Beyond TEFL: Where Our ITA Grads Are Now

As part of our milestone celebration—reaching 50,000 ITA graduates and marking our 15th anniversary —we wanted to catch up with the community that made it all happen: our incredible alumni! Discover how their teaching abroad experiences were a tool for self-discovery and how the skills they gained overseas helped them transition into exciting new careers.

Read more: From Students to Staff: Alumni that Joined the ITA Team

1. Meet Leslie Mendez

📍 Current Location: Orange County, California

🎓 Year of TEFL certification: 2019

🏢 Current Role: Digital Marketing Coordinator, Centerstone

Tell us about your teaching experience abroad.
I taught abroad in Pisco Elqui, Chile, a remote village in the Andes Mountains through Beyond English Chile (now BeClassmates)! I worked primarily in microcentros, which are multi-level classrooms, where students from 1st to 6th grade are sometimes in the same classroom. I taught pre-k through high school. I’d go to multiple schools a day to make it happen.

What motivated you to get TEFL certified and to teach abroad?
During college, I had the opportunity to travel with my godparents to several countries in Europe & Latin America, and I completely fell in love with traveling. For the first time, I truly understood how different the world is and how important it is to immerse ourselves in different cultures. After finishing my BA in Communications, I worked for a bilingual digital marketing agency that laid me off within a few months. I then decided to fully switch gears and do something that I had always dreamed of — teaching abroad! I knew I wanted to be in a Spanish-speaking country, and when I started googling it, ITA was top-rated, making it an easy decision. I was able to keep it working full-time while getting certified!

What are you up to now?
I taught for several years, but in 2022, I returned to California and am working full-time in marketing for Centerstone, an incredible nonprofit in the behavioral health and substance use disorder space. I am also back at Cal State Fullerton to get my master's degree in Communications! Last year, I served as the Conference Coordinator for PRSSA’s International Conference, where I led a team of students and hosted over 500 attendees, including more than 60 faculty members and 30 speakers. I am also an Accounts Supervisor for Practical Advantage, a student-run public relations and advertising firm where I assist our faculty with mentoring students and guiding their strategic communications campaigns from planning to execution. Finally, I recently got engaged to the love of my life, whom I met just a few months after moving back home! So much has happened, and it’s crazy how it wouldn’t have if I wasn’t living my best life abroad for so long!

How did teaching abroad help you transition into what you currently do?
Living and teaching abroad has SHAPED who I am today! Although I no longer teach, I have learned many interpersonal and soft skills that are essential for working bilingually and biculturally. These experiences taught me how to adapt, communicate effectively across cultures, and stay flexible in new environments. People are often very curious about my time abroad, and it becomes a great conversation starter and professional talking point. Having worked internationally has definitely opened doors for me—especially in a field where cross-cultural understanding, empathy, and global awareness are highly valued. In my current role, being able to bring a global lens to my work is not just helpful, it’s essential.

How has the transition back home been?
It was definitely difficult (everything is so expensive in the US!) and I miss Chile literally every single day of my life, but it’s so good to be home. I really missed my family, and I just got engaged, so overall, I’m really grateful for all the experiences I’ve had that have led me to where I am now. I often reflect on what a privilege it is to be so nostalgic and homesick for multiple places. I was recently in Chile for one of my closest friends’ wedding, and it was wonderful to be back as a tourist and also feel back at home while there.

What did you learn about yourself through your experience(s) abroad? Did it shape career choices or other parts of your life?
Living and teaching abroad taught me more about myself than any job or class ever could. It was HARD but it was the best years of my life. I learned that I’m more adaptable, resourceful, and resilient than I thought. From figuring out the currency, the metro, the slang, and the customs to learning how to be fully on my own, feeling homesick, feeling lonely, feeling scared and imposter syndrome, I really navigated it ALL. I developed confidence in unfamiliar settings, learned to trust my instincts, and gained a deep appreciation for cultures outside my own. My experience abroad also shaped the kind of professional I’ve become—I now lead with empathy, value cross-cultural communication, and bring a global perspective to every project I work on. Furthermore, it gave me a second home, lifelong friendships, and a sense of belonging in more than one place. It truly changed the trajectory of my life and career! During my masters program I’ve also had the opportunity to go abroad once more, this time to Italy, and it was SO EASY for me! I learned the basics of the language and figured it all out so much easier than I would have if i didn’t already have that international experience. Additionally, I keep looking for ways to work in bilingual and bicultural settings, it’s ingrained into who I am now!

