After four years of undergraduate courses focused on finance, I felt very prepared to take the next logical step of attending grad school with an eye toward working on Wall Street. I did not, however, feel prepared to enter the “real world,” and this realization caused me to evaluate the choices I had made that left me feeling bereft of any real life experience. So I scrapped the grad school plans and opted to pursue an opportunity to teach English in Honduras.

Vista Exterior del Fuerte de Omoa - Honduras. Fotografia por : Dennis Garcia.

My travel experience was transformative. I learned so much about the culture of Honduras and the struggles that many young Hondurans faced. I was amazed by how appreciative my students were for the educational opportunity I had helped to provide and by how eagerly they approached each and every lesson. It was invigorating for us all, especially since I had just left classrooms filled with classmates whose main purpose was to maximize their future earning potential. My Honduran students had no such desires; they were there because they simply wanted to learn. 

Iglesia Catolica Principal de Juticalpa Frente al Parque Central. Olancho. Photo by : Dennis Garcia. 

Perhaps it is cliché to note that my students taught me as much – probably more, actually – as I taught them, but I can honestly say that this was the case. I spent two years in Honduras, and I was very fortunate to have been granted enough freedom to be able to organize many school trips to places of historical significance during my tenure. Of course, I also enjoyed the time off from teaching as well, as Honduras has many beautiful beaches that are simply ideal for a little rest and relaxation.

 

Niños en Playas de Amapala, Honduras. Photo by : Dennis Garcia.

For those who wish to pursue a similar experience, I would recommend spending a great deal of time on becoming reacquainted with the Spanish language before departing for Honduras, and it would also be valuable to learn of some of the customs that are a part of the country’s heritage. I arrived in Honduras with a completely open mind, and I cannot begin to express how happy I was to have left the world of finance to experience teaching in Honduras. I can proudly declare that my time in the country made me an entirely different Joe Olujic, and I like to think that it has certainly been for the best.

 

New classrooms and computers for the UNESCO "Solar.net Village" project. Wikimedia Commons: Zack Clark

Article by Joe Olujic