Faces of FIUTS: Meet Gizem
Faces of FIUTS is a social media campaign that collects personal stories from individuals who are part of our work. This week, meet Gizem!
Where are you from? I am from Turkey! I was born in one of the southern cities called Hatay. Recently I lived in the capital, Ankara, and in summer 2018 I taught English in Poland. I moved to Seattle in September 2020. I always see myself as a world citizen! I don't have one single home, home is wherever makes me happy. Therefore, for now, I am from Turkey, Poland, and the US!
What's your FIUTS story? When I first learnt that I would be living in Seattle and teaching Turkish, I researched opportunities at UW - and I came across FIUTS. I joined many FIUTS activities - orientation, Pen Pal, Friendship Connections, and CulturalFest. My first week, I had new friends showing me around Seattle and exchanged my culture with them. I still meet my Seattle host despite the pandemic, and it was lots of fun to have a primary school Pen Pal! Recently, I presented Turkish Culture at FIUTS Cultural Fest Expo. The audience and the support of FIUTS were great source of motivation for me. I have always been glad to be part of FIUTS!
How will you change the world?: As a woman, I have always believed the world will be a better place when women are supported as much as men. Most societies have the mentality of patriarchy, and women are expected to raise kids and cook in the kitchen. I always say that a woman can cook for kids and at the same time manage a company, or she may not prefer to have a family life and goes only for her career. Getting the courage to speak up, I see myself as an independent candle who tries to create her own flames and enlighten others. I share my light with my students and mentor them to enlighten their own world.
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Gizem Yolcu studied English Language Teaching at Middle East Technical University. After graduation, she studied Curriculum and Instruction at METU, worked as a lecturer at a private college in Ankara, and was an Erasmus intern in Poland. Currently, she is a Fulbright Teaching Assistant who teaches Turkish language courses at the University of Washington’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures.
Faces of FIUTS is published regularly on the FIUTS blog, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Read past posts collected here!
Interested in being featured as a Face of FIUTS? Contact Ellen Frierson at ellen@fiuts.org or go ahead and fill out the form.