Throwback: Watch Leslie's Takeover

2. Meet Donna Shields

📍 Current Location: Oaxaca, Mexico

🎓 Year of TEFL certification: 2021

🏢 Current Role: Event Director, Oaxaca Food & Wine Festival

Tell us about your teaching experience abroad.
Most of my teaching time was volunteer-based in Oaxaca, where I worked with an organization that prepared young students for higher education.

What motivated you to get TEFL certified and to teach abroad/online?
I knew I wanted to live abroad, at least part-time, and teaching English felt like it would be not only personally rewarding, but a great way to meet local families, get better integrated into the community, and build my social network.

What are you up to now? 
As a result of teaching and making lots of local friends, I quickly realized how magical the food culture is in Oaxaca, and I wanted to share it with others. This led to the creation of the Oaxaca Food & Wine Festival. I also work with Expatsi, an organization that assists Americans in relocating abroad. I'm their boots on the ground Oaxaca expert, and I conduct scouting trips when people come to Oaxaca wanting to get the lay of the land. We show them real estate and different neighborhoods to give folks an idea of what it's really like to live, not vacation, in Oaxaca.

How did teaching abroad help you transition into what you currently do?
Since my former career was in the culinary and food industry, I saw an opportunity to create an event that showcased not only Oaxacan cuisine but also the emerging great wines produced in Mexico. People think of mezcal when you say Oaxaca, and though wine is produced in other regions of Mexico (not Oaxaca), it seemed like a logical fit. I've been working on producing the Key West Food & Wine Festival for 17 years, so I already have experience in this type of event planning. We launched our first festival in 2025 and geared up for the February 2026 event.

What did you learn about yourself through your experience(s) abroad? Did it shape career choices or other parts of your life?
The moral of the story is: leverage what you know how to do well and apply it in new situations and places. I'm not fluent in Spanish, but I felt confident that I could utilize my skills to create a new project that would bring me enjoyment and provide work for the locals. I am adamant about using locally owned businesses, translators, and other service providers for the festival.

3. Meet Eric Schenck

📍 Current Location: Puerto Escondido, Mexico

🎓 Year of TEFL certification: 2015

🏢 Current Role: Marketing Manager / Founder

Tell us about your teaching experience abroad. 
I lived in Cairo, Egypt, for three years (2015-2018). During my first two years, I taught English at a school called IH Cairo. I also tutored privately, both on and off, throughout my time in Cairo. Both were great experiences. I moved to Germany after living in Egypt and stayed there from 2018 until the end of 2023. During my first two years, I worked as an English teacher for Berlitz in Düsseldorf.

What motivated you to get TEFL certified and to teach abroad?
I had very vague plans to become a diplomat in the Middle East. I studied Standard Arabic in college for three years and also wanted to learn an Arabic dialect. Egypt seemed like the perfect place to pursue both goals. I ended up ditching the plan to become a diplomat and now work in marketing. I was much more successful with Egyptian Arabic. I now speak the dialect fluently and even started a website teaching foreigners how to do the same.

What are you up to now? 
I own two businesses. One helps education businesses increase revenue through their email marketing. The other (my little online baby Cleo Lingo) helps people learn Egyptian Arabic. I currently live in Mexico and am able to visit the U.S. more often than I did during my 8+ years in Egypt and Germany.

