How can you tell if a teacher cares about his or her students?
One way is to see if he or she was a “Fulbrighter.”
Two years ago, math teacher Jessica Yen had an opportunity to travel to Taiwan to do the thing she loved most- teaching.
The Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship Program gave Yen an opportunity to experience teaching to fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in Taiwan for one year.
“I think one of the great benefits of the program is the cultural and language exchange with the people you work with and meet by living in the host country,” said Yen. “You get a totally new experience outside of your life in the United States, and there are always Fulbright people around to support you.”
Yen is now ready to begin the next phase of her life, teaching at South Lakes.
“I’m excited”, said Yen. “I think the students here are really positive and diverse, and I really enjoy the excitement they bring to the classroom. I think the teachers here really care about the students.”
Even though she studied biology at Vanderbilt University, Yen eventually developed a thirst for teaching math.
“I think research is interesting, but I would rather teach to inspire,” said Yen.
Yen likes to connect and apply math to everyday life, including solving puzzles and understanding how they work.