Working abroad develops cultural awareness, empathy, humility, and an expanded sense of possibility when working with students. Our teachers learn how to learn from their students and advocate for them all. — Doug Kaufman, Neag School's director of global education<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Castro\u2019s path to teaching went from Puerto Rico to Colombia, Costa Rica, and Taiwan, and he has embraced each opportunity with curiosity and openness. His teaching philosophy is rooted in adaptation and connection, ensuring meaningful relationships with students regardless of geography. As he prepares for fatherhood, he looks forward to the next chapter of his journey.<\/p>\n For Kew, London became home. A study abroad trip led to a life-changing move across the Atlantic, where she has spent over a decade teaching and raising a family. Balancing work and her personal life, she cherishes her role as an educator in a diverse, evolving community.<\/p>\n Emmenegger\u2019s love for language and culture brought her from Connecticut to France, Portugal, and Switzerland. Teaching French and German in international schools, she exemplifies resilience and adaptability, proving that a commitment to education can create opportunities in unexpected places.<\/p>\n Together, their stories illustrate the boundless impact of teaching, and the unique paths educators take to inspire students worldwide.<\/p>\n Education wasn\u2019t Castro\u2019s first choice \u2014 he entered UConn as a psychology major, uncertain of his career path. However, a mentorship role in a First-Year Experience course changed everything. Standing before a classroom, guiding new college students, he realized teaching was what he was meant to do.<\/p>\n After graduating from the Neag School, he took his first teaching position in Puerto Rico, reconnecting with his roots. His mother had spent much of her childhood moving between Puerto Rico and Connecticut, and teaching at a K-12 school immersed him in a close-knit community.<\/p>\n Three years in Puerto Rico deepened his love for international teaching and inspired him to explore the other half of his heritage. His father had emigrated from Colombia, and Castro wanted to experience the country firsthand. Moving to Colombia, he found a vibrant culture, rich with music festivals, soccer, and breathtaking landscapes. It was there he met his wife, Kismeth, a fellow international teacher from New York. He says their shared passion for education and adventure brought them together.<\/p>\n They had intended to take a sabbatical year traveling through South America, but the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped their plans. With borders closing, they found temporary teaching positions in Costa Rica. Castro stepped in as a last-minute math teacher, navigating virtual classes, hybrid schedules, and masked interactions. Despite the challenges, Costa Rica was a paradise.<\/p>\n My years of adapting to different educational environments had prepared me well. — Gabriel Castro \u201914 (ED), \u201915 MA<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cWith tourism at a standstill, nature thrived,\u201d he says. \u201cSloths and monkeys roamed undisturbed, and sunsets painted the sky in hues of gold and crimson.\u201d<\/p>\n As the world reopened, they faced their next big decision. Asia had always intrigued them, and Taiwan offered everything they wanted \u2014 an excellent school, a safe environment, and a strong culture of hiking, cycling, and running.<\/p>\n Moving to Taiwan was a leap of faith but quickly felt like home. While the language barrier existed outside the classroom, Castro found his ability to connect with students transcended words.<\/p>\n \u201cMy years of adapting to different educational environments had prepared me well,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n From Connecticut to Puerto Rico, Colombia, Costa Rica, and now Taiwan, every step of his journey has been driven by curiosity, a love for teaching, and an openness to change. His classroom now extends beyond four walls, spanning countries, cultures, and languages, and he is preparing for an exciting new personal chapter: fatherhood.<\/p>\n \u201cI have an 11-month-old puppy, so I feel like I\u2019ve been practicing in a way,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a steep learning curve! But I\u2019m excited to see how we can continue traveling with a baby and incorporating her into our adventures.\u201d<\/p>\n Fourteen years into her teaching career \u2014 first in Connecticut and then in London \u2014 Kew still finds joy in watching her students grow.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the children, really,\u201d she says. \u201cSeeing them progress, mature, but still retain that spark of who they are \u2014 it\u2019s special.\u201d<\/p>\n Having spent 10 years at the same London school, she has become deeply embedded in the community. She gets to know families, watches siblings pass through her classroom, and shares their triumphs and struggles.