- January 31, 2022
“Without GTL, I don’t think I would ever get the opportunity to spend a month in a new country while teaching classes about subjects I feel passionate about. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity.”
The combination of teaching and immersing himself in a different culture proved to be an extraordinary experience for Ricardo.
Fast learning
Ricky's teaching experience was wonderful. The students, teachers, and other faculty members at Institut Enric Borràs were very invested in the GTL program, which made Ricky’s job enjoyable. He taught math, physics, and chemistry to students aged 15-17. For each of the classes, Ricky was able to help the students master the topics they were discussing even though he wasn’t teaching them in their first language. Ricky felt like the students made great progress in their English understanding abilities. When he first arrived and introduced himself, he could tell that the students were having a bit of trouble following along because they weren’t used to someone speaking English so quickly. Within a week, however, they were all understanding and comprehending what he was saying even if he was discussing complicated topics.
During this experience, Ricky fell in love with the city of Barcelona and its surrounding areas. Life outside of work was always a pleasurable experience. Whether he was visiting a museum, experiencing an FC Barca game, or simply walking around the city, he was constantly amazed by what Barcelona had to offer. The food, while different, was usually delicious and kept bringing him back for more. Ricky has an affinity for sweets, so having multiple bakeries on every block was very tempting and had him constantly stopping to grab a croissant or donut.
Overall, the GTL-Spain program was an amazing experience. It allowed him to live in a foreign country and accustom himself to the culture. It showed Ricky that while life after college might have difficulties, he believes he’s fairly ready - whatever and wherever that might be. If he had the opportunity to relive this program, Ricky would definitely go out and experience as many things as possible while in Barcelona. Ricky values teaching very highly because his mom has spent her entire career in education and she made sure he understood the importance that education has in people’s lives. Participating in a program like GTL where he could combine the opportunity to teach students while immersing himself in a different culture is an incredible experience that he will highly recommend to everyone and will try to participate in again himself.