How Hulda Destin Went from Using a Closet Door as a Chalkboard to Teaching in Kuwait
| by Alex Skov
Hulda Destin’s career path wasn’t just a decision she made as an adult. It was a calling she felt as a child and intentionally set herself up to pursue from the moment she lined up her stuffed animals as students in her mock class, where her younger brother and sister would sit in as she led lessons from a “chalkboard” that, in reality, served as her closet door.
It came natural to her. After all, Destin’s father was a teacher, so she knew firsthand what it took to succeed in the job and what it meant to have an impact on students’ lives.
Since those days as an aspiring educator, Destin’s childhood enthusiasm has evolved into a deep satisfaction for seeing the moment things click for students.
“I love seeing my students gain confidence,” Destin said. “I love when I’m teaching a concept and they finally get the concept, and it’s just like that a-ha moment, that little light bulb goes off in the back of their head.”
Taking the Leap into a Global Classroom
While her passion was first ignited in her home state of New Jersey, Destin’s journey to becoming a teacher has taken her far beyond state lines. Her first taste of international education came as an undergraduate.
“I studied abroad in Greece and that was my first time abroad,” Destin shared. “I was able to travel all throughout Europe, then I came back to the U.S. and graduated and I’m just like, ‘I just had this amazing experience abroad, so why not teach abroad?’”
The question made sense, given her newfound love of international travel and long-running goal to be an educator. She began looking into ways to make it happen and saw Facebook posts from a friend who was teaching in China.
“I would see all the different pictures that she was posting, her experience, and I was like, ‘Ok, I want that,’” Destin recalled.
The two connected and Destin learned that her friend was working in a program through the Center for Teaching and Leaning in China (CTLC). Destin reached out to the organization and soon found herself in Shenzhen, where she immersed herself in a new culture while gaining teaching experience.
“It was just so crazy to think that I was teaching in China,” Destin admitted, acknowledging how quickly aspiring educators can enter the global job market.
After 2 years in Shenzhen, an acquaintance led her to a new opportunity in a place she hadn’t initially considered: Kuwait. Despite some initial skepticism, Destin spent 7 years there with two other teachers who she already knew, proving that an open mind can be just as valuable an asset for an international teacher as a supportive community.
“You’re stepping thousands and thousands of miles away from your family and everything [you know], so it’s important to build that community because who knows where that community might lead you?” Destin reflected. “When I was in China, I met this amazing group of people and without them I would not have been able to go to Kuwait, then during that transition into Kuwait, they were able to help me with my visa. It was nice to get there knowing that you already know people there. I didn’t feel like I was lonely or missing home.”
Why U.S. Teaching Certification Matters for International Educators
What Destin was missing, however, was a credential that tied her near-decade of international teaching together and could create more professional opportunities for her. Because even seasoned educators can reach a point where experience alone isn’t enough to unlock the next door in their career, Destin began looking into her options.
“I needed to solidify all of this experience. I needed to get my teaching license, [but] I kept putting it like on the back burner and I could not find any programs where I [didn’t have] to basically move back home.”
While it would have been easy to get discouraged, that wasn’t in Destin’s character. She knew that she didn’t want to stop teaching during her certification program, either, so she kept searching for pathways that would fit both her long-term goals and her immediate professional obligations.
“That’s when I came across Moreland University,” she said.
It helped that one of Destin’s friends who was teaching in Kuwait put her stamp of approval on Moreland’s 100% online TEACH-NOW Teacher Preparation Certificate Program.
“She was like, ‘If you’re looking for a program, do this program. It fits everything that you’re looking for,’” Destin recalled.
The timing was perfect.
“I think it was very important because now most international schools are looking for their teachers to have a teaching license, and it also opened more doors,” Destin said. “I knew that I did not want to stay in Kuwait forever, so I was like, ‘Ok, I need to have this teaching license.’”
With 8 years of experience, Destin knew that a U.S. teaching certification would allow her to teach in new environments, like international schools, and new countries, like the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar, which both have strict requirements regarding hiring certified teachers.
Destin was also planning for career options that could take her back to the U.S. since she had occasionally served as a substitute for remote classes through New Jersey schools during her time in Kuwait.
With all this in mind, Destin described her TEACH-NOW experience as “transformative,” noting that the program helped her become a better teacher by equipping her with new theories and strategies that she could immediately apply in the classroom.
“It helped me fix my craft,” Destin said. “I think it’s very important that teachers are not stagnant and they’re open to growing and not just thinking that they already know it all, especially with education constantly changing.”
Luckily, the program also connected her with like-minded educators from Jordan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Morocco, and other countries through the global cohort format. The group — which ranged from recent college graduates to teachers with more than 15 years of experience — acted as a built-in support system, keeping in touch and cheering each other on as they each grew in their teaching practice.
Next Steps with Support from Moreland University
Today, Destin is back in New Jersey, armed with her teaching license and a wealth of global experience. She is currently substitute teaching, using the opportunity to research schools to see where she could envision herself committing to a full-time role.
It’s a pivotal moment in Destin’s career as she’s also exploring education consultation and curriculum design. She has a lot of variables to consider for her professional like — what to do, where to go — but it’s a luxury afforded to Destin now that her credentials match her ambition.
“It’s a great problem to have so many different options,” she said with a smile, noting that earning a master’s degree from Moreland is one of her considerations.
No matter where in the world you want to teach, Moreland is ready to support you and your career goals. Complete your free application to our 100% online 9-month TEACH-NOW Teacher Certificate Preparation Program or one of our 12-month master’s degree programs today. It takes less than 15 minutes to take this important step and most applicants hear back within 2 business days!