How did teaching abroad help you transition into what you currently do?
Too many ways to count. Working as a language teacher has developed a wide range of skills that I still utilize today: public speaking, time management, a curiosity about the world, and the ability to bond with people I don’t know. I also think living abroad for so long has allowed me not to take myself so seriously. This is a hugely underrated skill we can all benefit from. All this has helped me immensely over the last five years of my marketing career. In addition to skills, I also have some interests that I might not have developed if I had never gone abroad. The major areas of interest here are foreign languages, travel, and cultures from around the world.

How has the transition back home been?
I haven't yet moved back to the United States (I’m currently in Mexico, but plan to return in the next 1-2 years). Even so, I have already learned that reverse culture shock is a very real thing. Let’s be honest: it’s hard talking to your average American about life-changing experiences in other countries. Their eyes glaze over. They (usually) don’t show a whole lot of interest. They think you hate the U.S. if you (god forbid) notice certain things you like more about other countries. I’ve experienced all of this with both friends and family over the last ten years of living abroad. It’s not easy. Still, I’m looking forward to moving back to the U.S. at some point. Living abroad is great, and it forces you to grow as a person, but constant discomfort can be draining. I’m sure the transition back to the U.S. will be difficult. But being surrounded by my own culture and seeing my family more often? Definitely worth it.

What did you learn about yourself through your experience living and teaching abroad? Did it shape career choices or other parts of your life?
Without a doubt, moving to Egypt to teach English has been one of the most consequential decisions of my life. And it's not even close. Here is what my life has looked like the last decade: Move to Egypt > learn Egyptian Arabic > start a profitable side business teaching people how to learn Egyptian Arabic > meet my German (ex) girlfriend > move to Germany > stay there five years > learn to surf in Portugal > move to Mexico to be closer to my family (and waves). None of this would have happened if I hadn’t moved to Egypt. And that was only possible because of my TEFL certification. I have no idea what my life would be like if I hadn't taken the leap in 2015. And at this point, it feels so long ago (ten years as of August of 2015) that it doesn't really feel like the same lifetime. But I think that’s a good thing. It means I did something big and bold. Ten years later, that decision to move to Egypt is the thing I’m most proud of. I even wrote a book about it in 2023, The Land Of Nothing You’ve Ever Seen: 10 Stories From My Time In Cairo. As for what I’ve learned about myself? That I’m more resilient than I ever would have thought as a 22-year-old (living in a different place can be really hard). I also learned that I’m quite a curious person. Being surrounded by “different” 24/7 kind of forces you to be!

4. Meet Janessa Ventura-Alvarenga

📍 Current Location: London, Ontario (CA)

🎓 Year of TEFL certification: 2023

🏢 Current Role: Communications Coordinator

Where did you teach abroad?
I taught abroad in South Korea (2023-2024). 

What motivated you to get TEFL certified and to teach abroad/online?
I'd worked as a language assistant in Spain for a year (NALCAP); I worked with adults and enjoyed the experience. As I wanted to feel more confident in my overall teaching skills, I decided to pursue an actual TEFL certification.

What are you up to now? 
As my year abroad in Korea was quite challenging, I decided to put my career on pause and return to school to complete a Master's degree. I'm in the final months and will be starting a new position soon as a Communications Coordinator.

How did teaching abroad help you transition into what you currently do?
Having the experience of working abroad helped me in job interviews; I was able to provide examples of how I'm competent in different work sectors, possess various transferable skills, and am adept at adapting to new environments, among other benefits.

What did you learn about yourself through your experience abroad? 
I learned how important it is to have a work/life balance. I enjoy living abroad, learning about new cultures, and meeting new people. But I also need the ability to rest in between working and traveling. I don't perform well under heavy work schedules with no breaks. Now that I'm starting over in a new career, I'm really prioritizing taking care of myself more.

