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At IAG, we believe a cultural exchange journey can also be an opportunity for continued learning and professional growth.

Today, we are proud to celebrate IAG Teacher Nebongo Andrew, who recently earned a Master of Science in Chemistry from Grand Canyon University while continuing his responsibilities as a full-time educator.

Completing a graduate degree is an important accomplishment on its own. Balancing university studies with the everyday commitment of teaching full-time makes this milestone especially meaningful.

A Commitment to Continued Learning

Professional development can take many forms, and Nebongo’s achievement reflects a strong commitment to continuing his education while building his experience as an international teacher in the United States.

Earning his master’s degree required dedication, time, and perseverance—and represents another important step in his professional journey.

For IAG, seeing teachers pursue opportunities to learn, grow, and strengthen their expertise is something worth celebrating.

Supported Along the Journey

When Nebongo shared the news of his graduation with IAG, he also shared a message that meant a great deal to our team:

“Thank you for always supporting and encouraging us to continue with professional development. The IAG team is always amazing.”

His words reflect an important part of the IAG experience: our support continues throughout the cultural exchange journey.

Beyond helping teachers prepare for their experience in the United States, we want to encourage them to continue learning, developing professionally, and making the most of the opportunities their journey brings.

Congratulations, Nebongo!

We are proud to celebrate Nebongo Andrew and this important academic and professional milestone.

Congratulations on earning your Master of Science in Chemistry from Grand Canyon University!

Your commitment to continuing your education while teaching full-time is an achievement worth recognizing, and we are honored to have been part of the support behind your journey.

At IAG, we are proud to celebrate the achievements of international educators and the impact they make within their school communities.

Today, we celebrate IAG Teacher Thessia Montaque, who was recognized with the Westside Impact 2026 Teacher of the Year Award by Fowler Elementary School District in May 2026.

A Recognition Worth Celebrating

Teacher of the Year recognition represents the dedication educators bring to their classrooms and school communities every day.

For Thessia, this award marks an important milestone in her journey as an international educator in the United States and recognizes the contribution she has made within her educational community.

Her achievement is also another example of the meaningful impact international teachers can create through educational and cultural exchange—sharing their knowledge and perspectives while building connections with students, colleagues, and communities in the United States.

Every cultural exchange journey is different, but behind each one are educators who embrace new experiences, adapt to new educational environments, and bring their own knowledge, culture, and perspective into their classrooms.

Congratulations, Thessia Montaque, on being recognized as a 2026 Teacher of the Year.

We are proud to have you as part of the IAG community and to celebrate this well-deserved achievement with you.

Some professional milestones are especially meaningful because they represent more than an award. They reflect growth, dedication, relationships, and the impact an educator is beginning to make within a school community.

For Jessie S. Tagaylo, a fifth-grade science teacher at Henderson Hammock Charter School, one of those moments came when she was recognized as her school’s New Educator of the Year.

But the recognition didn’t stop there.

Following this achievement, Jessie was selected to advance as a candidate for consideration at the regional/area level, extending a school-level honor into another opportunity to have her work as an educator recognized.

At IAG, we are proud to celebrate this milestone and the journey behind it.

A Meaningful Recognition

Receiving the New Educator of the Year recognition was a particularly meaningful moment for Jessie.

In sharing the news with IAG, she described the honor as both humbling and significant—not simply because of the recognition itself, but because of everything that contributed to reaching that moment.

For Jessie, the award reflects the guidance, opportunities, encouragement, and support she has received throughout her professional journey.

That perspective makes the recognition about more than one individual achievement. It becomes part of a larger story of professional development and the relationships that help educators continue growing.

Taking the Next Step

Jessie’s recognition at Henderson Hammock Charter School also opened the door to another milestone.

As part of being named New Educator of the Year, she was selected to advance as one of the candidates under consideration at the regional/area level.

It is an opportunity Jessie describes as both an honor and a responsibility.

Moving forward in the recognition process also reflects something important about professional growth: one accomplishment can become the beginning of another opportunity to learn, represent a school community, and continue making an impact.

Whatever comes next, being selected to advance is already an achievement worth celebrating.

Growth Through an International Teaching Journey

As a fifth-grade science teacher, Jessie’s journey is also part of a broader story about the contribution international educators can make within U.S. schools.

Entering a new educational environment requires experience, but it also calls for adaptability, curiosity, collaboration, and a willingness to continue learning. Over time, those experiences can shape teachers both inside and outside the classroom.

For Jessie, professional growth has been accompanied by people who have believed in her and encouraged her along the way.

When she shared the news of her recognition with IAG, she made a point of expressing her gratitude:

“I wanted to share this milestone with you because you have been part of my professional growth, and I deeply appreciate your belief in me.”

For us, those words are particularly meaningful.

Support That Continues Throughout the Journey

At IAG, we believe support for international educators should extend beyond preparing for the cultural exchange experience.

Teachers continue learning, adapting, and growing after they enter their U.S. classrooms. That is why ongoing guidance and encouragement remain an important part of the journey.

