Mary Rose Saycon

Meet Mary Rose Saycon from the Philippines

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What has been the most memorable about your program?

The moment I stepped in United States of America, I considered it the most memorable experience of my life. Granted with opportunities to exchange cultures with the locals such as preparing Filipino dish for my American colleagues, sharing ideas during professional meetings with my team, presenting videos about the Philippines specifically where I come from, and connecting my previous Filipino students and my current American students through writing and exchanging friendly letters are some of my indelible cultural experiences.

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What is your favorite part about living in the US?

Living in the US bridges me to visit states which I just watched from the television and scanned from magazines before. My purpose of being here is not just plainly to teach or to share my culture, but also to learn more about the westernized cultures and to visit the breathtaking places all over USA. It brought me around Arizona, Las Vegas, Colorado, South Dakota, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Chicago, Missouri, Arkansas, and New York. The more places I visit, the more I get to know USA, and it will be my forever wonderful experiences to cherish.

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What advice can you give fellow J-1 teachers?

There are three simple words I want to remind my fellow J-1 teachers, “believe in yourself”. You happen to be here with a purpose, so believe in yourself. Face each day with light and glowing passion you have for your students. Having been nominated by an anonymous individual in Marquis Who’s Who, an American publication who recognized me as an individual who demonstrate outstanding performance and acknowledged me as one of their top educators who have achieved career longevity and demonstrated unwavering excellence on my chosen field, is a humble blessing from Above. To my fellow J-1 teachers, I believe you also have your own success stories in different ways. With that, let us continue to give light to others and become source of inspiration as we venture our individual endeavor in our chosen profession.