Brian Mulack, a UNA employee in the Office of International Affairs who teaches English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, is an individual who can relate to many students at UNA. He has a passion for what he does and loves to find adventure.

Originally from Athens, Mulack came to UNA because of its proximity to his home and because he liked the small-town atmosphere of Florence.

As an undergraduate he was active in the Baptist Campus Ministries and worked three different jobs. He worked in philanthropy in Mexico in 2006 and did construction work in New Orleans and also worked in Florence at Cracker Barrel on Cox Creek Parkway.

Mulack graduated from UNA in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in English. He chose this degree when he found that it could open a door to traveling to other countries.

“It’s more for the adventure of it,” Mulack said. “So many places to see and not enough time.”

He worked at an after-school English program for kids in the K-12 system. During this time, he discovered his love for travelling and teaching English.

Mulack said he was particularly impacted by a trip he took to Korea.

“Originally I just wanted to travel,” Mulack said. “Then, I decided to do it long-term.”

He found his passion for students and commented how impressed he was by the motivation and value that Korean students have for education.

“(Korean) students are motivated to study more than American students,” he said. “They are usually very brilliant.”

Mulack has a great love for experiencing different cultures. During his stay in South Korea, he spent his spare time visiting neighboring countries such as Vietnam and China, as it was not too far or expensive to do so there.  

“To pick up from one place to another is fascinating,” he said.

Mulack has now returned to Florence to earn his master’s degree in education to teach English to international students at UNA along with his wife Annelise, who he met in South Korea and married last August. Here, he works hard to give students at UNA an opportunity to interact with other cultures. It might be a new environment for him, but it is one that he feels comfortable in, he said.

“I enjoy meeting other cultures and, at the same time, staying in one place,” he said.

One thing Mulack tells students is not to allow bad decisions of the past to dictate the future.

“Don’t limit yourself by the mistakes you make now,” he said.

As much as he enjoys working at UNA, Mulack said it is his “goal to teach internationally again” in the future.