Editor’s Note: This article has been updated on 11/27/22 with the correct TEFL website link.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated on 12/1/22 with the correct names of the UCDC Program, UROP, and Transportation Corridor Agencies.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated on 12/6/22 for quote accuracy.
Philosophy, political science and economics (PPE) graduate student Joshua Swank participated in the International Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Academy and now plans to apply to the Peace Corps with his International TEFL certificate in order to become an English teacher.
Born in west Texas and raised in southern California, Swank completed his undergraduate degree in political science at UCI in the summer of 2022. He became interested in a career involving public affairs, a decision influenced by his family’s military background.
“Not a lot of my family was involved in higher education — coming from a military family, it was mainly government service and moving around a lot,” Swank said. “In pursuing more of an academic path, I sort of broke new ground in my family. [Coming] from a military family [made] some type of national service very important to me growing up.”
In conjunction with his political science degree, Swank enrolled in the International TEFL Academy during his third year as an undergrad. TEFL offers a variety of different courses, and Swank partook in a 12-week online course to earn his International TEFL certification.
“One of the great things about teaching English is that there is just an incredible variety and diversity when it comes to the types of opportunities out there,” International TEFL Co-founder John Bentley said. “The Peace Corps is just one of the channels that people can go through to teach English abroad. Ultimately, that’s why we’re here: to help people have that experience and also have a meaningful impact on the world as teachers.”
Swank originally decided to obtain this certificate as a result of free time he had during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“In some ways, I saw COVID as an opportunity to expand in other areas of my life,” Swank said. “One thing that occurred to me is having this certificate is this extra feather in your cap. [It] makes you stand out from other candidates in the job market who might only have a bachelor’s degree, so I thought perhaps I should get a TEFL certificate. It’s a great skill to have — it shows that you’re well-rounded and [experienced].”
During his time as a UCI undergraduate student, Swank participated in a variety of different organizations, including the UCDC Program, the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) and a non-profit conflict resolution organization called the Olive Tree Initiative (OTI).
“As far as TEFL goes, the thing that’s most relevant to that is my experience with Olive Tree,” Swank said. “I was involved with [the] club for a number of years and that really opened my eyes — especially in a conflict zone, seeing all those different sights and meeting all those different faces really puts things in a different perspective. It put me on more of a diplomatic path and I want to continue that throughout my studies at UCI.”
In addition to his involvement in UCDC and the OTI, Swank was also inducted into Phi Beta Kappa during his third year as an undergraduate student. Phi Beta Kappa, a national honor society, is self-deemed “America’s most prestigious academic honor society” and has chapters in 10% of colleges and universities in the U.S.
“Going into college, [one of my] goals was to get inducted into Phi Beta Kappa just because of the opportunities it presents, and it’s a big achievement,” Swank said. “I was inducted in my junior year, [and] everyone there is so supportive. It’s great to be around people that are just as nerdy as I am.”
Following his completion of his undergraduate degree — which he completed by studying abroad at Oxford University — Swank began graduate school in the fall of 2022. Swank is currently on an accelerated master’s program for PPE, and spoke about his plan to return to Oxford in the future to obtain another master’s degree or Ph.D.
“Ultimately, I would like to be a good ambassador for the United States. This goes back to my experience [at] Oxford. There were individuals who had never met an American before, so I was their introduction to the United States, and that is a lot of responsibility. It’s a responsibility that I don’t enter into lightly, and that’s something I value,” Swank said.
Currently, Swank works at the Transportation Corridor Agencies and as a legal aide at the Orange County District Attorney office. Additionally, as part of his TEFL certification, Swank teaches English once a week at Voyager’s Church in Irvine through the South Coast Literacy Council organization. Swank aspires to join the Peace Corps as an English teacher.
“I want to build important relationships with my students and help them with English, but there is that added role of being a cultural ambassador, and that’s something I value very much,” Swank said.
For students interested in earning a TEFL certificate or learning more about the programs they have to offer, more information is available here.
Andie San Luis is a Campus News Intern for the fall 2022 quarter. She can be reached at asanlui1@uci.edu.