<\/p>\n \u201cTeaching wasn\u2019t just a job; it was a life woven into the fabric of so many others,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Her path to teaching began in high school when she worked at an after-school program at her former elementary school in Connecticut. Later, as a camp director at a nature center, she solidified her love for mentoring. Her mother had always dreamed of being a teacher but never pursued it.<\/p>\n Teaching wasn\u2019t just a job; it was a life woven into the fabric of so many others. — Nicole Holland Kew \u201909 (ED), \u201910 MA<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cMaybe in a way, I was fulfilling that dream for both of us,\u201d Kew says.<\/p>\n A single decision changed her trajectory. Studying abroad in London while at the Neag School was supposed to be an adventure \u2014 an opportunity to explore a city she had loved since a family trip at 13. She hadn\u2019t expected to meet her future husband just weeks into the program.<\/p>\n They met in a pub, a chance encounter that turned into a long-distance relationship. After navigating time zones and transatlantic flights, they decided to marry. With her husband\u2019s career established in London and the UK actively recruiting teachers, it made sense for Kew to move.<\/p>\n Adjusting to teaching in England came with challenges. In Connecticut, Kew had more autonomy in her teaching, while curriculum and behavior management were standardized in London. Leadership opportunities came more readily, and she briefly considered administration but loved being in the classroom too much.<\/p>\n Balancing work and family was another challenge. With four children \u2014 two daughters, 6 and 4, and toddler twins \u2014 her hands are full.<\/p>\n \u201cHonestly,\u201d she says, \u201cgoing to work feels like a break compared to being home!\u201d<\/p>\n London has become home in ways she never expected. During the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her husband considered moving to the U.S. to be closer to her family, but something always held them back. London has given her a life she cherishes, a career she loves, a community she belongs to, and \u2014 most importantly \u2014 a family she has built from the ground up.<\/p>\n Emmenegger,<\/strong> who taught for three years in Connecticut and now teaches in Switzerland, first became interested in education while teaching piano and tutoring in high school. With a mother who was also a teacher, it felt natural.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just made sense that I would become a teacher,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Growing up in Bristol and Plainville, Emmenegger developed a love for French through her mother, who had lived in Switzerland and Portugal.<\/p>\n \u201cShe sang to us in French as kids,\u201d Emmenegger says. \u201cIn high school, I jumped at the chance to study it.\u201d<\/p>\n A summer program in France in 2007 and the Neag School\u2019s study abroad program in London during her master\u2019s year of the Integrated Bachelor\u2019s\/Master\u2019s teacher education program deepened her passion for language and curriculum planning.<\/p>\n My marriage, career, and worldview have all been shaped by this journey. While I still hope for a French teaching position, I know I am exactly where I am meant to be. — Yurah Robidas Emmenegger \u201909 (ED), \u201909 (CLAS), \u201910 MA<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n After graduating, she taught French in Ellington, for three years but longed to live in France. She joined the French government\u2019s teaching assistant program and was placed in Mont\u00e9, where she lived with international assistants and did a weekly language exchange with another teacher. She spoke in English for half an hour for the language exchange to help the other teacher improve his English communication skills. Then, the other half specifically worked on improving her grammar.<\/p>\n Since she couldn\u2019t teach French in France, Emmenegger explored other opportunities. Her mother\u2019s past in Portugal led her there for Christmas, where she fell in love with the country and found a teaching job. But her journey took an unexpected turn \u2014 she met her future husband in Switzerland. When the world shut down in 2020, they spent months apart. Determined to be together, they married in May 2021, and, by July, she had moved to Switzerland.<\/p>\n Finding a teaching job there was challenging. She took a role at a private school, but it wasn\u2019t the right fit.<\/p>\n She joined the International School of Basel (ISB), but no French positions were available. Expanding her search, she took a six-month role at a Swiss public school, but left after half a year.