Alexia Williams will travel to Spain this fall to teach English, thanks to a grant from the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program, which places recent college graduates in schools overseas to supplement local English language instruction and to provide a native speaker in the classrooms.

She enrolled in a three-week January term course in Madrid in 2016 and soon decided she wanted to return for an extended stay.  “Three weeks in Spain was just a tease,” she said. “That’s where my heart is, so I’m looking forward to going back and spending more time learning about the people and the culture.”

She will spend that time in La Rioja, a province in northern Spain known for its wineries and summer festival. Proficient in speaking and reading Spanish, Alexia will teach English to elementary grade students while living on her own in a private apartment.

“Fulbright winners also serve as cultural ambassadors, so that adds another perspective about what I’m about to do,” she said. “I’m looking forward to exchanging ideas about teaching practices with teachers in La Rioja, which has one of the top educational systems in Spain.”

At the end of the nine-month program, Alexia plans to pursue a graduate degree in special education and eventually work her way up to a job in education administration.