Bridging Worlds Through Language: A Fulbright Teaching Assistant Shares Her Journey

Welcome to Mariana Ribeiro Rodrigues! This is her first semester teaching Portuguese to UGA students as a Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FTLA) in the Department of Romance Languages. She shares her reflections on being a cultural ambassador:

Coming from small town, I, like many of my friends, am a first-generation college student. For us, going to university represented a chance of studying the subjects we most enjoyed on a deeper level and for me, it granted me the chance to gain a newfound appreciation for literature and culture, especially that of my home country, Portugal, as well as English language literature. 
After finishing my bachelor's degree, I knew I wanted to share that passion for language learning and all that it entails with young learners, so I decided to pursue a master’s in education of Portuguese and English. The classroom is where I found a second home and where I have been able to establish connections with young students and share with them the love for languages and how they can open many doors. 
Now, being here at UGA, I hope I can continue that same work, and share the love I have for Portuguese culture with those curious to learn more. Through this experience, I know I will also learn new things, about the culture I’m immersed in, the people I engage with, and also myself.