On Friday, March 8, Fulbright ETA Amanda Cahn was one of two judges at a middle school spelling bee held at SMA Don Bosco Padang. At 10 am, eight contestants nervously awaited the judges’ arrival. SMA Don Bosco’s student organization presented the rules and regulations of the competition. In the first round, each contestant was given three words to spell. In the second round, each contestant was given five words. In both rounds, if any words were misspelled, the contestant was eliminated. The final round was a free for all, as remaining contestants had to raise their hands to answer.

From March 9-12, Amanda and the rest of Indonesia’s ETAs went to Taiwan for the Fulbright East Asia and Pacific Regional Conference. They attended various workshops, which ranged from teaching related to the political and historical dynamics in the region, then returned to their sites with new knowledge and tools.

Amanda Cahn is currently teaching at SMA Don Bosco Padang, West Sumatra