Sebastian W.

As a dual citizen of both Nigeria and the US, I have always had a passion for culture that stemmed from my desire to understand who I was and where I came from. With an Ibo father who stands at nearly seven feet tall with skin the color of a cocoa bean, and an American mother of Norweigian and Blackfoot descent who, at only 5'3", could scarcely reach my father's shoulder, I was born a mixture of cultures from opposite ends of the world. Being raised by neither my biological mother nor father, this left me in an "othered" position, wondering where I fit in the world. In my search for identity I developed an intense love of all things "different". I studied language at every opportunity, and upon my graduation was even awarded a medal for an exemplary understanding of foreign language--which after four years of Spanish, two of German, and eight of American Sign Language, I felt I had deserved!

Now that I have grown, I explore my interest in culture and language in other ways. When I am not tutoring English or writing novels, you can find me in the kitchen whipping up an array of foods from all over the world, whether it be crispy baked falafel, freshly-rolled sushi, or rich and creamy murgh makhani. I find myself fortunate enough to now have the opportunity to travel the world and explore the destinations I had only read about in books. Through CIEE, I have been placed in the lovely seaside city of Cartagena, Spain to teach this October. My adventure is only just beginning, but there's no telling where I'll go.