Hi, my name is Bri Eisert. I’m from Omaha, Nebraska in the United States. When I was little, I wanted to be an astronaut. But after realising I would be exploring outer space and not the world, I switched my focus to something more international rather than extra-terrestrial.

Since that career change at age 11, I’ve been exploring cultures, languages and countries. So, as a recent graduate of university, it seemed only natural that my first job after graduation would be teaching English in China.

At university, I studied marketing, international business and international studies. You could say I was obsessed with all things international.

My first job at university is probably the biggest indicator of my love for international education. I convinced the study abroad office to let me be a study abroad advisor even before I had travelled out of the country!

When I finally did my first international trip, it was to Vietnam to work on a marketing project and then to Spain to study Spanish and then to thirteen other countries to learn everything I could about the world.

I was constantly working to make the world my classroom. So, now, it seems quite appropriate that my job lets me explore the world in a classroom with my students.

Being from Nebraska, I always like to joke with people that we only have three things – cows, corn and the world’s #1 zoo. Of course, that is a bit of an exaggeration because we also have some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet and some of the best close-knit communities.

So, naturally, finding a strong community for my job was a must. When choosing an organization to work with as an English teacher, JESIE was at the top of the list. Not just from the responsive and attentive staff before I even stepped foot in China, but also the immediate sense of community I had when I arrived.

When moving to China, I was excitedly nervous (if such a feeling exists) and having a great support system of staff members, fellow teachers and even locals really helped make my first few weeks here enjoyable. Moving to a new country by myself seemed less of a daunting task knowing that there would be a whole group of people to help me every step of the way.

It’s a relief having an organization like JESIE looking out for your best interest. After graduation, I had a few opportunities to stay in Nebraska. But none would have let me explore any of my what-ifs.

What if I moved to a new country? What if I taught English? What if I tried to learn Chinese? Because while staying in the US might have been the safer and logical career step for many, it wasn’t for me.

For me, teaching English in China felt like a solid step towards a fantastic international career. Working with JESIE has only helped to reinforce this decision and has helped put my 11-year old indecisive self at ease knowing that I’m doing something that I love in an amazing country with a fantastic team.