going like it my hometown. I will be starting a brand new job and having to find somewhere to live. It's going to be a lot of change.

This reality is so scary, so crazy, and yet, simultaneously so exciting.  

For now, my orientation arrival date is set for September 4, 2023, and I’m counting the days until Spain while also trying to soak in as much love from my family and hometown friends as I can before I leave.  

Thank you for reading my blog…more to come soon.!