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Saraswati Sulham

Major: Early Childhood Education (SOE)
Class: Senior
Timeframe: Spring 2025
Type of Experience: International Student Teaching
Experience Website: https://isuabroad.iastate.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=10349
Program: International Student Teaching
Destination: Norway

Saraswati student-taught abroad in Norway after receiving the Gilman Scholarship, which provides merit-based scholarships to talented American undergraduates with high financial need to study or intern abroad. She shared her experiences applying for and studying abroad with this scholarship.

How did you learn about the Gilman Scholarship, and what was the process of applying like?

I learned about the Gilman Scholarship because I was identified as someone who may qualify due to my being a Pell Grant recipient. The best habit you can practice is checking your emails. I was checking my emails last October and got an email about the scholarship, and I was invited to attend an informational session (which I strongly recommend). I attended the informational session and took a lot of notes. Attending the session helped me be successful in understanding what they are looking for in a qualified applicant. I then applied, and writing my essays took me a few weeks. I combed through my essays and ensured my responses helped shape my story and why I needed the award to study abroad. Iowa State is beneficial because you can schedule an appointment to review your application materials and essays before you submit; another thing I strongly recommend doing. I waited a few months and got the news that I was awarded the scholarship.

What skills and/or academic experiences did you gain from being a Gilman Scholar?

Being a Gilman Scholar opened up the opportunity to gain new experiences, a global perspective, and I got to teach 1st-7th grade English in Norway in place of student teaching in an elementary setting in the U.S. I got to live with other student teachers, share my experiences with them, and think about how I can take these experiences and make life in the U.S. better for my future students. I learned how to let go of preconceived ideas and be flexible in teaching in a new setting where I didn’t know the native language, and I overcame these challenges and completed my student teaching. Being flexible as an educator is a must; this very attribute helped me successfully land a full-time teaching position in Kindergarten Special Education.

What does having received the Gilman Scholarship mean to you?

The Gilman Scholarship changed my life. I am a mom of two and wife, and I was a college student. My mom was passing away from stage 4 uterine cancer when I applied for the scholarship while I was trying to finish my student teaching. My mom later passed a month after I found out I was going to receive the Gilman Scholarship. I was already short on my financial aid in my final year of college. The scholarship not only helped me have an international experience, but also helped me afford to finish my education, and to get to heal emotionally, taking time away after my mom’s passing. My children get to hear the stories of what I learned in Norway, and I created a better future for them as a first-generation ISU grad.

What was your favorite part of studying abroad in Norway?

My favorite part about studying abroad in Norway is the people of Norway. They are so welcoming and were excited to meet students from the U.S. I could share my American culture with them, and they shared their culture with me. My cooperating teachers taught me so much, and my students taught me even more. My students loved learning about U.S. traditions and loved to share their values and traditions with me. They would light up and engage deeply in conversations; even when they weren’t confident in their English, they were so deeply motivated to put in the work anyway, all just to speak with me and have a relationship with me, and I truly miss them every day!

How has studying abroad as a Gilman Scholarship positively impacted your career?

I have built my teaching philosophy upon my experiences in Norway and the mindset I learned from my mentor teacher. His laid-back approach is not reactive, but calm and relationship-based. He is fair and kind, but firm, and I have taken that approach home with me, and my students now benefit from me gaining that perspective. Relationships are everything; being flexible and studying abroad as a Gilman Scholar made me flexible and challenged everything I thought I knew about the world, in the best way. I want to explore more of our world, take back more knowledge, and grow forever personally and professionally.

Below, Saraswati shares more of her overall study abroad experience.

Overall Experience

Student teaching in Norway was a transformative and rewarding experience. I got to teach English in a small school in Western Norway and had plenty of time to explore during my free time. Norway is a beautiful country, and it opened my eyes to be able to have the opportunity to learn about a school system different from that in the U.S. and to get to see how much outdoor education is valued. I got to learn from not one but two wonderful mentor teachers who helped me make teaching English a great experience for young learners.

Learning experience

In teaching, you must be flexible! I knew this going into student teaching, but this is also very impactful advice if you are considering going abroad as well. This experience will take you out of your comfort zone, that's OK! It's ok for this experience to be hard and challenge you. You will do things you have never done before, and you will have to rely on your education from Iowa State and draw from these experiences in order to be successful in international student teaching.

Memorable experience

Building relationships was the most memorable thing for me. My mentor teachers Ane and Jonas did a great job in helping me build relationships with students. I had Norwegian waffles, and sat together with all the students and got to get to know more about them. I also got to play lots of games with students when there was free time after lessons. What I loved was that not only did I do this with the students, but my teachers played the games with me and the students as well, so we were further forming these relationships together!

What did you not expect?

I know Norway isn't a primarily English-speaking country; even though students begin learning English in first grade, even adults will continue to speak Norwegian most of the time. It surprised me how little English the lower grades knew, and it really challenged me to get creative so that I could help students overcome language barriers. We are used to being the ones at home who understand the language, and I think we forget how hard it is for people who come from other backgrounds to understand us, and I want to learn more languages one day so I can connect more with others from around the world.

What advice would you give?

Try it! You won't regret making the decision and you will feel proud of yourself for going through with it. If you get homesick, keep reminding yourself of how wonderful it will be when you return home as an ISU grad!

How has this experience impacted your life?

This experience has changed me; I gained the confidence to one day add the K-6 endorsement to the PK-3 endorsement I already have, as well as pursue a Master's sometime in the next few years. My mentor teachers have shown me a more relaxed, calmer, and happier way of teaching, and looking at work-life balance. I also have the perspective of what it feels like to be in a country and not know the primary language, so I have a lot more empathy and patience towards others whose English isn't their first language, and I will do whatever I can for my future students who need further support in this area.

How did you learn about this experience?

I learned about international student teaching pretty early in my time at Iowa State. There used to be lots of flyers outside of MacKay Hall that showed different locations other than Iowa where you could student teach, and when I learned that international was only half sessions, it made me want to try and apply when it came my turn for student teaching. Plus, my former professor in my teaching literacy methods class said she was the one who went on the Norway trip, and it inspired me a little to consider Norway.

International Connections