Nazareth Graduate nd Spanish Teacher Heading to Spain as Fulbright Scholar

Rochester, NY (04/10/2019) — She spends her days in the classroom at Midlakes High School, teaching Spanish to ninth and eleventh grade students, but as one of Nazareth's new Fulbright Scholars, Katie Box will head to Spain in the fall and will instead be teaching English in the classroom. She earned an English teaching assistantship (ETA) to the rural region of La Rioja, Spain. Box is the twelfth Fulbright scholar at Nazareth in the past 5 years.

"I always had a strong desire and curiosity to travel," said Box who graduated in December 2018, earning a bachelor's degree with honors in Spanish and inclusive adolescence education. "I believe this longing is a consequence of my small town upbringing. As a family, we seldom traveled away from home. The Fulbright allows me to be an ambassador of American culture, and to learn more about Spain and Spanish culture."

Box was able to travel to big cities like Boston and Washington, D.C. on school trips, but she found her true passion when her Spanish teacher showed her class photos from when she studied abroad in Madrid. "I fell in love with Spain, said Box. "My teacher's enthusiasm for Spanish language and culture was contagious. I have wanted to be a teacher since the third grade. During my junior year in high school I decided that I wanted to be a Spanish teacher, which would enable my passion for working with children and keep me connected to Spanish language and culture."

She's already had her own experience living in Spain while studying at Nazareth, when she studied in Valencia for eight months, and interned in an elementary school teaching English. "I had never flown by myself before, let alone flown across the Atlantic or traveled to another country. I improved my Spanish, became independent, flexible,and confident, and made lifelong friendships and relationships with teachers and my host family."

As a lifelong singer, music is also a universal language for Box. In Spain, she would like to work with students who have an interest in music and start a choral group. "I think singing a variety of songs, could enhance the students' English language learning."

Box also knows her Fulbright ETA in Spain will help her with her future and her plans to pursue a master's degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

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