Fulbright TEA program 2024 Cohort

Md. Rafiul Islam is a senior English teacher of Nilphamari Govt. High School. He is an honest, energetic, and dutiful teacher who engages himself to spend his life teaching the kids of a remote district in Bangladesh. Besides teaching, he does a lot of extra duties which are related to students and social service for the benefit of his students, community and country. He was born into a renowned aristocratic and middle class Muslim family in 1982. He has an M.A in English  and B.Ed in education. He has been teaching for 18 years. His objective for participating in Fulbright TEA is to meet people from different cultures, improve his English communication skills, and learn new teaching methods.

Herman VALIA is a secondary school teacher from Burkina Faso, born on January 26th 1986 in Italy. He is the youngest of a family of three children. He is married and the father of a beautiful daughter. He is currently teaching English in Professional Secondary School Moussa Kargougou of Kaya, a school located 100 km from the capital city, Ouagadougou. Herman VALIA received his bachelor’s degree in American Civilization in 2010 at University Thomas Sankara of Ouagadougou.

With this degree, he was recruited as a part-time teacher in English in many schools of the capital city Ouagadougou. Working with some professionals in these schools, he realized that, in terms of pedagogy, he needed training to improve his teaching skills for the wellbeing of learners. That is why he applied to a teaching program in 2014 and was received. After two years of training at the Senior Normal School of the University of Koudougou, he got his advanced certificate of teaching the English language. His objective for participating in the program is to improve his use of instructional technology.

Milena has been teaching English at private and public schools in Colombia, for the past 10 years. She has been in charge of students ranging in age from 6 to 16 years old from primary to high school. In addition, she has been teaching English to university students in La Guajira. Milena is an active member of her school's academic-teacher committee to foster students' knowledge and to promote the best way to use the curriculum and pedagogical methods for thelearning processes. She received a bachelor's degree in English education from the University of Cordoba in Colombia.

She also has a master’s in Technology Information and Communication for education. Milena loves adventurous activities such as canoeing, camping and kayaking. She has a special purpose to participate in Fulbright TEA, which is to explore new techniques from teachers from around the world to promote English language and expand students' opportunities of life in their rural context. She also hopes to gain new tools to teach English for specific purposes such as tourism.

Luis Alonso Chaves is a young teacher with a hunger to learn. He has been teaching English as a Second Language in Costa Rica for almost 10 years. His experience has been working with teenagers who are about 15-17 years old, but now he is challenging himself with something new: working with adults. Luis is an active teacher who loves to work with his students and teach them new things. He has had experience working with parents and developing extracurricular activities.

Alonso got his bachelor´s degree in English from Latina University in Costa Rica in 2014 and he has been participating in trainings and conventions like TESOL to enhance his teaching methods. He loves doing sports and going to the movies. His objective for participating in Fullbright TEA is to improve his teaching methods and learn from people from around the globe, have an intercultural exchange, and take everything in to help his students in the classroom.

Korotoumou is a teacher of English at Lycée Moderne Cocody (LMC). She is in charge of students from grade 7 to grade 13, basically they are real beginners at first, then by the end most students are at an intermediate level in the English language. Furthermore, Korotoumou is also a teacher counselor for some of the trainees sent to that school.

Koro has got two master’s degrees, one in Educational Sciences and the other one in Didatics of Languages. She is very social and likes all group activities where people can have fun together. She also likes trying new things for fun. She is married with three kids and her objective for participating in the FTEA, is to learn, have fun and share her experience with her community.

Milton Perez has been working as an English teacher at a private school for nearly 9 years. He has students from ages 13 to 17 years old. He has students who are indigenous and non-indigenous. He studies in order to become a better teacher. He has an equivalent of a Bachelor's degree and he also has a Master's degree. He graduated in the University of San Carlos of Guatemala.

Milton has a great motivation to learn more about Pedagogy because his parents did not have the opportunity to go to school in Guatemala. He became an English teacher because his parents inspired him to speak English. Milton's parents speak K'iche' which is a Mayan language of Guatemala. His primary objective for participating in Fulbright TEA is to learn from other teachers, from the system of education of the United States and to explore new methodologies to have a more participatory and active classroom setting. 

 

Tchenna Michel has been a French teacher at a private secondary school for seven years, with students aged 11 to 14. On average, there are 35 students in her class. Tchenna is a member of the Legion of Mary, a Catholic organization. She holds a diploma in primary school teaching and has completed several training courses in teaching French as a foreign and second language, both online and at the French Institute of Haiti. Her participation in the TEA program is driven by her desire to learn and improve her teaching methods, making her more effective and efficient in her work.

Thaseen Khalid has been an English teacher for more than 6 years. Khalid teaches English in Abu-Wany secondary school for boys. Khalid has a bachelor's degree in English Translation from the University of Mosul in 2014-15. Khalid's hobbies are soccer, drawing and cinema.

