American Teacher Goes To Work in Spain, Unprepared for Students’ Welcome

The welcome that a group of students in Spain had prepared for their new English teacher, an American woman, has left viewers online in stitches.
Katie Boggs, an elementary school English teacher and travel blogger originally from Louisville, Kentucky, shared the lighthearted reception she received from her students in Vinarós, Spain—which included jibes at her home state’s connection to the fast-food chain, KFC.
The video, which was posted to Instagram on October 1 under @katietheguiri, has since amassed over 199,000 likes, leaving Instagram users both amused and touched.
“Being from Kentucky, I’m pretty used to people bringing up KFC the second I tell them where I’m from, so it’s hilarious that the kids beat me to it even before I got there,” Boggs, 24, told Newsweek.
Viewers online were able to see Boggs, who regularly shares content about her travels in Italy and Spain, lying on a bed, smiling warmly into the camera. This image soon transitions to a montage of posters adorned with drawings and messages that poke fun at popular American stereotypes that often trend online.
The posters, crafted by her Spanish students, feature images of KFC, the American flag, and even humorous portrayals of Colonel Kentucky. One particularly amusing detail is the inclusion of water bottles and energy drinks alongside the other symbols, a nod to the ubiquitous presence of both in American culture.
An overlaid text read, “The kids at the school I teach at in Spain when they found out I’m from Kentucky,” while the post itself was captioned, “Katie Fried Chicken.”
Boggs, who has spent considerable time in southern Europe, was taken aback by the students’ creativity and humorous take on her American roots.
“I was shocked at how they also have an obsession with prime energy drinks,” she said.
Boggs had originally moved to Spain for a gap year between graduating college with a biochemistry degree and starting medical school.
“Everything changed when I got over here,” she said. “I fell in love with traveling and the culture and now I’m sticking around!
“I started making ‘American living in Spain’ posts less than a year ago, and now it’s like my other job!”
The teacher has co-founded an app called Fairytrail which she describes as a “travel friend finder” to help safely connect solo travelers for trips.
“I am a big traveler and love to show the world to my American viewers, because I feel that Americans tend to travel less than the people over here and uncover some of the awesome spots the world has to offer,” she said. “I’ve been to 15 countries so far and I love to do odd jobs to get free places to stay.
“This summer, I worked in a bar in Sicily and I literally spoke zero Italian. Worst waitress ever award!”
The humor behind Bogg’s students’ efforts has resonated deeply with her followers, sparking a wave of laughter and appreciation online. Several U.S. viewers have shared their own similar experiences as teachers abroad in the comments section.
“Be the American they think you are,” one viewer, @pettezaroll, said.
Another, @_aisjha_, added: “You got KFC posters!? My students just gave me a boat and wrote ‘El Skibitii’ as its name and taped it to my desk. (…) I’m going to treasure ‘El Skibitii’ forever.”
“No one talking about the hand-drawn prime energy drinks,” another, @ditzynerd, added.
“I’m from Virginia, so I always get people singing, ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads,’ which is great and all except for I’m from the coast,” another, @paige.cf, added.
Update 10/17/2024 7:09 ET: This article has been updated with comment from Katie Boggs.
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