Emily Barbuto ’00: Turkmenistan

Hometown: That’s complicated. I’ve always been transient. My four years at Cornell were the most stable years of my life.

Current location: Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (previously Kazakhstan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, South Korea, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Egypt).

Career: I’m the principal at Ashgabat International School. I’ve been with Quality Schools International since 2016. As a QSI teacher, I completed my master’s degree in educational leadership online through a partnership with QSI Graduate Studies and the State University of New York at Buffalo. I switched from teaching to administration in 2021. 

Cornell impact: Cornell prepared me for a career as an educator, but it was Cornell’s proximity to the University of Northern Iowa’s overseas recruitment fair for educators, while I was student teaching in Mount Vernon, that gave me my first teaching position in Egypt right after graduation. 

Benefits of living in a different culture: In most of the countries I’ve lived in, it is a social obligation to hire people to work in your home, so I have become accustomed to having a housekeeper, cook, and driver. Traveling during school breaks is part of the expat culture. My favorite thing about Turkmen culture is the concept of Hudayyoly, which means Personal Thanksgiving and can occur any day of the year and the person having Hudayyoly doesn’t have to say why. I have been invited to many amazing Turkmen family Hudayyoly celebrations, and Turkmen staff members often bring Hudayyoly treats to share at school. 

What would you tell students: Living and working abroad is not for everyone, but in many locations, U.S. expats enjoy a higher standard of living for a much lower cost of living.

➤ Meet seven more international alumni