From engineering to language teaching, Fulbright Teaching Assistant shares her journey

Welcome to Késsia Shingu! 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:
 

As a child and teenager, my interests varied a lot. I enjoyed all subjects, sports, music, and movies. However, I would say reading and studying the English language were big hobbies of mine.
Despite my love for reading and languages, I did not consider pursuing a career in this field. I have also always had an affinity for mathematics, and at 17, under the pressure to choose a college major, I ended up following a very different path from where I am now.
I started two different degrees: Civil Engineering and Chemical Engineering. The second time, I had only one year left until graduation when I withdrew. My experiences with engineering didn't work out. It was a turbulent period of doubts and questioning, but now I see it as crucial for my maturity.
Then, fate decided to intervene, and I found myself in a classroom. I now needed to work, and fortunately, my interest in languages led me to my first job. Teaching English for the first time was a fun challenge. I felt at home in the classroom. Teaching allowed me to share my passion for languages and helped me reconnect with my community and myself.
As of 2023, I hold a degree in Portuguese and English, Language and Literature from the Federal University of Grande Dourados. I have been teaching English for seven years now and it has been the biggest part of my professional career.
In the past two years, I have also been exploring a new interest in teaching Portuguese to international migrants. It has been fascinating to teach my native language from this perspective. I have developed a new view of the Portuguese language and have loved the cultural exchange I have with my Haitian, Venezuelan, and Paraguayan students.
As a Fulbright Teaching Assistant, I hope to share the Portuguese language and Brazilian culture with the UGA community while also learning from theirs. I want this to be an experience where we learn from each other, and I can also reconnect with and grow my own identity.