Khalid is one of the most active members in the shcool, and one of the founders who helped this school to rised and shine again after 2014 when events hit the area that affected most of the school's facilities.

Khalid care a lot about the future of the students in his area and always seeks the best for them. Because of this, Khalid considers the lack of English language skill to be on of the critical issues that the students, schools, and teachers are suffering from.For this reason, Khalid, with his limited resources, has managed to build a small center for English Learning in the village. His hope is to mitigate the lack of knowledge and give the students and teachers a chance to learn and be familiar with the language as much as possible.

In addition to his commitment and hardworking attitude towards his students in school. Khalid considers the Fulbright TEA program to be a wonderful opportunity to share all the new experiences and new methods of teaching that will be gained in the USA with his students and his school. He looks forward to using this opportunity as a means of establishing communication for the future to exchange knowledge and experience on the level of teaching.

Hersh Khaleel Zrari has been teaching English at a public secondary school for girls aged 13 to 18 since 2011. In addition to his teaching role, he has also dedicated time to working with NGOs to provide language instruction to displaced individuals from diverse backgrounds. Through this work, he has helped students develop language skills and confidence to express their thoughts and engage in conversation.

He earned his Bachelor's degree in English in 2010 and began studying TESOL/Applied Linguistics at the University of Kurdistan - Hewler (UKH) in 2020, all while continuing to teach at the secondary school.

Hersh enjoys riding horses, driving, and piloting. He strives to be a positive role model in his community by helping to eliminate educational barriers for both teachers and learners. The TEA program represents an excellent opportunity for Hersh to learn improved teaching methods and to incorporate technological solutions into his academic practices, ultimately enhancing student performance and fostering effective teaching.

Gulzat Turdukulova has been teaching English at a secondary school for the past 20 years. Her students range in age from 9 to 16, and her school is located in a remote village in one of the least developed regions of her country. During her early years of teaching, she experimented with various teaching techniques and has since participated in numerous training sessions and conferences.

From 2009 to 2014, she served as the leader of a girls’ association at her school, organizing competitions, training sessions, and debates for girls both at her school and within her community. Currently, she is the president of the school’s Language Teacher Association, where she organizes open lessons and professional development training for teachers. During the pandemic, she participated in various online training programs, including TESOL training. In 2023, she successfully completed a course titled "Digital Teacher" and subsequently organized training for her colleagues.

Gulzat enjoys working with computers and cooking in her free time. Her interest in participating in the program stems from her passion for helping fellow teachers. From the beginning of her career as an English teacher, sharing her teaching methods has always been important to her. She is also a dedicated family member, with two sons and a lovely daughter.

Elvira Nazarmambetova has been teaching English at a public secondary school for 17 years, with students aged 8 to 16 and an average class size of about 25. Elvira is an active and dedicated teacher who earned her master's degree in English from Talas State University in 2006.

Her hobbies include reading and sewing. She is married and has five children. Her objective in participating in the Fulbright TEA program is to explore new teaching methodologies, engage her students, and create an active classroom environment.

Siti Noorhafidza graduated in 2012 from the International Islamic University Malaysia, majoring in English Linguistics. She has been teaching English at a secondary school since 2013, with her students ranging in age from 14 to 17 and an average class size of 25. During her university years, she served as a college representative and was active in basketball and swimming.

As a teacher, Hafidza is the Head of an English Panel consisting of seven English teachers. She is also an experienced public speaking coach, having served as a national public speaking coach for three consecutive years. Additionally, she is a member of the school’s digital team, where she actively develops various digital projects for school improvement.

Hafidza has a strong interest in both teaching and photography. Her main objective in joining the Fulbright TEA program is to enhance her teaching skills to better serve her students. She is eager to learn effective pedagogical methods and classroom management techniques from teachers in different countries.

Zito is an English teacher trained specifically for primary schools. He later pursued further studies at the Universidade Pedagógica de Moçambique, where he earned a degree in English Language Teaching. His goal in participating in the program is to enhance his teaching techniques and methodologies.

Hima Devi Neupane has been teaching English at a government school named Mahakavi Devkota Model Secondary School as a permanent teacher for students grade 9 to grade 12. Her students range in age from 13 to 17. On average there are 35 to 40 students in her class. Hima is the head of the English department at her school where she assists her students to create an English friendly environment. She was also appointed as the head of Extra Curricular Activities.

Additionally, she is a motivational speaker and trainer of public speaking. She promotes her students learning with fun. Hima received a Master's Degree from Tribhuwan University, Nepal in English literature and also completed an M.Ed. in English in Education. She is fond of travelling, and teaching is her passionate hobby. Her main objective of participating in Fulbright TEA is to expand the horizon of knowledge, to explore new methodologies and educational systems in the USA and implement that learning in her own working place back in Nepal.

