The Five "W"s

Who, What, When, Where, and Why I got connected with ICSV

Welcome to my blog on living and working in Austria! In this first blog post, I'll address the five most asked questions I get when I tell someone I'm moving to Austria. I hope this will answer the basic questions you have about my upcoming trip and give you an insight into why I am doing this.

Who am I?

I am Shawna Fiscus, a 24-year-old, Grove City College alumna with a BS in Elementary Education (PreK-4) and Special Education (PreK-8). I grew up in a Christian environment and attended a private Christian school from Preschool-8th grade. This education gave me a great basis for my faith and also my relationship with Christ. I transferred to public school and then decided to attend a Christian college because I wanted to have the sense of community I had at my previous Christian school. After I graduated, I spent a year abroad as an au pair in Switzerland. It was a great experience for me and I learned a lot about what it means to live abroad and find Christ in a secular home environment.

Where are you going?

I will be going to Austria to be a teacher at the International Christian School of Vienna (ICSV). The school was founded in the 1980s as a missionary school and then opened up to Austrian nationals and other international students in the 1990s. ICSV is a K-12 school and uses an American curriculum. For more information on ICSV click here.

What will you be teaching?

I will be the elementary learning support teacher for the school. I will be working with the classroom teachers to help meet the needs of students who are struggling or who need extra support.

When are you leaving?

I am leaving on July 29, 2018! I'd love to meet up with you if I have time before I go so feel free to message or call me and we can try to get something set up.

Why did you choose Austria and ICSV?

When I returned from Switzerland I had different plans that included me becoming a missionary teacher. I knew I wanted to use my degree in teaching but I also felt that God had placed Europe on my heart. It has become such a dark continent even though much of the Reformation took place there and I want to help be a part of bringing Christ back into their lives. My original plans to be a missionary teacher in France fell through and after working through the disappointment I knew that God had closed that door for a reason and He had better for my life. I started looking at different teaching jobs both in the U.S.A. and at international schools. I stumbled upon ICSV and they had an opening for a learning support teacher. I sent in my application in early June and by mid-June I was offered the position. After I accepted, it was time to work on paperwork and find housing. Amazingly, the paperwork that I have to do on my end has all been completed with all the proper signatures and I have my housing lined up in Austria too! When God opens doors He can really open them wide! I'm just so thankful that I found a school where I can use my gifts and also accept God's call on my life to help reach students and their families in Europe.