Jessica Bernal is a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) co-teaching English at SMKN 9 Padang, Sumatera Barat.

Jessica graduated from California State University, Fullerton with bachelor’s degrees in English and communications (PR), along with a certificate to Teach English as a Second Language (TESOL). Throughout college she led the executive board for Best Buddies and was a copy editor for the school newspaper, Daily Titan.

She recently spent two years teaching English in Southern Japan with the JET Program. She taught at an academic high school in Nichinan. While there, Jessica helped plan lessons, prepare students for speech contests and led a weekly cooking class as a way to share her Mexican-American culture with the students. Outside of school, she participated in local festivals, tea ceremonies, sport activities and crafts with the locals.

With a strong passion for travel and new experiences, Jessica strives to gain a better understanding of other cultures and share her experiences with her community back home. She is eager to explore all Indonesia has to offer and share as much of her Mexican-American culture with her community as possible.