From 2018 to 2019, Sofia Squatriti Muno lived in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. While there, Sofia taught English at a language center that is part of the Autonomous University of Yucatán.
During her time in Mérida, Sofia held many roles. Every day, she visited different classrooms and spent about an hour teaching about American culture or English grammar. She also hosted a few informal conversation clubs. In addition to her teaching job, she volunteered at an immigration lawyer’s office every week, helping with translations, meeting with clients, and filling out forms. Finally, she spent time traveling, participating in cultural events like Hanal Pixan (the Mayan celebration for Day of the Dead), and trying new foods such as panuchos and cochinita pibil.
“This experience shaped me in lots of ways,” Sofia said. “I became much more comfortable communicating in Spanish, and, as a lawyer, I've relied heavily on my language skills when interacting with clients through my pro bono work. Also, precisely because living in an unfamiliar place and learning to navigate a new cultural context could sometimes be challenging, my time in Mexico gave me new perspectives that have stuck with me and lifelong friends.”
When asked what she found special about her time in Mexico, Sofia answered: “it gave me the chance to contribute to the same academic process--foreign language learning--that opened so many doors for me.” As Sofia sees it, the people she has met because of the languages she knows have taught her all kinds of things she wouldn't have otherwise encountered. For that reason, she'd encourage anyone in college to study a language if they can.
From 2018 to 2019, Sofia Squatriti Muno lived in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. While there, Sofia taught English at a language center that is part of the Autonomous University of Yucatán.
During her time in Mérida, Sofia held many roles. Every day, she visited different classrooms and spent about an hour teaching about American culture or English grammar. She also hosted a few informal conversation clubs. In addition to her teaching job, she volunteered at an immigration lawyer’s office every week, helping with translations, meeting with clients, and filling out forms. Finally, she spent time traveling, participating in cultural events like Hanal Pixan (the Mayan celebration for Day of the Dead), and trying new foods such as panuchos and cochinita pibil.
“This experience shaped me in lots of ways,” Sofia said. “I became much more comfortable communicating in Spanish, and, as a lawyer, I've relied heavily on my language skills when interacting with clients through my pro bono work. Also, precisely because living in an unfamiliar place and learning to navigate a new cultural context could sometimes be challenging, my time in Mexico gave me new perspectives that have stuck with me and lifelong friends.”
When asked what she found special about her time in Mexico, Sofia answered: “it gave me the chance to contribute to the same academic process--foreign language learning--that opened so many doors for me.” As Sofia sees it, the people she has met because of the languages she knows have taught her all kinds of things she wouldn't have otherwise encountered. For that reason, she'd encourage anyone in college to study a language if they can.
