Alexia Thorpe '19

ONIF Alumni Spotlight

April 12, 2024

Alexia Thorpe '19, School of Education

Name: Alexia Thorpe

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Majors: MA Urban Education

Graduation Date: May 2019

Fellowship Award: The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program gave me the opportunity to work at a university in Colombia to work with English teachers. Aside from co-planning and leading lessons in the classroom, I hold conversation clubs and cultural presentations for the opportunity of cultural exchange.

What are your current or future career plans? Working at a university was an incredible experience, but I am currently looking to transition back into a K-12 school here in Colombia. I have really fallen in love with Barranquilla!

What was the most challenging aspect of the program? Coming into this program after 6 years in the classroom was a bit of a challenge, as I was transitioning into the role of an assistant. Although I have teaching experience, I have never taught English grammar, so relearning grammar rules as a native speaker who rarely thinks about sentence structure and verb tenses when I speak, was definitely a challenge!

What advice do you have for future applicants? Push through the long application process! It can be intimidating, but as long as you believe in yourself and take advantage of the resources ONIF provides, the hard work will pay off in the end, regardless of if you are accepted or not. I was accepted on my third time applying, and despite the disappointment of the first two rejection letters, the application process taught me a lot about myself, in both professional and personal ways.

What have you enjoyed most about the program? The program has allowed me to collaborate with a range of teachers who all teach very different classes at various levels. Because of this, I have been able to grow and reflect on my own practice as an educator.