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Through the words of an original poem she penned, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumna Jennifer Roberts expresses her deep love of Illinois. Her ode flows through the changing seasons, encapsulating her fondest memories.

“My Illinois is a blue house with a big yard in a neighborhood nestled between a freeway and a corn field. It’s a lullaby of rumble strips and rioting cicadas, a warm breeze through an open window bringing a softness in to help me sleep.”

The Troy native never thought she would wander far from her roots. In fact, that’s one big reason she chose to pursue higher education at SIUE. The academic programming it offered, so close to home, was the perfect combination, she said.

But it was at SIUE, that Roberts found her wings. She declared a major in English Language and Literature, with a double minor in creative writing and philosophy. She found her passion and flourished.

“After about a year at SIUE, my mind really opened up,” she said. “After taking some impactful classes with truly amazing professors in the English department, I started to realize that not only was there a huge, diverse, exciting world out there, but that I wanted to be a part of it in a meaningful way.

“I started researching teaching abroad and within six months, I had decided that it needed to be a part of my future. It was a way for me to use my major to help others and to explore the world at the same time. I felt like I had found the missing piece of my future puzzle.”

At the beginning of her senior year at SIUE, Roberts set her sights on Thailand. She felt the Southeast Asian country could offer her the opportunity to contribute to the lives of others through her teaching, while helping her develop personally.

“I realized that Thailand had everything I wanted: great weather, beautiful scenery, friendly people, many job opportunities, a low cost of living and a laid back lifestyle that I desperately needed to learn from,” she explained.

She achieved her bachelor’s in English Literature and Language from the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences in May 2015. She began her journey in Thailand in September.

“I came here to grow as a person,” Jennifer said, “to open my mind to new ways of doing and thinking about things, to become more spontaneous, independent and outgoing. I want to develop more patience and flexibility, and learn how to let go of the anxiety that I had a hard time avoiding in the U.S.”

This month, Roberts began teaching at Hangdongrathrathupathum School, a secondary school in a district of Chiang Mai called Hang Dong. She teaches Mattayom 4, 5 and 6, which is similar to junior and senior level high school in the U.S.

“I teach English for Communication and Listening and Speaking,” she explained. “I teach 18 periods a week, which means that I see 18 different groups of students once a week. Each class has 25-40 students.

“The thing that motivates me every day is my students desire to learn. Many of the students are extremely willing and eager to learn English. Watching them participate and seeing their smiles when they get something right makes me want to come to work every day.”

Her travels have not been without bouts of homesickness, but she is persevering through the support of her family and friends, both old and new. The educator does not expect her journey of teaching abroad to end here.

“This experience has helped me realize that I’m not ready to settle into a routine and a career in the U.S., and I don’t think I will be for a while,” she said. “I can imagine myself teaching abroad for a few more years, maybe in a couple different countries.

“I grew up being anxious about every step of my life,” she added. “I am notorious for planning things, and being unsure of my future was never an option. But now, I’ve embraced uncertainty.

“My future is open. I’m free to make it what I want it to be, and that freedom is one of the most beautiful parts of my life right now.”

Her roots are in Illinois, but as the seasons change, so to can one’s dreams and life goals. Roberts’ journey from the ‘e’ is just beginning.

“My Illinois is a blue house with a big yard, a lake at its edge. It’s sitting there, dipping your toes in, seeing yourself reflected in water, silent and still. It’s knowing a moment of rest before you get up, glance at the swiftly setting sun and move on.”

Photos: Jennifer Roberts (center) poses with a class of Thai teachers she taught while completing her TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification course in Chiang Mai.

Jennifer Roberts explores the Elephant Nature Park in Thailand.