MICHELLE D. GLOSTER

 

Hello, and welcome to my site!

 

I am an international educator from Sacramento, California who is passionate about language-learning, travel, and cross-cultural exchange. I am particularly enthusiastic about international youth exchange programs; I believe in the value of exposing people to different cultures and perspectives from a young age because of the potential for long-term impact on intercultural understanding. Please check out my resumé to learn more about my experience in international education, and see below to learn more about my path to the international education field.

 

After honing my Spanish and French language skills by studying abroad in Ecuador and France, earning my Bachelor of Arts degree in Foreign Languages and Anthropology, and dabbling in Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, Hebrew, and Italian along the way, I was granted the opportunity to teach English in two rural government schools in Northeastern and Northern Thailand through the Fulbright Teaching English Assistantship program. This experience prompted me to reexamine my role in the international education field, and find an avenue where my love for language-learning and immersion, travel, cross-cultural exchange, and working with youth could intersect outside of the classroom. Directing a summer study travel program for international high school students through the Study Tours by Rider University program solidified my desire to promote cross-cultural understanding through international youth programs, and as a result I decided to pursue a Master's Degree in International Education Management at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. 

 

Through my courses in the International Education Management program, I gained practical tools and skills to succeed and grow in the international education field. Currently, I am helping build the U.S. office of Professional Linguistic Upper Studies (PLUS), a UK-based company that operates immersive summer study travel programs for international youth around the world, including four in the United States. Through my time with PLUS and in the future, I hope to continue promoting cross-cultural exchange to break down cultural barriers and foster intercultural understanding.