News
Guatemala Teachers Corps Serving Students Virtually
January 14, 2021
Foothill College and Bay Area nonprofit Dream Volunteers have partnered again on the Guatemala Teachers Corp for winter and spring 2021. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the experience is a bit different this year. Although students were unable to travel to Antigua to teach English to students at a K-12 school, the Teachers Corp is teaching virtually for the winter quarter and may travel in the spring if it is safe to do so.
The Teachers Corps is funded through the Foothill-De Anza Foundation.
Meet the Guatemala Teachers Corps
Fatai
Fatai is a Foothill Mellon Scholar studying communication and social work and planning
to transfer to USF in Fall 2021. She has a variety of non-profit experience, including
mentoring East Palo Alto youth. She currently works with the Family Engagement Institute
helping primarily Hispanic families negotiate the barriers to accessing higher education.
“I have worked countless hours in service to underprivileged youth and families in the past and present, and I can tell you that serving these marginalized communities brings me an overwhelming sense of gratitude, joy, and empathetic understanding.”
Jina
Jina graduated UC Berkeley in 2019 with degrees in political science, legal studies
and social welfare with an eye on law school. However, she realized that her true
passion is in the medical field. She joined Global Medical Missions Alliance (GMMA),
which provides students with the opportunity to partner with medical professionals
to bring care to underserved communities abroad, including in Guatemala. Her passion
is help those who otherwise would not be able to receive medical care. Jina is currently
at Foothill completing her med school pre-reqs with an AA in Biology.
“My dream is to work with underserved communities as a doctor as well as to tackle systemic inequity in healthcare through advocacy.”
Grace
Grace witnessed how valuable English language skills can be while connecting with
locals during solo travels in Southeast Asia. She is a graphic and interactive design
student, driven by the pursuit to share knowledge and make connections. Her time on
the executive board at Foothill’s Project Hope Club and as a Sharp Hospital volunteer
has instilled effective communication and leadership skills. She has spent time teaching
informally but now looks forward to teaching in a more formal setting.
“I am excited to work hard and squeeze everything I can out of this experience in hopes to become a stronger communicator and leader.”
Lorenzo
Lorenzo is proud to volunteer with this program because he will get to share this
experience with other students who have a passion for education.