How did you find out about BECA?
I studied at The Leadership Center, a women’s college. During my time at The Leadership Center I met Hannah Bryant. She taught at TLC for a period of time and then became BECA’s In-country Director. When I was about to graduate, she told me about this organization and what the mission was. I got very excited about coming here and being part of such an amazing program that supports the education of Honduran children. Education is one of my passions.
What was your first day in the classroom like?
When I first saw the students I was nervous and thought that this was too much for me. Some of my students are taller than me. The transition was difficult and impacted my life in a very interesting way. I first was nervous, but after the first day of teaching, I was excited to go the next day!
What is your favorite part of the day or class to teach?
I love teaching math and just to see my students so engaged is what I most enjoy during the day. Math has become like our hobby in the classroom.
How would you describe your class?
My class is a very fun class. Some of my students are really funny and love making their classmates laugh. I have students with very different backgrounds. I have only 17 students and that makes teaching easier.
How would you describe Santa Monica?
Santa Monica is a beautiful school. I love the fact that it’s located in the middle of such a small community with so many needs. If you walk in most villages of Honduras, you would not or hardly find such a great school. Santa Monica has great values that are being taught to all of our students. The environment in Santa Monica is very lovely. I enjoy watching the parents come to have lunch with their children.
What’s the funniest thing a student has ever said?
I remember when one of my students said, “Miss, he is cheping,” which means that his classmate was cheating. Chepear is a Spanish word that he had made into English. I laughed so hard. It was so funny to hear!!
What is your favorite place that you’ve been in Honduras?
I am Honduran and therefore I love my hometown! I am one of the first Honduran bilingual teachers at BECA, and I feel lucky.
Where can you be found on a Saturday morning?
I rarely go out on the weekends. I am usually in my apartment, resting or spending time by myself. Sometimes though, we have trips together to a very fun places.
How do you relax when not in school?
I love listening to music and hanging out with other BECA volunteers. There are some food places that I love going to with friends.
What is it like living with teachers from other countries?
It is really fun. I love learning new English words and just eating different things. Sometimes, though, it can be really challenging.
What’s your favorite Honduran food?
I deeply love baleadas and carne asada. Almost every person that visits Honduras love baleadas!
What is the most challenging aspect of teaching?
Differentiation is one of the most challenging aspects of teaching. It’s hard to have students with different learning levels and being able to make them learn at the same time. Also, it is hard to deal with behavior problems. Since students have very different backgrounds, the way they behave vary in so many ways. It’s hard to deal with those issues, especially when you have no experience. Thanks to God, I taught for one year before I came to BECA.
What’s the funniest thing that’s happened outside of school?
Some of us went to visit a farm close to Cofradia. It was amazing. We got to swim in a very unique place. It was amazing to share time together and walk for about 5 hours. We had lunch there and also so many funny stories like falling down from a hammock.
How would you describe the experience of working with BECA and living in Honduras for someone thinking about applying?
Volunteering with BECA is a very challenging but rewarding experience. I am so glad I came here and it’s amazing the way I have grown in my professional and spiritual life. Also, just being able to support the education in an developing country makes me feel accomplished. I love to see my students grow as individuals and just having a relationship with so many parents.
