What inspired you to travel abroad?
I was inspired to go abroad in order to get more of an immersive language experience to improve my Spanish. I had also just graduated from college in 2018 with a psychology degree and wanted to find some direction for my career path. More recently, I wanted to volunteer as a summer camp 2024 counselor because I wanted to reconnect with my students and their families.
Why did you choose your specific program/organization?
I chose this organization because I liked the mission and the sustainable impact that it made on the community. I also liked the time commitments offered, as a recent college graduate, teaching for the school year was ideal for me. As I transitioned from living with roommates and being a student to living abroad with roommates and working as a teacher.
I still got to see my family for the same vacation time that I had in college, so they were not affected. Now that I work as a teacher full time, the summer camp was also an ideal time commitment because I had time off in the summer. All the time lengths allowed me time to create longer-lasting intentional relationships both with the volunteer team and with the community.
Last day of 2nd grade with my 2018-2019 class.
What was your favorite part about Cofradia?
My favorite part of Cofradia is the food! Baleadas, pollo chuco with tejadas, and all the fresh fruits and vegetables at the market. While it is also a growing community, it was still small enough that I recognized coworkers and students with their families frequently. The community is very inviting and welcoming. My favorite thing about Honduras is all the vibrant natural attractions!
Places like the Mayan ruins in Copan, the kayaking in Lago de Yojoa, the coastline in la Ceiba, the beaches in Utila and Roatan, the hiking in the Cusuco national forest in Cofradia, the hot springs in Lempira, and various festivals in different locations throughout the year were incredible. Every weekend of my year abroad I could find a weekend trip to go on or a family gathering I was invited to.
What made your experience abroad extraordinary?
When volunteering in 2018, I felt that making new connections and experiences that molded me into the person I am today is what I think made traveling abroad extraordinary. On the professional side, I got to experience the teaching world for the first time in a very immersive experience that was different from my own being from the United States. Encountering these different philosophies and practices of education has given me a wide range of hands-on experiences that I can apply to each class I teach. On the personal side, I got to be in a diverse and fun community; I felt welcomed and bonded with the other volunteers. I made friendships where I truly felt accepted, celebrated, and given room to grow. More recently, when returning for the 2024 summer camp, I was able to reconnect with old friends and students, feeling like no time had passed. I also got to take on more leadership positions, guiding other counselors in teaching practices.
How did the local program staff support you throughout your program?
Local staff supported me throughout the program by not only providing food, housing, and supplies but also showing me how to do it on my own in a culture and language that was unfamiliar to me. Simple things like helping me figure out how to light the gas stove with a match or where to buy groceries to bigger things like how to handle behavior issues with students. Staff could be supportive in living and work situations.
2nd grade class reunion summer of 2024.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time in Honduras?
I wish I would have cooked more! I was not a very good cook back then, but now I am a lot better and more interested in cooking. Honduras has so much natural produce, and I loved the lunches provided by the school. I wish I had learned how to make them. In my home in the United States, produce such as mangos, yucca, plantains, and a variety of other fruits and vegetables are hard to find or expensive, so I wish I had cooked with these ingredients when they were right outside my door.
Describe what a typical day in your life in Cofradia looked like.
A typical day in Cofradia started with waking up to the sound of roosters crowing and being able to see the sunrise from my window. This meant we woke up around 6:00 am to get ready for school, then eat breakfast, and walk to school around 7:15. Once there, I would spend my time prepping my classroom for the day. Throughout the school day, I would teach ELA, Math, Science, Computers, and PE to my second-grade class. I also taught PE to the third-grade class. Students and teachers usually had recess/snack time around 9:00 am and then lunch around noon. Lunch was provided for teachers. We would eat lunch at our respective stations to monitor students. During the day, I also had a 45-minute prep time while the Spanish teacher taught literature and writing in Spanish. After school, we would walk home and the first thing I would do is take a shower because it is very hot and, at times, very dusty. I would then take some time to decompress and plan or grade at home or at the local coffee shop. If it were a community dinner night, I would plan and eat dinner with the other volunteers. Even on non-community dinner nights, we still gathered after making our respective dinners. Then, I would get ready for the next day.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time?
