Spain is the third country Tatiana Rincon Diaz has lived in this year. The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant arrived in the Canary Islands in September to work with students ages 3–11.
As a UNC Greensboro undergraduate, Rincon Diaz was part of the Jia Research Group in the biology department. She was notified of her award in May during a semester at Australian Catholic University.
“I applied for the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant program because I knew I would grow and learn a lot from it,” says Ricon Diaz. “I wanted a break from being a student after completing my undergraduate degree and a new experience.”
Embracing new experiences
Rincon Diaz got the change of pace she was seeking. She’s currently living in La Gomera, the second-smallest of the Canary Islands and home to about 22,000 people. After being there only a few weeks, the sense of community is what is most striking to her.
“Anywhere you walk in, you automatically greet people; everyone asks you how you are, how you’re doing,” she says. “There are certain places at home that I feel like if I was to walk in and do all of that, I would just get stared at. So that sense of togetherness, knowing that people support you and are willing to help you, even though they have no idea who you are.”
She hasn’t had time to build close friendships yet. The other islands have at least two “Fulbrighters,” what she calls members of her cohort, but on La Gomera she’s the only one. Rincon Diaz may have the opportunity to meet other Fulbright teachers during her free time on weekends, or at upcoming gatherings organized by the commission.
She says the word “adaptability” best describes what she’s learned so far.
“Working with kids of all ages teaches you a lot,” Rincon Diaz says. “They teach understanding, patience, and how to approach different types of people. Because not all students are the same, you have to tailor the way you teach to each of them, and I feel like you can apply that in any field.”
As part of her required side project for the award, Rincon Diaz is utilizing her minor in nutrition. It’s something she’s passionate about, and she hopes to continue educating different age groups — children and parents — on the importance of a healthy diet. Her ultimate goal is to conduct gut-microbiome research, and she’s looking forward to merging these two passions when she returns to the University in June.
Leave your comfort zone to find yourself
Rincon Diaz credits UNCG with helping her develop a love of international travel. She spent the summer of 2024 in Italy with Dr. Gwen Shug’s Evolutionary Medicine and Paleopathology program.
“UNCG has helped me a lot,” she says. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but once I was accepted into LSAMP (Louis Stoke Alliance for Minority Participation, a STEM program), it exposed me to research and different conferences and different opportunities like Dr. Shug’s trip. It really brought it together for me — this is what I am supposed to be doing.”
Rincon Diaz is excited and grateful for the opportunity. She emphasized that her mentor, Clara Hidalgo, program manager for the NSF Mountain to Sea LSAMP, was especially helpful with the Fulbright process.
“I hope everyone can find a mentor like her,” Rincon Diaz says, underscoring how much Hidalgo encourages students to study or teach abroad.
“You learn so much, and it gives you such a different perspective. I feel like no matter how self-aware, adventure-seeking, and intelligent you are, you can’t get all the perspectives unless you leave home,” she says. “Leave your comfort zone.”
Story by Alexis Richardson
Photography courtesy of Tatiana Rincon Diaz
