On my last day in Guatemala, I wrote one final blog post for the Mayan Families blog that I'd like to share here. I believe it really sums up my experience:
My name is Mary and I am a Junior in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Ohio State University. I visited Mayan Families for one week in May with a group from my university and fell in love with the country, the people and the experience. I decided to apply for a two-month summer internship and returned to Panajachel in late June.
During my time here, I have experienced a real Guatemalan birthday party, a Guatemalan funeral, a Guatemalan first date… and a Guatemalan second date. Though my first weeklong adventure here was an extremely fulfilling experience, two months has been more rewarding than I ever thought imaginable.
My primary role at Mayan Families was teaching in the preschool. The students learned basic scientific concepts by building simple experiments. Professor Betty Lise Anderson and Clayton Greenbaum of the OSU STEM Education Outreach Program donated the supplies we used. After only one week here, my science role expanded to include teaching computer classes – an opportunity to introduce children to technology. After another week, I began offering after school science classes to Mayan Families’ sponsored junior high students.
Working as a teacher, I saw the enormous importance of education, particularly Mayan Families’ Preschools, to Guatemala. These students go into kindergarten so well prepared for school. They no longer have to struggle to learn a new language while adapting to the classroom environment. I have worked with students in their first year of the program, students in their second year of junior high, and even side by side with graduates of the program who now work at Mayan Families and help provide these educational opportunities to others. Sponsoring a child to go to school changes their life. It leads to a higher standard of living for these students, for their future children, and for generations to come
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Multiple times I had the opportunity to build experiments with all-female classes. As a female engineer, I feel very strongly about encouraging women to pursue careers in male-dominated fields. In Guatemala, most indigenous women marry young and work only in their homes, but with just a few more years of schooling they can become qualified for a host of other positions. Imagine the explosion of innovation that will come from opening doors that have previously been closed to half of a nation’s population!
These two months have been packed full of projects and plans. Outside of my classes, I have bounced between the Education, Construction, and Communications departments and have been introduced to so many facets of the wonderful work that Mayan Families does. With the help of dedicated donors, workers, and volunteers, this organization has improved the lives of so many families. So much has been accomplished in a relatively short amount of time.
However, there is still so much more to do. I take solace in the fact that my goodbyes now are not for forever. This experience has opened my eyes to a country and culture and I cannot wait to come back.