5. Meet Jordan Wolff

📍 Current Location: Chicago, USA

🎓 Year of TEFL certification: 2014

🏢 Job Title: Senior Account Executive (Ed Tech)

Tell us about your experience teaching abroad. 
I earned my TEFL certificate in 2014 and used the program’s job resources to secure a teaching position in Gongju, South Korea. I spent a year and a half there, where I met my now wife. Afterward, I followed her to China, where I taught in Beijing, started my own education consulting company, and became a high school principal at an international school in Chengdu. During my five years living in Asia, I had the opportunity to travel extensively and deeply enjoyed experiencing different cultures across the region. International TEFL Academy launched my career, led me to meet my wife, and set me on the path to the adventure of a lifetime. We eventually moved back to the United States so I could pursue my master’s degree at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.

What motivated you to get TEFL certified and to teach abroad/online?
I was working a college job in California at UC Santa Barbara, and my manager had just returned from teaching for 20 years in Japan. I thought that was the coolest thing. As an aspiring young teacher, I fell in love with the idea of teaching abroad first before becoming a teacher in the USA. At that point, I spent a lot of time researching and found the ITA.

What are you up to now? 
After returning to get my masters and having my son in Boston in 2020, I took a job as the head of the ELA department at a high school on the west side of Chicago, I then transitioned into Ed tech and working for HMH, then Lexia Learning, and now one of the largest Ed tech companies in the world, Instructure.

How has the transition back home been?
It took about two years to adapt to the reverse culture shock, but eventually my family and I settled into our new life in Chicago well. We still try to visit China every other year to see friends and family.

What did you learn about yourself through your experience abroad? Did it shape career choices or other parts of your life?
Living and working abroad taught me the value of adaptability and the importance of becoming comfortable with the unfamiliar. I came to appreciate just how vast and diverse the world is, and yet how much we all share in common. Immersing myself in new cultures and perspectives not only shaped the way I see the world but also helped me grow both personally and professionally. These experiences gave me the confidence to start two companies, lead schools, and ultimately opened incredible doors for me at Harvard and throughout my career.

6. Meet Shelby Cunningham

📍 Current Location: South Korea

🎓 Year of TEFL certification: 2018

🏢 Current Role: Head of R&D and Curriculum Coordinator at J Lee Preparatory

Tell us about your teaching abroad experience.  
I taught in Gangnam-hi, Daechi-dong for 3 years at Lex Kim English. 1.5 years at J Lee Preparatory Bundang Campus, 1 year at JLP Dongtan Campus as Vice Principal, and 1 year as head of R&D and curriculum for all three branches (now based at Suji campus).

What motivated you to get TEFL certified and to teach abroad/online?
I believed it would provide me with an advantage in job hunting, as my teaching license was going to expire in the state of Louisiana. It has been helpful for the curriculum development I’ve done for the preschool and kindergarten programs at JLP, especially since my license and experience were previously limited to US high schools.

What are you up to now? 
I’m still teaching abroad! I run a few classes at JLP, hold an F2 visa in SK, and also work as a private tutor on the side. Hopefully, next year I’ll be able to get hired at an international school to resume teaching high school students.

What did you learn about yourself through your experience(s) abroad? Did it shape career choices or other parts of your life?
It helped me meet the love of my life, get married, and start a family! Additionally, my work here has helped me fall in love with research and curriculum development.

7. Meet Zipporah Gaines

📍 Current Location: Vancouver, WA, USA

🎓 Year of TEFL certification: 2016

🏢 Current Role: University Relations Assistant Manager

Where did you teach abroad?  
I taught in South Korea for two years!

What motivated you to get TEFL certified and to teach abroad/online?
I wanted a way to make money and travel more at the same time!

What are you up to now? 
I currently work in international higher education, specifically in the study abroad field.

How did teaching abroad help you transition into what you currently do?
My time spent studying and working abroad was a requirement for this company, and they loved the diverse places I had been to, as well as the fact that I had teaching experience.

What did you learn about yourself through your experience abroad? 
Hmmm, I would say that teaching abroad gave me the space and time to learn more about myself without outside pressure or voices. I could exist without expectations, and that was a freedom that I needed to grow into myself.

8. Meet Kim Hanson

📍 Current Location: Durham, NC

🎓 Year of TEFL certification: 2012

🏢 Current Role: Senior Product Manager

Where did you teach abroad? 
I taught in Morocco from June 2014 to July 2021.

