story by Claire Miller
Before arriving in Atlanta for Georgia State University’s Fulbright Teaching Excellence and Achievement (TEA) Program, high school teacher Katherine Gabriela Garzón Hernández asked her students at the Frau Klier High School in Quito, Ecuador, to write letters to American high school students.
She wanted to create a writing project connecting high schoolers in her home country and the U.S., and she was excited to see how students at North Atlanta High School would write back.
“They were eager to participate in the pen pal project I designed,” Garzón said. “The students, led by North Atlanta High School teacher Akisha Ray, showed great enthusiasm in reading the letters and responding to them, which made the activity a meaningful way to foster cultural exchange as well as reading and writing skills.”
This is one of several moments that stand out to Garzón when reflecting on the Fulbright TEA program – a U.S. Department of State-sponsored, highly selective initiative that brings teachers from other countries to a host university for professional development. Georgia State’s College of Education & Human Development, the Intensive English Program and the Office of International Initiatives coordinate the program on campus.
She was one of 22 teachers from 19 countries who participated in this semester’s Fulbright program, which included attending classes with university faculty, visiting local cultural sites and teaching in Atlanta-area classrooms.
Garzón quickly became close friends with her roommate and fellow Fulbright participant Maite Moena Vásquez, bonding over navigating the trip to a new country and their shared experiences in the program.
“In many ways, roommates become a second family, turning an unfamiliar place into a home filled with friendship, understanding and support,” she said. “We encouraged and supported each other, shared knowledge, laughed endlessly and became true friends.”
She also connected with other Fulbright participants and Georgia State faculty over their shared goal of improving education. For example, Sharon Santmyer and Margareta Larsson, lecturers in the Intensive English Program, introduced her to digital multimodal composing, thoughtful use of AI in teaching, and creative strategies to make learning engaging and meaningful.
Taking the time to discuss teaching techniques in other countries broadened Garzón’s perspectives on education.
“As teachers, we are naturally used to communicating, sharing ideas and connecting with others. However, what made this experience unique was that we all came from different cultural and educational backgrounds,” she explained. “We were eager to learn how education systems work in other countries, what teaching looks like in different contexts and how culture influences the way students learn.”
Garzón is excited to return to Ecuador with responses to her students’ letters and a renewed zeal for her profession.
“For me, participating in Fulbright has been a transformative experience that strengthened my passion for teaching and reaffirmed my belief that education has the power to connect people and create positive change in the world,” she said.