On 19 November 2025, the Department of Foreign Language Education at Bolu Abant İzzet Baysal University organized an event titled “Teaching English in Rural Areas” to strengthen teacher candidates’ professional awareness. The event featured Ümran Özkaynak, known for her teaching experiences in rural settings, and attracted significant interest with 90 registered participants.

The session was moderated by Dr. Seda Coşar Çelik. Throughout the program, teacher candidates had the opportunity to explore the opportunities and challenges of teaching English in rural regions from different perspectives. Drawing on her own experiences, the speaker focused on the human dimension of the profession. Participants found her sincere narrative, real-life examples, and solution strategies for common challenges particularly impactful.

According to the feedback collected at the end of the event, the overall satisfaction score was excellent. Teacher candidates stated that the session inspired them professionally, broadened their perspective on the future, and reminded them of the value of the teaching profession.

Participants also suggested increasing the number of practical activities, field-based experiences, and career-focused sessions in future events. The program concluded with students expressing their gratitude to the organizers.