The generosity of the Fulbright grant allowed me to explore the field of teaching well beyond the comfortable walls of my undergraduate institution. I have no doubt that participating in the Austrian-American Fulbright Commission's US Teaching Assistantship Program gave me an enormous leg-up in the job search when I returned to the US, having gained international work experience through a highly reputable and respected program.

I cherish the connections I made with my mentor teachers and my Austrian roommate, and I intend to maintain those friendships for the rest of my life. I can't thank the Fulbright Program enough for providing me with this invaluable opportunity to teach English to others, while learning even more about myself and my own culture.

Julia Littlefield is a graduate of Bowdoin College with a degree in German. She taught at the HTBLA Kaindorf and at the Akademische Gymnasium as a US Teaching Assistant in 2011–12.