Living abroad is nothing new to dedicated high school guidance counsellor Elizabeth Spegele. Though she’s only been in Abu Dhabi since August, Elizabeth has been travelling her whole life
Written by: Laura Fulton
“After seven years based in Philadelphia, I kind of got the itch to try something else,” recalls the perky globetrotter. Working at Penn U as an admissions officer gave her the perfect opportunity to see what high-school students would need to get spots in colleges around the world.
“My territory was Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. I used to come to schools in Abu Dhabi to meet with the high-school counsellors and students, and I would review the applications and make the admissions decision,” says Elizabeth.
“Every time I went into the international schools I would think that I’d really like to be a part of that community rather than just hopping in and hopping out. I told my contacts in Abu Dhabi that I was thinking of moving – so when a job became available, I took it.”
After a lifetime of seeing the world, Elizabeth has especially enjoyed exploring this region for pleasure rather than for work. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve been to Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon and Oman, and I’m going to China this summer to visit my brother,” says the outgoing American. “I love Abu Dhabi. It’s an easy place to adjust to. It’s especially good for me being on a school schedule because I’ve always worked a full year job – this is the first summer I’ll have off, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
The life of a high school guidance counsellor isn’t all jet setting and sightseeing, though ...
5.45am: Elizabeth gets ready for the school’s staff bus, which will collect her from her single-accommodation apartment in the heart of the city at 6.30am. The early pick-up means she’s at school before 7am, giving her plenty of time to prepare for the day.
9.30am: A crowd of students waits outside Elizabeth’s door. “Each day is hard to plan – I never know when a student, teacher or parent might come in. In between those meetings, I also meet with representatives from universities. Today I have meetings with six students. We talk about everything from universities and academics to whatever personal issues they may have.” Some students keep regular appointments, but many just pop in between classes or on this daily advisory period from 9.30 to 10am.
Noon: Elizabeth tries to squeeze in her own lunch before the tide of students returns during the school’s scheduled lunch break. “I usually have a salad or sandwich – I always pack my own lunch the night before.”
2.45pm: Another wave of kids inundates Elizabeth’s office. The counsellor will stay at school until riding the late bus home at 4.15pm: “At the beginning of the school year, I had a tough time adjusting to riding the bus and would end up taking a taxi home a lot of days. I just had so much to do between dealing with kids’ time tables and getting in early college applications,” says Elizabeth. “Also, I had to spend time learning all the kids’ names and faces; I don’t just have one class – I have to know over 300 kids in the high school. Now I’ve got more of a rhythm, so I have an easier time dealing with the bus schedule”. She prefers not having a car.
5.45pm: Back home, Elizabeth usually goes for a run on the Corniche. “I’ve been a runner my whole life – I don’t know how I’m going to deal with the heat this summer, but when I first arrived in August I was able to run at 5am, and it wasn’t that bad,” says the short distance runner who likes to get her groove on with Beyoncé.
7.00pm: Back home and showered, Elizabeth is ready to cook. “I like any kind of seafood, but I just got a little barbeque grill and it’s rocking my world. I love grilling out on my little balcony,” she laughs. “Most evenings, I talk to friends and family back home. I got everyone I know set up on the webcam before I left, so I haven’t had any problems staying in touch with anyone. I often get together with friends – we’re all pretty close on staff, so we’ll go out to dinner, go for walks, or get together at someone’s house to watch TV on my laptop.”
Final thoughts:Elizabeth is really looking forward to seeing her family who are coming to visit. “I’m really excited to show them my life here. We’re going to stay in Dubai for a few days and then go on a cruise around the Gulf through Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Fujairah and Bahrain.”
But the students are Elizabeth’s real priority. “It’s really cool to follow the kids through the school year – the Grade 12s are a great class who I will miss very much next year. I started the year with a new class of Grade 11s and I’m really excited to see where they all end up a year and a half from now. They’re always so nervous and excited at the beginning of their Grade 11 year, so it’ll be neat to see them all the way through.”
