By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

In 2010, Marion resident TC Edwards went to Guadalajara, Mexico, for training on teaching English as a second language.

He had previously spent his senior year of high school in Spain, and wanted to teach English to native Spanish speakers. But after completing his training, Edwards ran into a road block. Most places hiring English teachers required a bachelor’s degree.

Edwards took classes from Butler Community College until he had an epiphany.

“I came to the realization that I went to high school overseas, so why can’t I go to college abroad,” Edwards said.

He began researching colleges online and applied to universities in England, Scotland, and Ireland. He selected Kingston University from among the schools that had accepted him.

Kingston University has about 18,000 undergraduate students in Kingston upon Avon, a suburb on the southwest edge of London. Edwards will study English language and communications, which focuses on linguistics, grammar, and structure rather than literature.

Earning a bachelor’s degree in the United Kingdom usually takes three years, Edwards said. He said his only expectation is to earn his degree.

Edwards is currently searching for living accommodations. He plans to get his student visa in June, move in August, and begin classes in September.

He said people have been surprised when he tells them he will study in England, but it is actually quite easy to go overseas to study. The steps are to research online, make a plan, and save up some money, he said.

Edwards said he is excitedly looking forward to the experience, familiarizing himself with a new culture, people, dialect, and places.

“There’s a lot that goes into that that’s a lot of fun,” he said.

London should be a particularly exciting city to experience, he thinks.

“There are a thousand different things to see in that city,” Edwards said.

As a bonus, studying in England will put him much closer to Spain, where he had a wonderful experience in high school. He hopes to make trips to Spain during university vacations.

“Flights to Spain from England are quite cheap,” he said.