Fulbright Reality Czech

Spending ten months in a foreign country is always a transformative experience. Spending ten months in a small Czech town, far away from the capital, Prague, in a place where you may be the only American (or even the only foreigner or English-speaking person) is a unique cultural experience that one never forgets. Every year, Fulbright Czech Republic welcomes 30 English Teaching Assistants and places them at regional high schools of various types all over the country. Most of the Assistants are recent graduates of different U.S. universities. They want to teach English in the Czech Republic to gain international work experience, to get to know the Czech culture, and to have a year that will be unlike anything that they have ever experienced before. Seven of this year’s ETAs have decided to chronicle their Fulbright adventure by getting a tattoo with a special significance to their host town, region, or their stay in the Czech Republic. Below, you can read stories of seven of our as...

James Walters is a professor at  the University of Kansas. He teaches genetics, genomics, and introductory programming for biologists in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. This year, however, James is on sabbatical from KU, and for nine months he serves as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. At the university, James conducts research on sex chromosome evolution in monarch butterflies and other related species with his Czech colleague Petr Nguyen . In his free time, he explores South Bohemia by bicycle, on foot, and occasionally in a kayak, together with his wife Meg and their daughter Ayelle. James says that: "As an avid cyclist and whitewater kayaker, there is really a lot to like here!" One of the really awesome aspects of living in České Budějovice is the extensive set of hiker/biker trails that flank the river(s) that run through town. The main river is, of course, the Vltava . But actually, right in the center of t...

Shailee Modi is one of 33 English Teaching Assistants who help with English language education at various Czech high schools all over the country. With a Bachelor of Science in Biology, passion for STEM and writing, experience mentoring middle schoolers and, mainly, a life-long love of soccer, Shailee was placed at Gymnázium Soběslav. Her exploration of South Bohemia began in August 2021, when she arrived in the Czech Republic to start her 10-month grant. Thanks to a warm and well-planned introduction by her mentor Romana, who is an English teacher at the Gymnázium, Shailee quickly became a popular celebrity at her host school and in her host town of 7000 inhabitants. It must be her natural positive attitude, "Just Say Yes" mantra, and the ever-present smile on her face that make Shailee a sought-after companion for community events, family activities, trips of all kinds and, most importantly, athletic adventures. During her seven months in the Czech Republic, Shailee has man...