Fulbright Reality Czech

Janessa Garcia is an English Teaching Assistant at the Catholic Gymnázium in Kutná Hora. With a degree in Political Science, a passion for history, and dreams of shaping education policy, her 10-month journey has blossomed into a dynamic mix of teaching, mentoring, cultural exchange—and unexpected personal transformation. Whether she's leading spirited debate and reading clubs, offering English conversation classes to fellow teachers (including the school’s director!), or even learning piano from her colleague and students, Janessa has made the most of every moment. But perhaps her most surprising and rewarding endeavor? Lacing up her running shoes. What began as a reluctant experiment has grown into a full-blown marathon goal—and along the way, Janessa has discovered that long-distance running has more in common with teaching and personal growth than she ever imagined. Maybe, the most pitiful thing you can do in life is not challenge yourself and soar past the limits you have crea...

Muriel Unseth is an English Teaching Assistant, a literature and poetry enthusiast and a marathon runner. Since September 2021, she has been teaching English at Gymnázium Rožnov pod Radhoštěm, in a town of 16 000, located in the Beskydy Mountains. From the main square in Rožnov, one can take a well-marked 6-mile trail or run to the top of the mountain Radhošť, 1129 meters or 3704 feet above sea level. Even though Muriel was attracted to the Czech Republic mostly because of the country’s excellence in literature and poetry, throughout her grant period, she has discovered another less-known passion shared by many members of her community and that is running, especially trail-running in the countryside. Muriel did not have to wait for this revelation too long, as her mentor Kateřina invited her to see the movie “Zátopek” during Muriel’s first week in the Czech Republic. The story sparked an interest in discovering more about the life and heritage of this exceptional Czechoslovak athlete w...

by Alanna Powers (current English teaching Assistant) Standing over a bowl  in my school’s small kitchen, I ask one of my students to hand me the butter. He picks up the block of butter on the counter and reads it out loud, “maslo s rostlinn ým tukem.”  He shoots me a confused look. “Well, this isn’t going to make our Thanksgiving mashed potatoes taste very good.” “What?” I reply. “Why not?”  “Because it’s not butter. It’s butter mixed with vegetable fat.”  As a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in the Czech Republic, mix ups like this happen at least once a week. However, it’s these messy and sometimes embarrassing moments that make the Fulbright experience so special.  I live in Dv ůr Králové nad Labem, a small town in the North-Central part of the country. For context, the town is about a 40 minute’s drive to Poland, and it takes about an hour and a half to get to Prague. About 16,000 people call Dvůr home, making it a tight-knit and friendl...