From Venezuela to Mongolia, Social Studies Teacher Travis Schill has lived and taught around the globe. Originally from the U.S., Schill kickstarted his career pursuing a degree at PennWest Clarion University in Pennsylvania.
After graduating from university, Schill took a job in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, where he taught math and science to middle and lower school students. After his time in Saudia Arabia, Schill moved to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, followed by Chengdu, China and Suzhou, China. Before moving to ASL, Schill also taught in the IB system in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Now, he teaches AP Economics, AP Psychology and World Civilizations I.
Schill said he has always had a passion for history but never planned on living abroad his whole career until education budgets began to decrease following his graduation. As an aspiring teacher fresh out of university, he said it was challenging to find a job as many more experienced teachers were also seeking the same opportunities. Schill describes the difficulty in finding a job as “the final push” for him to work abroad.
Tied into teaching, Schill has always had a passion for history and geography.
“Having studied history and always being interested in the world in general, I always was interested in working abroad,” he said.
When starting his career, Schill said he did not choose where to live but rather went wherever he could secure the best job. His favorite possible locations were China and Brazil; otherwise, he tried to find the best fit.
Before Schill moved to Mongolia, he had to make a choice between another position.
“I thought it would be more interesting,” he said. “When else will I ever go? So, I just chose it because I thought it would be the weirder choice. You know, why not?”
So much of a person’s life is about their job.
Schill said his favorite place to live and teach has been London. Being familiar with the language, decent weather and safety are all factors that contribute to Schill’s love for the school and the city.
Besides his current job, Schill said he has difficulty deciding which country he likes best, with “pros” and “cons” of teaching in each respective location. Each school also has different programs, which he said significantly changed his experience.
“Saudi Arabia is a nice place to live,” he said. “But, my job wasn’t teaching the subjects I wanted to teach. So much of a person’s life is about their job.”
Ultimately, Schill enjoys London and said he does not plan on leaving anytime soon.
“[I’ve] spent my 20s moving every two or three years,” he said. “That gets old.”
