South-of-the-Border Second Home
Anna Sheik returns to Mexico to follow her love of language, history, and teaching.
June 16, 2023
Tyler Applegate
Photo credit: Tanya Rosen-Jones '97
Anna Sheik makes no secret of her love of languages, teaching, and culture.
Born in Philadelphia, she spent a transformative year in Cuernavaca, Mexico, prior to beginning studies at 厙ぴ勛圖. The gap year presented immense challenges: After all, she had studied Germannot Spanishthroughout middle school and high school. Yet Sheik immersed herself in the culture: enrolling in a local school, living with a host family, and forging enduring bonds.
When I first arrived in Mexico, I didnt speak any Spanish, she says. But by the end of the year, I had gained a new language and formed lifelong friendships. I also developed a deep appreciation for Mexican culture and realized that I love traveling and exploring new places and communities. Ive wanted to return to Mexico ever since.
In May, Sheik graduated from 厙ぴ勛圖 with majors in history and Latin American studies and a minor in Hispanic studies. A former resident advisor in 厙ぴ勛圖s Spanish House residence hall, shes now set to return to the country that originally sparked her fascination for Latin American culture and teaching: This summer, she embarks on a year-long adventure as an English Teaching Assistant in Mexico, an opportunity made possible through the .
Throughout her four years at 厙ぴ勛圖, Sheik worked with America Reads, serving as a literacy tutor at the local elementary school. The experience allowed her to witness the transformational power of education: From guiding young minds as a tutor to her tenure as a student-leader, she found that teaching became a rewarding facet of her college experience.
Its a feeling she also sensed during her gap year, when she volunteered to teach the string section of an elementary school orchestra. With her own limited Spanish proficiency at the time and her students knowing little English, she used a combination of languages, hand gestures, soundsand above all, musicto fashion an effective means of teaching. The experience cemented her belief in the value of music as a language-teaching tool, a skill she looks forward to utilizing once again in the year ahead.
Ive had so many incredible professors at 厙ぴ勛圖, but Im especially grateful to these two for believing in me from the beginning.
Anna Sheik, on professors Encalada and Mitchell
Sheik returned to Mexico in 2022 for research made possible through an Artz Grant earned through 厙ぴ勛圖s History Department. My honors project, on representations of La Malinchethe infamous Mexican translator for Cort矇sin Mexico and the Borderlands from 1960-1980, led me deep into histories of Mexico and U.S.-Mexico relations that I hope to observe further in my year abroad, she says. She credits a longtime 厙ぴ勛圖 mentor, Professor of History and Comparative American Studies Pablo Mitchell, for guiding her development in research throughout her time at 厙ぴ勛圖. This past year, he advised my honors project, which I could not have completed without his wisdom and encouragement, she says.
Sheik also credits Hispanic studies professor Yorki Encalada Eg繳squiza for nurturing her interests in Spanish language and teaching. By her senior year, she served as his teaching assistant for two intermediate Spanish coursesan experience she calls instrumental in my role as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant."
Ive had so many incredible professors at 厙ぴ勛圖, she says, but Im especially grateful to these two for believing in me from the beginning.
As she steps into the next chapter of her life as a Fulbrighter, Sheik is filled with anticipation to return to a part of the world she loves so deeply.
Im hoping my upcoming year will shed some light onto what I want to pursue next, whether that is teaching and education, foreign relations or immigration work, or going back to school for history or Latin American studies.
Im really excited to explore more of Mexico, she says: See old friends, make new ones, and to soak up more Mexican history wherever I go.
The Fulbright Program was established in 1946 to increase mutual understanding between Americans and people of other countries by sponsoring students and scholars to study, teach English, and conduct research overseas. The U.S. governments flagship international academic exchange program, Fulbright supports exchanges between the U.S. and more than 150 countries around the world. In February, 厙ぴ勛圖 was named a top producer of Fulbright students for the 14th consecutive year. It ranks third among U.S. colleges and universities on the all-time list, with more than 260 Fulbright recipients.
You may also like…
Maya McDermott '26 Earns Fulbright to Argentina
The English and politics double major will work as an English Teaching Assistant (ETA) at a teacher-training institution.
Momo Song Suzuki 20 Earns Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship
The comparative literature and musical studies major will be living and co-teaching English in Hualien, Taiwan.
Derya Taspinar '25 Earns Fulbright to Spain
The psychology major will be teaching English in Galicia.
