TEAM 2008-2009

We are delighted to welcome yet another stellar team of BECA volunteers to Cofradia. Among them, they possess a tremendous diversity of experience that we know will help them to serve their students well. We look forward to serving them as they learn more about Honduran culture and become immersed in their lives in Honduras.


Jessica Gorelick - Administrator

A licensed social worker, with a breadth of international experience and fluent Spanish language skills, Jessica leads this year's BECA teaching team. In 2001, she graduated from Tufts University with a double major in Clinical Psychology and Spanish. Immediately following graduation, Jessica began a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Pennsylvania. Throughout and following this Masters degree, Jessica worked with the Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Inc. in the organization's Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Program. Over the four years that she was involved with the organization, she worked her way up from an intern position to be the Program's Lead Therapist. In this role, Jessica was responsible for not only supervising and training a team of interns, therapists and caseworkers, but also providing therapy and case management in English and Spanish to adolescents in situations of severe psychological and social adversity. In 2005, Jessica began a second Masters degree, this one in International Peace and Conflict Studies at Arcadia University. Since beginning this degree and following graduation, she has spent time living and working in Costa Rica, Northern Ireland and Israel-Palestine, learning about local conflicts and efforts in peace building. Expressing her interest in serving the children of Cofradia and pursuing a career in international non-profit work, Jessica wrote, "It is key that the needs of children are assessed and their potential fortified in an effort to move nations from where they are to where they strive to be." We are confident that Jessica's experience, dedication and optimism will be major assets to SJBS!



Tim Douglas

Tim is a 2008 graduate of Boston College, with a major in Political Science and a minor in Faith, Peace and Justice. As a junior in college, he studied abroad in Quito, Ecuador at La Universidad de San Francisco. Over the past five years, he has worked with children in a variety of educational settings and developed a strong interest in teaching, counseling, mentoring and tutoring. For two summers Tim worked as a Camp Counselor and Sailing Instructor at the Living Classrooms Foundation in Baltimore. In this role, he worked as a member of a close-knit team to ensure that the students enjoyed themselves in a healthy and save environment. While at Boston College, Tim volunteered at the Living and Recovery Center in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts as a Peer Mentor and Drug Addiction Counselor and later as the Center's Assistant Outreach Coordinator. Tim is eager to challenge himself in his new position as a BECA volunteer and we are excited to have him on the team!



Anne Brauer

Anne Brauer, a 2007 graduate of Georgia Tech, hails from a family with a history of international service in such diverse locales as Swaziland. Anne is delighted to carry the family's mantle to Cofradia, where she teaches Kinder/Prepa. While Anne has a background in neuropsychological research, she also has a deep-seated desire to work with children. Before applying to a doctorate program in neuroscience, Anne felt the urge to work one on one with economically disadvantaged children. She writes, "I need to literally allow my life to be changed by those I encounter, and continue to find the avenue in which I can be of most help, whether that one day brings me to return to a doctoral program in the States, or whether that means holding and directly interacting with orphaned infants and disadvantaged youth for the next few phases of my life." Before joining the BECA team, Anne worked with the Marcus Institute in Atlanta, GA where she coached children in one-on-one language development and behavioral structuring sessions.



Jenna Foster

In 2008, Jenna graduated with a dual major in Childhood Education and Spanish from the State University of New York College at Oneonta. To complete her teaching certification, Jenna spent four months student teaching first and fourth graders in two different elementary schools in Middletown, New York. In summer 2005, Jenna worked at the Chautauqua Institution Children's School as an Assistant Teacher. Two years later she returned to work as a Head Teacher at the School. In this role, Jenna was responsible for planning and carrying out academic and general activities for 25 to 38 first grade students. In addition to her studies and work in the US, Jenna has volunteered in Nicaragua and studied abroad for a semester in Chile. In the future, Jenna hopes to complete a graduate degree in Bilingual Education and pursue a career in teaching. About SJBS Jenna wrote, "I feel that the school is very honorable in its mission to provide students with a tool that will allow for future success and opportunity. I would love to be part of something so important."



Paxton Kirsh

We could not be any more delighted that Paxton Kirsh is staying on with her students for a second year, moving along with them from first grade to second grade. Paxton did an admirable job in her first year with us. She stepped in midway through the year to fill a vacancy and barely missed a beat in establishing routines with her students. Her success was primarily due to her willingness to work really hard and to be creative and flexible. Paxton graduated from Louisiana State University in May 2007. She majored in Spanish and studied abroad in Spain at the University of Malaga during her junior year. While in college, Paxton served as a classroom assistant in a 5th grade Spanish immersion classroom in Baton Rouge with many socioeconomically disadvantaged kids, and she gained significant insight into the struggles students face when learning in a language that is not their first language. She has also worked with kids in a variety of other settings. She served as a mentor for young students participating in service-learning projects. She worked at a summer camp for disadvantaged youth in Austin, Texas, and she was a homework tutor for elementary age children. Paxton is originally from Texas and has traveled extensively through rural areas of Latin America.