I enjoyed socializing with the other volunteers and teaching staff. During my year, we had a great volunteer community, where we would cook dinner together or have other traditions, such as Zumba Thursdays or Netflix movie nights. On weekends, we would go on trips around Honduras and even once to Guatemala together or go into San Pedro Sula for a trip to the mall. I would also frequently go on home visits to my students' houses, where I could enjoy a meal with the family or simply play some games and have some coffee. I was invited to a lot of birthday parties as well. It was nice to see the students, but I really bonded with the parents as well, which is what pushed me to learn more Spanish.
2018-2019 teacher bonding trip to Tela.
What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it?
I lived in an apartment with two other teachers from the program. I liked it because the program has the whole floor so it was a good transition from college where we felt comfortable keeping our doors open and visiting each other frequently. The other apartments on the floor were also two-bedroom apartments each with their own kitchen and bathroom.
What is the one thing every future participant should know about your program before theirs begins?
Be prepared to step out of your comfort zone and be firm in your boundaries. Traveling to a new culture is always a shock to some as there are different water systems, types of food, and language barriers that can be uncomfortable to change for yourself. That is ok, though, because change and growth are good. Be prepared to grow, but amid that growth, set some time for yourself to center yourself, chat with an old friend or family member from home, read a book, journal, watch a movie, and express yourself. This program can be a whirlwind at times, and it's exciting. But you are also there for a year, so don't spend all your energy at once.
Would you recommend Volunteer Classroom Teacher program to others? Why?
Yes, I would recommend this program to others because I think their mission sets its sights to an attainable level where they are working in partnership with the two communities of schools. I also enjoyed the amount of training that was provided before teaching. I had limited classroom experiences before this, and the training was less philosophy talk but more hands-on practice that prepared me more accurately for the job. If you are an educator or have studied education, this program is perfect for you. If you do not want to be in education for your career, it is still a good program as it is only for a year and I believe anyone can be inspired to guide children to help them grow. A year is a good time commitment to get an in-depth experience.
Trip to Guatemala in 2018.
What do you feel is the biggest benefit of traveling abroad?
The biggest benefit of traveling abroad is the cultural exchange that takes place. I met so many people from around the world through this program. I became familiar not only with the Honduran people and their diverse communities but also with people from Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, France, Belgium, Mexico, and all over the United States. We would constantly point out the differences in Spanish dialects. During community dinners, we would each introduce new recipes to each other and celebrate different holidays. This exposure to different cultures is a learning experience that is great when traveling. I also have all of these international connections. When I drove across the USA to move I had friends from BECA to stay with throughout several states. I recently just visited a friend I met through BECA while traveling in Portugal. These relationships also inspired me to return to Honduras in the summer of 2024.
Now that you're home, how has your time in Honduras impacted your life?
I have chosen my career path as a teacher in large part because of this program, and I went back to school to get my master's in Education. My background in this program helped me qualify for a fellowship that helped pay for my master's degree. I have now been teaching for 5 years, and teaching abroad gave me more confidence to teach through a variety of situations, such as teaching during the pandemic and other challenges that new teachers face. I love to work with ESL students as well. I got my first hire for my first teaching job partly because of my Spanish abilities. I work with many families who have recently immigrated from Central America and relating to their background and familiarity with their home country has fostered great relationships with these families to provide a welcoming experience for my current students. I am currently pursuing my ESL certificate.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
Meaningful travel to me, means to travel with the intention of growing and connecting with people. I originally wrote to connect with new people but having recently traveled as a 2024 volunteer and having met new people this time around, I mostly traveled to reconnect with the people I had met during my 2018-2019 volunteer year. Traveling allows you to create new relationships and enhance old ones too.
