Monica Kim

What Monica will be doing:

"I am currently in Taiwan on the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) grant as well as the Critical Language Enhancement Award (CLEA). I teach English to Grades 1 - 6 at a local Taiwanese elementary school with a Taiwanese co-teacher for the school year in Yilan County, Taiwan. I studied Chinese under the CLEA grant for four months both in Taipei and in Yilan."

Why Monica chose Indonesia:

"I wanted to apply for the Fulbright ETA program in Taiwan because I wanted to continue with my Chinese language study which I started at SMCM and to learn more about the country of Taiwan. I had previously studied Chinese with the SMCM-Fudan program in Shanghai and wanted a new experience to my Chinese learning process. I studied Chinese language as well as History at SMCM and wanted to continue pursing these interests firsthand through experience abroad after my graduation. I really wanted to explore Taiwan, a Chinese speaking country with its own vibrant and unique culture, which is sometimes, unfortunately, overlooked in the front page news. I wanted to learn more about Taiwan and its unique position in world politics as well as explore Chinese culture outside of mainland China. I hoped that my time in Taiwan would give a new perspective in learning Chinese while also giving me an opportunity to immerse myself in the culture. "

"My study abroad stints at SMCM cultivated my interest in travel and in other cultures. The Fulbright ETA program gives its participants the opportunity to engage in cultural exchange with the local community through teaching English and sharing American culture at a local elementary school. I thought the program fit my interests perfectly and would be a great way to spend my first year out of SMCM. After spending some months here in Taiwan I can truly say that being in the country is amazing. The physical beauty of the country itself coupled with the warm hospitality of the people make being in Taiwan a pleasure and everyday a great adventure."

Special Thanks:

"This opportunity would not have been possible without the support and the assistance of the SMCM community. I would like to thank William Howard in the Office of Academic Affairs who was supportive throughout the application process. I am also grateful for my professors who were always encouraging and a great source of inspiration and were especially kind in assisting with the recommendation process. I'd like to thank Professor Hall, Professor Fu for her patience and support, and Professor Musgrove for his enthusiasm, encouragement, and advice during the application process and also throughout my four years at SMCM. I'd also like to thank the SMCM Writing Center for their assistance regarding the personal statement and SMCM '08 Alumni Esther Adetunji (Fulbright Grant recipient) for her general advice and kind words during the application process."