International educator Juliana Marulanda Quintero was back home teaching in Colombia when an unexpected call reignited her journey—this time to Kuwait! Her Senior Associate Jennifer Imholt was contacting her “to re-open the world” for her. Now, Juliana is headed to A’Takamul International School (ATIS) for the 2024-2025 school year!
After teaching abroad in Brazil and Egypt, Juliana had moved home to teach during the pandemic, to be near her family and feel a sense of safety. By 2023, however, she was ready for a change. Encouraged by Jen, Juliana re-activated her Search Associates (SEARCH) membership and traveled all the way to San Francisco, determined to attend the job fair.
All her life, Juliana has been inspired by her mother and “Jesus,” she says, “history’s most perfect teacher.” The middle school Juliana attended was a teacher training school. There, as a student herself, she worked with younger children. Upon graduation from secondary school, she held a teaching certificate with honors and was qualified to take a position as an elementary homeroom teacher. That assignment sparked a passion for languages, which prompted Juliana to pursue her bachelor’s degree and master’s in education with a focus on English. Looking back, she realizes how much the “passionate teachers and experienced educators” in that pedagogical school helped her. Now, her life is one of service
Education is sharing. While students learn from my experiences, my culture, and myself, I learn from their lives, needs, thoughts, and culture as well. I love serving… I am a volunteer with the Red Cross at the Canine Search and Rescue team as well as Water Search and Rescue team…There is nothing better than to save the world through education and care.
In her nine years of teaching in Christian, Montessori, and international schools Juliana has taught English and ESL at different levels, starting at kindergarten. During her latest appointment, at a Christian school in Colombia, in addition to teaching ESL at the high school level, she was Head of English and Director of the boys’ Seniors group.
Juliana discovered overseas teaching volunteering in Brazil. It was a thrill, she says, to “leave it all, to go and teach with what I had: Myself.” After hearing about Search Associates from a friend, Juliana decided to join because the “very useful agency had great Senior Associates and associated schools to work with.” She used the website often, especially her favorite tab “My job search,” where a red globe signals a new notification.
Juliana was initially contacted by ATIS through the website in January 2024. After meeting some of the administrators on Zoom and researching security in the school’s country and region, as well as the school culture, she considered ATIS was a good match and made plans to meet some of the ATIS administrative team at SEARCH San Francisco in February. The journey from Colombia was well worth it, she says:
I had a very good experience at the fair, as I could meet in person my Senior Associate Jen Imholt, and I received all the support that I needed to take the decision about my job search. I would definitely attend another fair because having personal contact with the people you will work with gives you another perspective…To see the happiness of the representatives of the school when talking about education and my teaching experience… I thought in that moment: It’s the place where God is sending me to spread love!”
For those pursuing international teaching, Juliana highly recommends Search Associates:
It’s a serious and safe agency where you will be supported, and they will guide you to become the best candidate. After you get the job, they continue following your experience and helping you in all you need. In Search Associates you feel that you are more than a candidate, you are a real international educator.
