I would love to let my ex-teachers know that I am now a teacher! They would be so surprised! When I was in school, I always wanted to be a police officer, so becoming a teacher is very far from my childhood dream. But, when I think about my last year at San Jerónimo, I remember how all my classmates and I managed to form a very united and strong family. I am full of memories, and I still think about how all the teachers we had throughout those 11 years in San Jeronimo sent very nice messages to all of us who were graduating.
What inspired me to be a BECA teacher was seeing how this foundation and family transformed the lives of many children, including me, by opening up so many opportunities for them by being able to speak another language, and I decided to be part of this, too. BECA means a lot to me now, because it is in my hands to lead these children on a responsible and successful path, and also because I know that now I am part of this great family and that we are all here to help each other.
What I like most about being able to be a teacher this year is that I am able to leave a mark on the future of each child and help them succeed in their dreams. During summer training, I learned a lot about how to get to know the needs and goals of my students. I also learned about the Four Agreements, specifically how to not take things personally when I’m working with students and their behaviors in my classroom, or from parents who might doubt my abilities. My goal this year is to be able to give the best of myself to these students and see progress in their values and their English so I can know that I have successfully accomplished my work. I am excited to create a family with my students, because that’s what BECA represents!
Matthew McCormack
Matthew McCormack, a long term committed BECA volunteer from Summer Camp Counselor 2018 to Volunteer Teacher 2019-2021 and Program Coordinator 2020-2021 to current Volunteer Recruitment Chair based in Bethesda, Maryland. Since age 15, Matthew has committed himself to nonprofit education. Currently, Matthew works at The Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health as the Family Program Coordinator for Education making childhood possible and reducing the burden of illness through educational programming and opportunities. He is excited to share his experiences in Honduras and the beauty of the BECA community with all who are interested to support from afar or in person in one of our classrooms.