Karol has been working as an English teacher at Calasanz private school for the past 14 years, and she also has one year of teaching experience working with university students. Her students range in age from 14 to 20 years old. On average, there are 35 students in her class. In 2023, she began teaching a class called Rights and Dignity of women.

Karol received a bachelor's degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from UCA University in 2010 and a certificate in Educational Skills from Cristobal Colon University and a SIT TESOL certificate from Centro Espiral Mana, Costa Rica in 2017. Karol's hobbies include listening to music and hiking. Her primary objective for participating in Fullbright TEA is to explore new methodologies for engaging students in a more participatory and active classroom environment.

Dahirou Hassane Nari has been teaching English as a foreign language at a technical public middle school in Aguie for 8 years now. His students range in age from 13 to 17 years old. He is the only English language teacher in his school; that is why he is teaching in overcrowded classes. Dahirou is both the treasurer of his school managing committee and vice secretary of the Union of professional and technical schools teachers, Aguie department chapter.

He is also holding a part time English language teaching position in CSP Houre and CSP Samou (two private secondary schools in Aguie). He has played an important role in getting and enhancing the students’ English level by being the students' volunteer English language tutor in summers for many years. He holds a bachelor's degree of Arts in English language, literature and civilization from Andre Salifou University of Zinder in 2017. Dahirou's hobbies include walking, running and reading.

His primary objective for participating in the Fulbright TEA program is to explore new teaching methodologies, techniques for getting his students to engage in the best possible way to learn English and sustaining students' motivation to learn the English language effectively.

Hamadou is English teacher, a member of association plural hands or mains plurielles in french where he participates in community activities such as health, education, and environment. He is married and a father of three children. His interests are reading and football. His main goal for participating in the program is to further his teaching skills and classroom management.

Jannet Oyola has been teaching English as a foreign language at private and public secondary schools for the past 18 years. Her students range in age from 11 to 17 years old. On average, there are 34 students in her class. Jannet is an active member of her school’s community of practice where she has played a role of facilitator.

Jannet received a bachelor’s degree in English from Universidad Federico Villarreal in 2011 and a master’s degree from César Vallejo University. Jannet’s hobbies include reading and dancing. Her primary objective for participating in Fulbright TEA is to explore new methodologies for teaching students in a more motivational, functional and engaging classroom setting.

Anne is an English Language teacher at Mamakari Secondary School in Haydom, Manyara and chapter leader of Tanzania English Language Teachers Association (TELTA). She has a Bachelor's Degree (B.A. Education). She is interested in swimming, travelling, listening to music and reading novels. Anne is married with three daughters. She plans to use her experience in the program to learn various teaching methodologies used by various teachers in the world and proactively use that knowledge in Tanzania.

Candida Belo de Jesus Ximenes has been a teacher at Public Secondary School in Venilale, Baucau, Timor Leste for almost 13 years. The students’ ages are between 15 - 18 years old. The average number of students is between 40 and 62 in a class. Candida Belo also has a position as curriculum manager, which means arranging teaching schedules and handling other duties if the principal goes out for another meeting. She also helps direct school meetings with parents.

She finished her university degree at the National University of Timor Leste. Her hobby is playing basketball. Her primary objective for participating in Fulbright Tea is to explore new methods for engaging students to be more active and participatory in class.

Mehdi Hizi is currently a teacher of English at Feriana Secondary School. He graduated from the faculty of Arts and Humanities of Kairouan in1998. In 1997 He went to Britain to attend a four-week training course about English language, literature and computing. He has been teaching English as a foreign language for about 24 years, two of them in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He likes reading and practicing sports. His primary objective for participating in Fulbright TEA is to discover new methods and techniques of teaching English, to share experiences, interact with people from different parts of the world, and to discover the American way of life.

Dung Phuong Le has been working as a teacher of English at a public secondary school for 20 years. Her students range age from 12 to 16 years old. On average, there are 35 students in her class. Dung is a creative member of her English teacher team at her school.

She graduated from University of Languages and International Studies, VNU in Hanoi in 2002. She was nominated as a First- class teacher by MOET in 2018. She got scholarships provided by the US Government for the AE E-Teacher program in 2019, Adelaide University in 2021 and the SEAMEO QUITEP program in 2022. She enjoys participating in conferences. Her primary objective for taking part in Fulbright TEA is to broaden her horizons in teaching English, improve her research skills and expand her views by meeting with teachers from different countries.

Safa Abuaita has been teaching English as a second language at Frere Bethlehem School for the past 18 years. Her students range in age from 16-18 years old. On average, there are 30 students in her class. Abuaita has been the English coordinator in her school for the past 5 years and has played a big role in improving the way her school teaches English.

Safa received a bachelor's degree in English from Bethlehem University in 2005. Her primary objective in Fullbright TEA is to attend schools and universities to learn more about the American educational system and how they teach English as a second language through more modern ways. Moreover, she wants to improve her skills as a teacher and acquire practical resources which can be helpful and practical when applied in her school.