2010-2011 Volunteer Teaching Team


Read the new team's collective blog here!.

After another competitive and application process, BECA has selected the following volunteers to teach at the San Jeronimo Bilingual School for the 2010-2011 school year. We could not be more delighted with the skills and experiences showcased by each and everyone of the men and women listed below.

Administrator


Andrea Muilenburg

With extensive experience living and working in Latin America and a Master's degree in International Education from the School for International Training in Vermont, BECA is fortunate to have Andrea joining the 2010-2011 team as Program Administrator. Andrea has a Bachelor's degree in International Business from Creighton University, and has worked and volunteered in a number of different internationally-focused positions, both in the US and abroad. As a Peace Corps volunteer, Andrea spent four years in Honduras working with community members and business school professors to enrich the classroom experience, in addition the six months she spent as a mentor for study abroad students, and the six months she studied in the Dominican Republic. Andrea will be leaving her post as a Study Abroad Advisor at the University of Wisconsin - Madison to join the BECA team, which has undoubtedly prepared her well to understand the challenges and rewards of international experiences like those of the BECA teachers.

Senior BECA Teachers

After a very succesful team of second-year teachers in 2009-2010, BECA aims to maintain the dynamic with the following two teachers who have agreed to return to Cofradia for the 2010-2011 school year with increased responsibilities.


Brian Schmitt (Middle School Mathematics)

Brian showed supreme dedication and focus towards his teaching responsibilities in 2009-2010 and feels he needs another year to finish what he started. In addition to teaching Middle School Math, Brian conceived of the first annual SJBS Field Day, an experience which he looks to repeat this coming year. In his free time, Brian ran the hills surrounding Cofradia, maintaining his marathon form despite the relentless heat. Previous to BECA, Brian served as a language tutor, a basketball coach, an Appalachian Mountain Club trip leader and trail builder. Brian graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 2008 with a BA in Economics and a minor in Latin American Studies and spent the first half of 2007 studying in Argentina. In addition to his teaching duties, Brian looks forward to taking more of a leadership role with the escuela de padres and microfinance initiatives among SJBS scholarship families.


Samira Vachani (4th Grade)

Samira arrived in Cofradia in July 2009 armed with an Elementary Ed. Teacher's Certficiation from Wellesley College, which she quickly put to use in her third grade SJBS classroom. She has matched up well with a class that proves equal parts lovable and unruly, so much so that she will be following them into 4th grade for the 2010-2011 school year. Beyond her teaching duties, Samira looks forward to taking a lead role as the lower elementary curriculum coach, and she will assist with the curriculum development project and its implementation, among other things.


First-year BECA Teachers


Josh Balser

With an interest in Latin American culture as well as extensive experience working as a Summer Camp counselor, Josh purposefully sought out a challenging teaching position in Honduras. Josh graduated from George Washington University in May 2010 where he minored in Spanish, spent a semester in Argentina, and studied Latin American history. Josh participated in the Nation's Triathlon in 2009, where he raised over $2,400 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society through Team in Training. Josh writes that "it was during my study abroad that I decided my involvement with Latin America was hardly over, but rather beginning." Josh plans to use his on-the-ground experience teaching in Honduras as a first step towards a career in international economic development.


Laurel Deeter

A certified dual language teacher at Townline Elementary School in Vernon Hills, IL, with a BA in Elementary Education and Spanish from Calvin College, Laurel brings strong language and teaching skills and extensive international exposure in Honduras and Latin America to the table as a first-year teacher. In addition to the six months that Laurel spent as a student in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, where she lived with a host family whose daughter attended a bilingual school, she has worked as a tutor, mentor, teacher aide and teacher, giving her invaluable experience to use as a teacher at SJBS. Not only has her work and volunteer experience prepared her to be an effective teacher, her fluency in Spanish and time spent living in Honduras and Latin America will allow her to understand and communicate with her students. Laurel's passion for education is unquestionable and will certainly be a positive force at SJBS; about this she wrote, "I am confident in this: my love of education and learning."

Nathan Greene

Nathan is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where he studied Biology and Theater. After working for two years as in the medical field as a medical scribe in the ER and as a medical assistant/counselor at Planned Parenthood and spending a (albeit brief) stint in medical school, he decided to leave the healthcare profession to pursue teaching. Prior to coming to Honduras, Nathan has taught in a number of capacities, tutoring for over seven years, and teaching first graders about the wonders of the body through UC Berkeley's "Anatomy Enrichment Program." He has been active in bridging his passion for health and education through work as a volunteer for a number of programs, including "Oakland Kicks Asthma," "The Painted Turtle" summer camps for kids with serious illnesses and the Ronald McDonald Foundation. Nathan was raised in a family of teachers and is excited to heed to the magnetic pull he has felt toward education throughout his life. After having lived in Argentina for a summer in high school and in Spain for a semester in college, Nathan has experienced the value of cultural exchange and is excited to join this wonderful team of teachers and the community of Cofradia.

