Beyond The Atlantic
October 13, 2025 by Ruth Misori
Hey everyone, good news! I finally accomplished my life-long dream of moving abroad! This journey that it took to get me there was long and crazy. But nonetheless, I am finally here! I’m incredibly thankful to God for leading me, for the support from my family and friends, and also for receiving words of encouragement from strangers. My decision to move abroad took a lot of time, effort and planning, and for a while, I was uncertain that the opportunity to live abroad was actually going to happen at all. I was both nervous, yet excited. It was mostly the latter. However, once realization hit me that at 24-years old, now that I’m moving to another country (and another continent), I will officially be on my own, and it was a bit daunting. Anyway, let me start from the very beginning so I can take you back to where it all happened.
Flashback to May 2024 shortly after I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I was preparing my documents so I could go to China to teach English in August. I had done a year of preparation in terms of researching the best cities to move to, which age groups suits my preferences, and of course, getting the required certifications needed to be eligible to teach English abroad (a 120-hour English teaching certification & a bachelor’s degree in any field). Teaching English in China appealed to me the most because of the earning and saving potential, especially as a recent college grad who was in a bit of student debt. A lot of college grads have gone to China to teach English as a way to pay of their student loans and even save up for grad school when they return to their respective home countries. Another reason I wanted to teach in China was because of their country’s natural beauty. I was in awe of their mountains, rivers and various green spaces that I know I would enjoy viewing in person, in addition to having access to a ton of fun hobbies that comes along with being outdoors, especially in the bigger cities. And of course, traveling. I could go from one Chinese city to another by train, plane, or even by car if the destination was close enough to drive to. Even better, I could travel to other parts of Asia, like Japan, Vietnam, Thailand or Cambodia. I’d have access to all of those countries at my fingertips from China.
Lastly, I wanted to teach English in China because I truly valued the subject. I love the language, reading and writing, so it was only natural for me to want to teach the subject. While my degree wasn’t in education nor in teaching, I did have some prior experience tutoring students with their English grammar and reading, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Therefore, I thought to myself, why not kill two birds with one stone by going abroad to teach a subject you enjoy while paying of your minimal student loans? I figured this would be the perfect scenario, especially since I wasn’t too keen on the idea of attending grad school right away (or at all, initially). So, in late 2023, I took an online course with a reputable British company to complete my 120-hour TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification and was working very hard at my job to save up for the move until I graduated with my degree in May. I also did a long job search, since that was the main thing that I needed before I could hop on a plane across the world (and a work visa, of course).
The job search for English teaching positions was very difficult for me because even though I started in March as recommended, I still had trouble landing offers because some schools preferred teachers who were already physically in the country, had a teaching license, had at least two years of experience (the area & school varies) and the most shocking, were white. The last reason sounds very harsh, but it is an unfortunate reality in some areas because of the false misconception that some schools in China believe that only white teachers are native English speakers. Therefore, if first-time applicants have blonde hair, blue eyes or pale skin, then their chances of landing a teaching position are much higher compared to darker applicants or individuals of color. Some schools that you are applying to require a photo and/or a brief introduction video of yourself upon sending your application so they can assess your appearance and voice. Most schools prefer English teachers from these native countries: The U.S, U.K, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Ireland. If you are not from these following countries, then your chances of landing a position are even more difficult compared to other applicants from those countries.
So, while I didn’t have issues landing offers because of my nationality being that I’m American, I still had issues dealing prejudiced and racist companies that overlooked my experience and qualifications because of their misconceptions regarding my skin. For example, whenever I would send in applications without a photo or introduction video, I would get relatively quick responses within a day or two of applying. They would tell me that my resume and qualifications are decent and that they’re interested in scheduling an online interview. Then, they would ask for a photo or an intro video before they proceed, and it would go downhill from there afterwards. I would send in my professional photo along with my video explaining my qualifications and why I would like to teach in China, in addition to telling them ways I plan on implementing teaching styles for the students. Days later? Nothing. No response. A week later I would reach out to them and asked if they received my photo and video. Still nothing. I shrug and say to myself that it’s time to move on and apply to another school. So, I’d apply to one, which then turned into two, three, four, five, then all of the sudden, I was applying to multiple schools on EChinesecities a day. It was exhausting and unbelievably discouraging. To clarify, it was discouraging in the sense that schools were overlooking my qualifications due to my skin color, not my actual skin color itself. In fact, I love being black and I would never do anything to change that! My skin is beautiful and there are many other beautiful shades of black people that I admire, and I will never stop being proud of that!
Despite the awful job hunt for an English position in China, I kept persevering and applying because prior to doing so, I was informed about the racism that I could face and was already aware of the discrimination that black teachers face both during the job hunt or during their time in China. Some stories ranged from microaggressions to outright horrifying. Yet, I still decided to continue applying. Why? Because despite the racial factors of the application process, I also saw that there were black teachers who enjoyed their time in China, so I figured, why couldn’t I be one of those happy teachers abroad? I also really wanted to travel all across Asia, and I didn’t want discrimination to get in my way of pursuing that. So, I worked very diligently to meet the qualifications to teach English by getting a TEFL certification as well as getting my bachelor’s. I also took my tutoring job seriously and updated my resume to make sure that it was decent and professional. And I also made sure that my introduction video was clear, concise, and easy to understand. Looking back now on this experience, it was a blessing in disguise because those prejudiced schools rejecting me was God’s protection, and also an indication that I wouldn’t want to work for a bunch of bigots, anyway. So, it was good from the start that they were telling me who they were as opposed to me finding out the hard way after arriving in the country with less safety nets.
