Fulbright Reality Czech

Kimberly Stuart is an artistic and adventurous soul. In the past school year, she taught English language at Vocational School of Crafts in Šumperk, a town of 26,000, poetically called the “living gate into Jeseníky Mountains.” With Masters in poetry, a passion for bookbinding, and a love of hiking and outdoor exploration, her placement at a school for future woodworkers, mechanics, engineers, entrepreneurs, carpenters, electricians, and hair dressers was an exciting fit. Embracing her seven years of previous teaching experience, Kimberly had quickly adapted to a new role, and her talented students inspired her to leave a physical and long-lasting mark in Šumperk: “So the idea to build and erect two officially chartered Little Free Libraries in the town square began as a two-fold concept: to showcase the skill of my students and to hopefully make a joyful addition to the city that I’d grown to love.” In her free time, Kimberly and her husband Marley explored Czech culture, traditions,

Teresa Contino is a creative writer,  a mindful observer, and a fresh Fulbright ETA alumna. In May 2023, she graduated with a B.A. in English and Psychology from Santa Clara University in California. Teresa plans to use concepts of cognitive psychology to design visitors’ experiences in museums and art galleries. To prepare herself for these future plans, Teresa wanted to sharpen her pedagogical skills and broaden her culture perspective by spending a year in an environment significantly different from her own. Given her liberal arts background and passion for literature, mindfulness, crafts, and creative writing, Teresa was placed at Jiráskovo gymnázium Náchod, a college-preparatory high school, located in a town of 20,000 in northeast Bohemia. Before embarking on her trans-Atlantic journey, Teresa did her research on how to have a successful Fulbright experience. Finding the advice from the program alumni to be somewhat daunting and intangible, she began to contemplate how one encour