Matthew Gwilliam

After completing a B.A. in History from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst, Matt began pursuing his M.Ed. also from UMass Amherst while teaching full time at an urban high school in Springfield, MA. He is committed to community development through education, and, through his teaching, hopes to show his students that "a sound education is their ticket to a better future." As an undergraduate at UMass Amherst, Matt had the opportunity to study abroad in Oxford, England, and is interested in gaining further international perspectives on education. His dedication to community development, education and travel will make him a great addition to the BECA team.


Stephanie Kott

Steph is a graduate of Stonehill College with a BS in Health Science and a minor in Spanish. She is a Division II All-American field hockey athlete and a Certified Nursing Assistant who has always been involved in outreach programs starting in high school when she was an ESL tutor. At Stonehill, Steph participated in alternative spring break programs working at schools and rehabilitation centers in both the Dominican Republic and Peru. Steph spent the spring semester of her junior year abroad at the Universidad de Granada in Spain. Living and traveling abroad has brought her a great appreciation and respect for different cultures. Steph's work in childcare over the summer months has developed her passion for working with children. Steph looks forward to assisting the Cofradia community and immersing herself in the Honduran culture.


Andrea Palley

Andrea graduated summa cum laude from the University of the Pacific with a BA in Spanish and minors in International Studies and Anthropology. Following graduation she went on to intern for Refugees International in Washington DC for much of the past year. Andrea boasts a wealth of teaching and volunteer service experiences, each of which will inform her work in Honduras. She has tutored students in Mexico, Nicaragua, and Guatemala and learned the value of cultural exchange while studying abroad in Guanajuato, Mexico. Andrea is excited to be a part of this dynamic new team and ready to begin a year of learning and discovery with her students.


Giulio Rottaro

Giulio was born and raised until age 13 in Venezuela, where he attended a bilingual school with an international teaching staff. The international exposure, cultural exchange and high quality education he received in Venezuela has inspired him to give back to students in a similar setting, which he plans to do as a resource teacher at SJBS. He has worked as a Teaching Assistant for a Physics course at Caltech, and has extensive tutoring experience. Giulio is taking a year off from the California Institute of Technology, where he is pursuing a B.S. in Physics. He aims to apply to Medical School after college.


Erin Rudegeair

Erin recently received her BS in Geography and a minor in Spanish from the Pennsylvania State University. Through Penn State, she received ample opportunities to travel to, work and live in Latin America including three previous trips to Honduras and a semester abroad in Argentina. Erin has traveled to Honduras as a member of Penn State Global Medical Brigades where she was able to participate in basic medical 'brigades" in rural communities from Lempira to El Paraiso. With a background in studying issues of poverty and development, Erin has realized that quality education is essential for any person, community or society to obtain a better future. She hopes that through her experience as a BECA volunteer she will be able to learn and grow just as much as she will teach.


Marni Singer

Marni graduated from Brandeis University in May 2010 with a BA in American Studies. In addition to the seven years she lived in Israel, Marni has spent time studying in both Argentina and Costa Rica, which helped to develop her passion for Latin America. She writes that her experiences in Latin America have shown her the value of cultural exchange as "a force to promote better understanding between individuals, and ultimately between nations." She has experience tutoring non-native English speakers for the US citizenship exam, and has served in a wide variety of community service positions, both at home and abroad. Marni's passion for cultural exchange and community service makes her a great fit for the BECA team, and we are excited to have her at SJBS this coming year.


Norah Tahiri

An avid photojournalist, long-time Summer Camp counselor, and Spanish minor, Norah is thrilled to be teaching with BECA this coming year. Norah graduated from the University of Texas - Austin, where she was a Photojournalism major and spent a semester studying abroad in Barcelona. Norah has lent a hand (as well as her photography skills) to a number of non-profit outfits, including the Blackland Community Development Corporation, K.I.N.G. (Kids in a New Groove), and the Salvation Army. On her application, Norah noted that "it is our obligation to do whatever we can to promote cultural awareness and exchange. Volunteering with BECA would be a great opportunity for me to accomplish that."



Read About Previous Teaching Teams

2009-2010
2008-2009
2007-2008
2006-2007