Skye Formanek is originally from Michigan, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Grand Valley State University. Today, you can find her living and teaching in Rishon L’Tziyon, Israel with Masa Israel Teaching Fellows through Israel Experience.
Q: Why Israel?
The first time I had ever been to Israel was on Birthright and immediately I felt this connection to the country and to the people. I’ve never been someone who had a plan for their life. Some people know from a young age that they want to be a doctor or a teacher, and that was not me. I had this pull to go back to Israel and then one day I got an email from Masa about the Teaching Fellowship. I was immediately intrigued. I had worked with kids all my life, from babysitting, working at a daycare to being a swim coach, so being an assistant English teacher sounded perfect for me!
Q: What has been your favorite moment so far?
I can’t say that there is one specific moment that really stood out from the rest, but I love how close the other people in my city and I have gotten, and I truly love working with the middle schoolers. It’s always fun when they get excited to come out and work with me!
Q: How do you think teaching with MITF will help you on your journey to a meaningful career and future?
I think that MITF will help me in more ways than I originally expected. It has taught me how to work in stressful work situations; a fast passed environment along with a language barrier. It has also shown me the world, given me the opportunity to travel and live in a new place. It really showed me that the USA might not be the place for me right now, and to continue exploring until I find exactly where I want to be.
Q: Any advice for future Fellows are newcomers coming to live in Israel?
If anyone is interested in this opportunity, even just the slightest bit intrigued, I would say go for it. You won’t regret it. The only requirements is that you have to be open minded and a “go with the flow” person. The Israeli way of life is definitely different than the American way but it is easy to adapt to! This truly has been an amazing experience so far, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store.
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