Sydney Grafals, a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA), co-teaches English at SMKN 8 Makassar, South Sulawesi.

She earned a degree in public relations and anthropology with a minor in business administration from Louisiana State University (LSU). At LSU, she was active in service-learning, civic engagement, and cross-cultural programs, including the Engaged Citizen Program and Peace Corps Prep. She also studied abroad at the University of Oxford.

Sydney’s work in philanthropy and public scholarship—supporting community initiatives and curating educational materials—shaped her interest in locally driven development. In Makassar, she draws on these experiences to foster collaborative learning and cross-cultural exchange in her host school and community.