to me. I did not realize how much of a privilege it is to be able to speak freely,” Rees says. “I have to slow down my speech and be mindful of what I say, avoiding slang and idioms.” Giegel says she got by “mostly with a lot of grunting and pointing. Sometimes if I need something specific from a store I try to bring a picture of it.” Neither Giegel nor Rees had any teaching experience beforehand, something that made them nervous after accepting the job and landing in South Korea “My first time teaching was a little scary and it feels like a blur. I remember one of the exercises I had planned failed miserably,” Rees says. “I have grown so much as a teacher since the first day.” Giegel says teaching various age groups at her school presents interesting challenges. “The younger elementary-school kids with a very low level of English are particularly difficult to teach,” Giegel says. Middle-school students have a better grasp of the language, she says and are well-informed about American pop culture and global affairs. Giegel teaches at Kids Apple English Immersion School, which is a private academy. Rees teaches at Daejeon Girls’ Commercial High School, a public school. Both Giegel and Rees say they sometimes get homesick, but keep in contact with family in Pittsburgh via emails, Skype and Facebook. Stephanie’s father, Steve Giegel of Butler, says he is pleased that his daughter took the job in Korea. “I think it is a great opportunity. She was growing weary in New York. When she told me about it, I thought it would be a good experience for her,” he says. Nancy Rees, of Mckees Rocks, says she is proud of her daughter and not surprised that she ended up finding this calling half way across the globe. “Nothing that Megan does surprises me,” Nancy Rees says. “She has always wanted to live in other countries and when she wants to do something, she finds a way.” EPIK teachers sign a one-year contract and have the option to renew. Giegel is considering signing on for another year. After two years in South Korea, Rees says she has decided to take a job to teach English in Japan beginning in May. “My dream in life is to travel the world and experience living in different cultures,” says Rees. “It gives you the [confidence to start] a new life from scratch, and it teaches you the world is bigger than what you have known growing up.” INFO@ PGHC ITYPAP ER.CO M
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