<\/p>\n ISB welcomed her back with an unexpected offer: teaching beginner German. Having learned German just two years earlier through Duolingo and night classes, she thought the interview offer was a joke. But ISB encouraged her. She took the leap and found herself in a supportive, engaging environment. ISB promised her priority for the next French opening, but no one wanted to leave \u2014 a testament to the school\u2019s quality.<\/p>\n Despite career uncertainties, Emmenegger and her husband were building a life together. He was teaching while finishing his studies, and they navigated the challenges of being an international couple.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to be open to moving,\u201d she says. \u201cEach time I relocated, I rebuilt my support system, making me appreciate my deep connections back home even more.\u201d<\/p>\n She says her Neag School education instilled adaptability, an open-minded approach to curricula, and a hands-on teaching philosophy. These lessons helped her navigate unfamiliar school systems and cultural differences with confidence.<\/p>\n For those who love studying abroad, Emmenegger encourages taking the next step and teaching internationally, as she has no regrets.<\/p>\n \u201cMy marriage, career, and worldview have all been shaped by this journey,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd while I still hope for a French teaching position, I know I am exactly where I am meant to be.\u201d<\/p>\n Stargardter\u2019s journey as an educator has been extraordinary, spanning continents and shaping her perspective on the transformative power of teaching. After graduating from the Neag School, she began her career in Connecticut, teaching in Greenwich Public Schools before moving to Norwalk. There, she discovered her passion for gifted and talented education, an interest sparked during her time at UConn, where she worked at the Renzulli Center for Creativity, Gifted Education, and Talent Development.<\/p>\n \u201cI started filing papers at first, but then I received a grant to conduct research,\u201d she says, which ignited a lifelong commitment to student potential.<\/p>\n Stargardter\u2019s dedication led her to teach abroad at the International School of Panama.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was my first experience in a traditional classroom after working across grade levels,\u201d she says. \u201cI felt like a first-year teacher again, but it taught me so much about myself and the world.\u201d<\/p>\n She later moved to Singapore, where she found a more manageable cultural transition.<\/p>\n \u201cI was in a classroom with students from all over the world, each bringing something unique,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was challenging but incredibly rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n Teaching is more than just a profession. It\u2019s a way to change lives, one student at a time, no matter where I teach. — Jessica Stargardter \u201916 (ED), \u201917 MA<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Teaching abroad reinforced her belief in education\u2019s universal impact, transcending borders and backgrounds. Reflecting on what initially drew her to teaching, Stargardter credits her third-grade teacher, Mr. Simeone.<\/p>\n \u201cHe gamified everything,\u201d she says. \u201cLearning was fun and engaging. I remember thinking I wanted to do the same for my students.\u201d<\/p>\n Her teaching journey also included a year in Finland as a Fulbright Scholar, during which time she researched teacher evaluations in the country\u2019s globally recognized education system. Initially considering a career in academia, she realized how much she missed teaching, leading her back to the classroom and eventually to her move to Panama.<\/p>\n Stargardter\u2019s foundation for success was built at the Neag School, where extensive classroom experiences prepared her for any teaching environment.<\/p>\n \u201cNeag gave me the tools to step into my first classroom ready to succeed,\u201d she says, crediting the program\u2019s diverse placements for shaping her adaptable teaching philosophy.<\/p>\n During her master\u2019s year, Stargardter interned in London through one of the Neag School\u2019s study abroad programs, working at a school for adolescents with mental health challenges. She says this experience reshaped her understanding of education, teaching her that learning extends beyond traditional classrooms.<\/p>\n Her journey abroad has reinforced her belief in cross-cultural education\u2019s power to broaden perspectives.<\/p>\n \u201cTeaching is more than just a profession,\u201d she says. \u201cIt\u2019s a way to change lives, one student at a time, no matter where I teach.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\nReconnecting with Family Roots<\/h2>\n
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Finding Love While Abroad<\/h2>\n
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Focused on All Things French<\/h2>\n
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From UConn to Global Classrooms<\/h2>\n
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