Two College of Education alumni are several months into their experiences in Taiwan and Spain through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.
Taj Mack-Pete M ’25, ’24, an elementary education and Call Me MiSTER® alumnus who earned a master’s degree through teacher residency, is now in Taipei, Taiwan, while Chloe Milkowski ’25, another elementary education major, is in Galicia, Spain. Both are serving as Fulbright teaching assistants.
Mack-Pete sought to improve his teaching skills through the experience and felt it would be ideal preparation for English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) certification. He also wanted a challenge; if he could teach English while working to incorporate the Taiwanese students’ own culture successfully, he could apply those skills stateside – or wherever his career took him.
“With Taiwan being connected to many nations by trade or geographical location, there is a big focus on cultural awareness,” Mack-Pete said. “Many schools encourage language learning, but more importantly, the learning of different cultures. In my time in teacher residency, we worked hard to expose students to the different things going on in the world and in their own communities. In Taipei, I do the same thing by teaching the students English, U.S. culture, slang and the history of things they enjoy, like where K-pop got its inspiration from, which was American hip-hop and rap.”
Mack-Pete had to adjust to a different teaching style that relies heavily on lectures and on trusting students to take charge of their own learning. Group work is less encouraged than it is in the U.S. However, he has found ways to incorporate U.S. culture, from factoring in English lessons during sparring sessions with a boxing team to playing American music during daily school cleaning time with students. The students’ favorite song is Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
Mack-Pete said he is confident that he has helped students grow in confidence as English speakers. At first, students would score well on English tests, but then they would be nervous about speaking English to native speakers. However, in only a few months, Mack-Pete has noticed them becoming more open to trying English with him.
“Overall, I am learning patience and initiative, even though these two things seem contradictory,” Mack-Pete said. “I had to learn when to take charge and be intentional with the small things in life, like calling friends and family or sharing ideas in the classroom, but I also had to learn to be patient and take things slow. It’s easy to get caught in wanting to do everything that Taipei has to offer. As a result, I’ve picked up journaling and writing a newsletter.”
Like Mack-Pete, Milkowski also draws on the overlap between U.S. and Spanish cultures to teach English, for example, by using holidays and traditions. She incorporates games and activities, such as gallery walks, charades and Kahoot! to make language learning fun for students.
She has enjoyed collaborating with her co-teachers and has been pleased that the technology available is similar across the school systems in which she has worked. Technology in Spain is seen as a positive classroom tool, and students work well with it, although personal laptops are typically for older students in the fifth or sixth grade.
“I’ve learned that – at least in my experience – that school systems are more alike than different,” Milkowski said. “I am very grateful that I have been paired with amazing teachers, and I have learned so much from them. I’ve learned that communication is so important among educators; collaboration with other teachers is what brings success to students and allows them to reach their goals.”
Milkowski is staying in touch with friends and family back home, of course, but she’s also collaborating with a fellow College of Education alumnus who is just getting started in her own classroom. Milkowski and Sydnee Jackson ’25, a teacher at Bethel Elementary School in Simpsonville, are engaged in a program called “Reach Around the World,” which is a blog site that allows students to interact internationally. Milkowski has exposed the American students to different locations in Spain and vice versa.
“It has been great to share my experiences, my students’ experiences and Spanish culture with students in Sydnee’s class,” Milkowski said. “We are planning to do a pen pal exchange as well between our students.”
Both Fulbright scholars are making the most of their time outside of the classroom. Mack-Pete has attended any cultural event he can find in Nantou, New Taipei and Yilan in Taiwan, and he goes on various hikes with friends. Mack-Pete said he understands why “Formosa” was the historical European name for Taiwan, given to it by a Portuguese sailor in 1544. “Formosa” means “beautiful,” and he said he has seen that beauty everywhere on the island.
Milkowski has also traveled throughout Galicia to absorb its culture and history. She said a highlight was Vigo, a city in Galicia known for its Christmas lights and markets, so she visited the markets just before leaving to go home for Christmas. Meanwhile, Mack-Pete opted to stay in Taipei, where he and some friends got together to cook and exchange gifts.
“We made salmon soup and watched ‘The Grinch,’” Mack-Pete said. “For the new year, we all watched the fireworks at Taipei 101/World Trade Center to celebrate.”