Jessie’s achievement belongs to her. It reflects the work, dedication, and commitment she brings to her students and school community.

We are simply honored that she considers IAG part of the community that has supported her along the way.

And seeing educators reach milestones like this is one of the most rewarding parts of being part of their cultural exchange journeys.

Recognition That Reflects Something Bigger

Awards provide a moment to celebrate, but what they represent can extend much further.

Behind Jessie’s New Educator of the Year recognition are the everyday moments that define an educator’s impact: preparing lessons, helping students understand a new science concept, adapting when something doesn’t work, collaborating with colleagues, and continuing to grow professionally.

Those moments rarely happen all at once. Together, however, they build a teacher’s story.

Jessie’s progression from being recognized within her school to advancing for regional/area consideration is an exciting reflection of that journey.

It also demonstrates how an international educator can become a recognized and valued member of a school community while continuing to grow through the cultural exchange experience.

Celebrating Jessie S. Tagaylo

At IAG, we are proud to celebrate Jessie S. Tagaylo on being named New Educator of the Year at Henderson Hammock Charter School and on advancing for consideration at the regional/area level.

Jessie shared this milestone with gratitude for those who have supported her journey.

Today, we return that gratitude with recognition of our own.

Congratulations, Jessie. We are proud of what you have accomplished and honored to be part of your journey.

Starting a teaching experience in a new country comes with opportunities to learn, adapt, connect, and grow. For Angela Austria, an international mathematics teacher from the Philippines, that journey has also led to a meaningful recognition from her school community.

Angela, who teaches middle school mathematics at Six Mile Charter Academy in Fort Myers, Florida, was named the school’s New Teacher of the Year for 2024–2025.

The recognition is especially meaningful because it came from the people who have experienced Angela’s dedication firsthand. All new teachers were initially considered for the award, and the school community had the opportunity to vote. After the selection was narrowed to five finalists, another vote ultimately named Angela the winner.

For IAG, it is a proud moment to see an international educator recognized by the community she has become part of.

A Meaningful Recognition From Her School Community

Being a new teacher means learning a new environment while simultaneously building relationships with students, colleagues, and the wider school community.

Doing so as an international teacher adds another dimension to that experience.

Angela arrived from the Philippines bringing her own educational background, teaching experience, and perspective into a U.S. middle school mathematics classroom. Her recognition as New Teacher of the Year reflects the impression she has already made at Six Mile Charter Academy.

And because the award was determined through a voting process, it carries a particularly meaningful message: the people around Angela saw something worth recognizing.

From an initial group of new teachers to five finalists—and ultimately one recipient—Angela was selected by her school community as the 2024–2025 winner.

From the Philippines to a Florida Classroom

International teacher cultural exchange is built on the idea that educators bring much more than their subject knowledge into a classroom.

They bring perspectives shaped by another educational system, another culture, and another community.

As a mathematics teacher from the Philippines teaching middle school students in Fort Myers, Angela represents that exchange every day. Her classroom is a place not only for mathematics instruction, but also for the relationships and interactions that allow students and educators from different backgrounds to learn from one another.

That is what makes recognition like this especially meaningful. It celebrates excellent teaching while also demonstrating how an international educator can become a valued part of a U.S. school community.

Support Along the Journey

For Angela, receiving the award was also an opportunity to recognize the people who supported her throughout her international teaching journey.

After receiving the honor, she shared a special message with IAG:

“I would like to sincerely thank IAG USA for your incredible support and guidance. Without IAG, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve this honor. This award is as much yours as it is mine!”

Her words reflect something we believe strongly at IAG: support should continue throughout the cultural exchange experience.

The journey does not end when an international teacher arrives in the United States or enters the classroom for the first time. Adapting to a new country, school community, and educational environment is an ongoing experience, and having guidance along the way can make a meaningful difference.

Angela earned this recognition through her own dedication and commitment to her students. We are simply proud to have been part of the support system behind her journey.

When Cultural Exchange Becomes Community

One of the most meaningful parts of international teacher cultural exchange happens gradually.

A new classroom becomes familiar. Colleagues become collaborators. Students become relationships that matter. And a teacher who arrived from another part of the world becomes part of the school community.

Angela’s recognition captures that progression beautifully.

Being selected as New Teacher of the Year is not only an individual achievement. It is also evidence of the connections she has created and the contribution her school community sees in her.

Her journey from the Philippines to Florida demonstrates how cultural exchange can create a sense of belonging while allowing educators to share their knowledge, experiences, and perspectives in a completely new environment.

Celebrating Angela Austria

At IAG, we are incredibly proud to celebrate Angela Austria and her recognition as Six Mile Charter Academy’s New Teacher of the Year for 2024–2025.

Her achievement represents dedication to teaching, openness to a new educational environment, and the meaningful relationships international educators can build within their school communities.

But perhaps Angela herself said it best when she chose to share the recognition with everyone who supported her along the way.

That spirit of connection is at the heart of cultural exchange.

Congratulations, Angela. Your IAG community is proud to be part of your journey.