Submitted by Dr. Marcela Garcés, Professor of Spanish

We are excited to share a first-person account from Samantha Hall, who graduated from Siena in
2020, about her experience as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant in Spain, a highly competitive
program. Her studies in Spanish and international experiences clearly helped her to be successful
in being chosen for this opportunity. ¡Gracias, Samantha!

My name is Samantha Hall, and I am currently a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Madrid, Spain. I teach at Universidad Camilo José Cela (UCJC) in the science department, where I lead classes such as Nutrición and Fisioterapia. So far, everything has been going wonderfully, and I absolutely love living in Madrid.

In my free time, I enjoy cooking, reading, and parking-sitting with my friends. My educational background in Spanish has greatly helped me communicate with fellow professors and engage with the local community. Since studying abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and volunteering at a school there, I’ve been eager to take the next step as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant.

Although the application process was challenging, it has been incredibly rewarding, and I couldn’t have done it without the support of Matt Schiesel, Siena’s Associate Director of Study Abroad. Now that I’ve been here for a month, I’ve learned so much about Spanish culture, especially its history and amazing food. I also plan to volunteer with the Celiac Association in Madrid, allowing me to connect my personal experience with Celiac Disease to my students studying science and medicine, particularly in the field of nutrition. I’m so excited to see what the next year holds!