Rebecca Bush

A 2008 graduate of University of California Berkeley, Rebecca majored in Art Practice and Iberian Studies and has extensive experience in the music industry. She has served as Concerts Manager of SUPERB, UC-Berkeley's student-run entertainment board, where she gained valuable leadership experience and learned firsthand the importance of community-run organizations. She also has held numerous other positions in the music industry, with roles such as union liaison providing her with the opportunity to effectively communicate with and manage large groups. Rebecca strongly believes that every child in the world should have access to a good education, and wants to be a part of working towards that goal. She says, "I have spent the past six years working in the music industry, and I have loved every minute of it, but I feel that there is a greater cause out there calling me. I believe that BECA is the perfect place to begin my new path."



Alison Pitt

In 2007, Alison graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana with a double major in Political Science and Spanish and a minor in Peace Studies. While completing her undergraduate degree, she demonstrated her commitment to social justice and her leadership qualities by co-founding the organization Butler for Peace and acting as its Vice President and also serving as Co-President for the Demia Feminist Organization. In fall 2005, Alison studied abroad for a semester in Alcala de Henares, Spain. Upon returning to Indianapolis, she volunteered as an in-school tutor for Spanish speaking students at a local middle school. Following graduation, she has remained dedicated to serving the Latino community in the US, working with local Spanish-speaking factory employees as an English as a Second Language Auxillary Instructor, while holding down two other jobs. On her application to BECA, Alison wrote, "I am very invested in creating a culture of peace within the Americas, and I see BECA as an opportunity to create cultural links and create a regional and continental environment that promotes understanding and acceptance rather than intolerance."



Chrissy Carpenter

A South Carolina native, Chrissy graduated from Clemson University in 2008 with a degree in Language and International Trade, with a concentration in tourism. She studied abroad in Cordoba, Argentina, and has a passion for the Spanish language. During her time teaching adult ESL, she has found creative ways to provide her students with "real life" speaking experience, and has learned that she enjoys the challenge of teaching English. Chrissy also has shown her talent for working with children as a volunteer at Helping Hands, a children's' home. Through mission trips and team sports, she has learned to value the power of a team - like the team of SJBS teachers she is joining - and its ability to ensure the success of all of its members. At SJBS she aspires to inspire her students to work hard - just as her favorite teachers inspired her through their passion for the subject matter. While she is unsure what direction her life will take in the future, she says she knows that "I want to work with people and help them in some way throughout the rest of my life."



Athena Matilsky

A 2008 graduate of Rutgers University, Athena majored in Spanish with a focus on Translation. While in college, she studied in both Spain and France and completed the European Village Project. For this project, Athena conducted interviews with townspeople in a small Spanish village to understand their lives so that she could accurately portray them. Over the following year, she presented the documentary to members of the Rutgers community and area high school students. Since beginning college, Athena has worked extensively in the areas of assault and violence; she has performed as a member of SCREAM, an interactive theatre group that educates young adults about these issues and volunteered as an on-call member of the University's Domestic Violence Response Team. Most recently, she has been working as an English-Spanish Interpreter for the Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey. On her application for BECA Athena wrote, "In the future, see myself as an educator; an interpreter; a counselor. Bur first and foremost, I see myself using the languages that I know and learning new ones, for jobs that make working worthwhile."



Tyler Barreto

Tyler is a 2008 graduate of Grinnell College where she majored in Biological Chemistry with a concentration in Neuroscience. Tyler comes to BECA with years of experience living and working in Latin America - growing up she spent time living with her family in both Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic and later, while in college, she went back to both countries to work and volunteer. During her time at Grinnell, Tyler was extremely active in campus activities and took on many leadership roles including co-founding the Grinnellians for Global Health organization, working as the Student Supervisor for the College's development office and acting as a Class Mentor for the Chemistry department. A published scientist and public health advocate, Tyler brings a tremendous science background to her new role as SJBS's middle school science teacher. She looks forward to teaching SBJS's seventh, eighth and ninth graders and, in her words, the opportunity to "fulfill my desire to make a difference today." We couldn't be happier that she has chosen to do so as a BECA volunteer!


Drew Powell

A 2008 graduate of Clemson University, Drew majored in Communications Studies. At Clemson he honed his communications skills as Public Relations Director for the student government and as a member of the forensics team. His previous teaching experience includes teaching at children's camps in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, where he has shown a special interest in teaching music. Drew has shown his passion for service through numerous volunteer activities, most notably working with "World-changers Organization" to construct roofs for houses in low-income neighborhoods. He has an adventurous spirit, traveling across the country last summer, and also taking part in a service trip to Ecuador. Of the opportunity to teach at SJBS, Drew says, "I can't see [a] more tangible way to arm these students to reach their goals." He particularly looks forward to being a positive male role model in his students' lives. His personal goal for his BECA experience is to gain a clearer perspective on how to direct his passions and talents in the pursuit of social justice. We are confident he will accomplish these objectives this year!