Months after I kept applying, I did eventually land two interviews with two schools and were able to move a little further. Only, here’s the problem: they were both sketchy. The first school offered me a position, but told me that I would be on my own regarding the visa process, and since I did prior research, I automatically knew that it was a red flag as employers are supposed to apply for the work visa on their employees’ behalf so they can be their sponsors upon them entering the country. The second school was in the capital and offered an extremely low salary, which was also a red flag because it was considered unlivable even by their city’s standards. If I were to accept that job, then I would have to come with a large amount of savings, otherwise I would struggle to pay rent or live paycheck to paycheck. Obviously, that was something I didn’t want, so I declined both offers and continued with the application process. As months went by, it was getting closer to August, and I still haven’t secured a legitimate teaching job. I was growing discouraged. Flash forward to the summer of 2024, I went to Dallas to complete my brief internship and was even able to get a week off for the 4th of July. So, I went to San Francisco on holiday, which took my mind off the crazy job hunt.
Once my summer internship in Dallas ended, it was late July, and I slowly realized that my idea of going to China that year wasn’t happening. So, still eager to move out of the country, I applied to a master’s program in Greece related to teaching English as a foreign language, as an attempt to both improve my chances of being accepted by a reputable school in China by winter (they have fall & winter intakes) as well as gaining the experience of living in another country, like I’d always wanted. I applied to the school late, so I didn’t qualify for scholarships, and unfortunately FAFSA doesn’t cover my specific program, which meant that I was on my own financially. While I had worked and saved up as much as I could, it wasn’t nearly enough to cover the costs of tuition or other living expenses, such as room & board. Then of course, my student visa that I’d have to apply for. Feeling defeated, I withdrew my application to the master’s program in Greece. I returned back to my hometown and looked for basically any job that I could find, but the future felt bleak. By then it was already August, which meant that schools have already started in China, and it was too late to secure a job there, and it was definitely too late to apply to other grad schools here. So, I was left with only one option, and that was to work in my hometown. Shortly after a week of applying for jobs, I found one as a hostess at a local Tex-Mex restaurant.
By then, I was very discouraged and depressed because I felt that I was supposed to by teaching and traveling in China and all over Asia, but instead, I was working for minimum wage in my hometown at a place I didn’t even like. This was a humbling experience, I felt even worse because I had already told many people about my plans to teach in China during the fall of 2024, so when it didn’t happen, I felt defeated and like a failure. Obviously, I’m not a failure, and could still use this experience to pivot to the next stage of my life, but in the moment, it felt overwhelmingly difficult to grasp that mentality. Especially because I would go on social media and see others attending their dream programs at grad school, moving across the country, or even abroad, or just starting their lives. While I’m still here in my hometown, working a job I don’t like for $12 an hour at a Mexican restaurant. I’ve cried many times during my bathroom breaks and often pondered if this is where I’ll end up for the rest of my life. The thought of such was excruciating. Once a little time passed by and I was no longer going through the crazy job search, I felt a little better, and after my birthday in September, I researched different English teaching programs that I could apply for in other countries aside from China, and the NACLAP program in Spain popped up on Google. I clicked on it and viewed their program’s outline and qualifications, which were less intense than China. They provided a monthly stipend and only require that you have a bachelor’s degree or at least be a sophomore at the time of the application.
I reached out to my Spanish professor from college to ask for her input of this program, and she responded that it is a great opportunity that a few of her students have enjoyed in the past. I then took that as a green light to think about applying to Spain for this program next year. I thought about it long and hard, and also looked at other international English teaching programs, like JET (Japan), but I was leaning heavily towards the program in Spain. For starters, I had already been to Spain to study abroad briefly, and I loved my experience, and also because it was less intense than process of trying to secure a job in China. In fact, the NACLAP program’s website had so many resources regarding how to apply to their program, how to apply for a visa, and tips for getting settled into Spain after arrival. A few months after thinking about this program, I decided to apply to NACLAP and reached out to that same professor for a letter of recommendation, which she gladly agreed. I then reached out to my old supervisor from my tutoring job for a letter of recommendation as well, and he gladly agreed. Things were finally looking up, and all I needed to do was send in my application, a copy of my degree, and two letters of recommendation. Fast-forward to May, I was accepted into the program and by July, I received my teaching placement. I was stoked because it was in my first choice (Valencia), so I was able to actually envision the idea of living in Valencia. By now, I was already promoted from being a hostess to a waitress, which increased my income by 70%. So, this meant that in the meanwhile, until I receive my visa to Spain, I can work and save a ton of money before I leave in mid-September so I can get settled in before school starts on October 1st.
BeRuthfulandMultiply.com 