What motivated you to get TEFL certified and to teach abroad or online?
I was mid-career, but I had always been passionate about helping people and had a lifelong dream of living overseas for an extended period. Teaching abroad blended those two things. Little did I ever imagine it would be in Morocco!

What are you up to now? 
I moved back to the US in late August 2021 without a job! I knew it was time to go, and I knew I would eventually land on my feet. I found a job very quickly, thanks to the great connections I had maintained while abroad, which allowed me to do something similar to what I had been doing before I left.

How did teaching abroad help you transition into what you currently do?
I work on the operations side of a global digital learning program in a specialized industry for a professional membership organization. Although I was never part of that industry, my teaching experience and living in North Africa have given me a unique perspective on the behind-the-scenes operational management of the program. My team is also global, which is great. If you're a good classroom manager, those management skills carry over into any career path you choose, as well as the ability to deal with all kinds of people.

How has the transition back home been?
Not going to lie, it was rough! I was abroad for 7+ years, and I made my home, friends, and life in Morocco. Yet here I was back in the US. I had lost track of movies, TV shows, music, culture, technology, and other things you never even think about. I remember trying to sample a piece of cake at a shop and having to take a toothpick out of a dispenser, but I didn't know how to work the dispenser. It was the little things that stumped me at times. I had evolved, my friends had evolved, and my city had also evolved, but not together. In hindsight, I realized I had an unconscious expectation that things and people would be the same as when I had left. It was a real adjustment being back in America, especially after COVID, and navigating a different life here, much like I did when I arrived in Morocco. No one talks about the reverse culture shock when returning, but it can be very difficult to manage, especially because most people cannot relate to what you've experienced, especially in a place like Morocco. It took about 1.5 years to fully get through it, and I'm going on 4 years being back. Although I was ready to return, I still miss Morocco and my friends there.

What did you learn about yourself through your experience(s) abroad? Did it shape career choices or other parts of your life?
As a Western woman who moved to a country of a different religion and culture than my own to do a job I hadn't ever formally done, I learned how resilient I was. It was truly a sink-or-swim experience--both the job and living there. I also learned a lot about life through teaching, much of it relating to boundaries, both in and out of the classroom. I never could have learned these things if I hadn't taken the leap to do this. However, you must also be open to the growth that will occur when you undertake something like this, especially when moving to a place so different from what you knew up to that point. I saw some people who were not open to growth, and they suffered for it.

9. Meet Beverly Piontek

📍 Current Location: Oaxaca, Mexico

🎓 Year of TEFL certification: 2019

🏢 Current Role: English Teacher

Tell us about your teaching abroad experience.  
I started teaching face-to-face classes in Chiapas, Mexico, upon receiving my TEFL certification. The experience truly changed my life.

What motivated you to get TEFL certified and to teach abroad/online?
I am a veteran teacher with a teaching degree and a teaching certificate in the US. Teaching and living abroad was my dream, so I jumped at the chance to get TEFL certified while visiting Mexico during summer break in 2019, and I haven't looked back!

What are you up to now? 
I'm still teaching English online while living in the beautiful state of Oaxaca. Currently, I teach English to professionals in Chile, Eastern Europe, Venezuela, and Mexico. This is my dream job.

What did you learn about yourself through your experience(s) abroad? Did it shape career choices or other parts of your life?
I've learned the value of 'do it now!' I'm glad I didn't wait until retirement to move abroad. It's important to embrace your dreams, learn something new, and keep growing. I also learn a lot from my students. It has become a true cultural exchange as we compare cultures. I have also learned so much about the traditions and customs of the local people in my neighborhood. They have embraced me and encouraged my curiosity. I enjoy spending time at local museums, parks, cafes, and cultural venues. There's always something to do, see, and learn in Oaxaca. People love to talk and ask about where I'm from. This gives me ample opportunities to practice my Spanish. The culture is as vibrant as the city is beautiful!

Throwback: Watch Beverly's Takeover