Photo by Nancy Stephan

Teaching Assistant - Gabriela Atán received the Fulbright Scholarship, which encourages the foreign exchange program for teachers.

   Gabriela Atán, a teaching assistant at the University of Arkansas at Monticello, left her homeland of Argentina to embrace the educational opportunities offered to her through the Fulbright Scholarship. 

   Atán graduated from the Lenguas Vivas Teacher Training College, Buenos Aires, in 2003 and completed a six-month internship, which is equivalent to the student teaching requirements in the United States. She continued to teach for the next 11 years while studying various courses and attending seminars. Atán taught English in both primary and secondary schools and also offered her expertise to various businesses. 

   “I like teaching and sharing my knowledge with students,” she said. “I act as a facilitator and help the students to learn.” 

   Atán applied for the Fulbright Scholarship, which serves as a foreign exchange program. The program places American teachers in Argentina to learn their customs and traditions through teaching in their schools, while Spanish teachers work in U.S. schools, learning the customs and traditions of this country. 

   The program’s goal remains to provide students with a broader understanding of the people and culture of a country while they learn from people of the native language. The program lasts for one academic year.  

   “I am very grateful for the opportunity to improve my English and at the same time let others know about my culture and traditions,” Atán said. 

   Upon her return to Argentina, Atán plans to continue teaching English at the Instituto Argentino – Gallego “Santiago Apostol,” and at various businesses, while offering tutoring to students in her spare time.  

   Atán attended a Fulbright Workshop in New York City this past August and most recently in San Diego. Both workshops focused on teaching techniques and how to understand U.S. society. The workshops offer teaching assistants from all over the world, whether teaching English, French, Arabic or German, the opportunity to share teaching experiences with each other. 

   Atán particularly enjoyed the chance to do some sightseeing in the bigger cities and experience some of the delicious meals in the larger restaurants. 

   “The main dishes in my country include beef, usually grilled or barbecued, lots of salads and fruits. We eat very healthy. My favorite foods here are turkey, brownies and any kind of dessert. America has delicious desserts,” Atán said. 

   She treasures her experiences and the friendly people she has encountered during her stay at UAM. Atán will return to her country of Argentina and rejoin her parents and two sisters sometime in mid-May after the spring semester.