From Students to Staff - The Na’atik Students who now work for Na’atik

At Na’atik, not only do we care about improving our students' English, but we also want to prepare our students for the future and give them a head start at university. We hope that our students will bring much-needed skills back to Carrillo.

We aim to help our community and give back. One way that has happened is that we have 4 staff members who are ex-students.

These students studied with us at the beginning of Na’atik and have returned to aid us in our mission.

Geyni Caamal

When Geyni first joined Na’atik, she was only nine years old! Part of one of the very first English classes in the school’s old building. “At that time, English wasn’t important in public schools,” she remembers. “It was just something extra to do, and even for me, I just wanted an after-school activity.”

Still, those early classes made an impact. “I had a bad relationship with English at first,” she admits. “My classmates seemed to know more than me, and one time I even cried during a test. But my teacher was kind, and I kept going. I had feelings of inadequacy, not only in my English level, but my economic background. My classmates' families had cars, and my dad picked me up on a bicycle, so I felt very out of place.”

Years later, that persistence paid off. As a teenager, Geyni won a national scholarship through the US Embassy, the first team from Quintana Roo to ever do so. “I went to Cleveland, Vermont, and Washington, D.C. That’s where I really started to love English. I saw it as a tool to help others.”

After returning to Mexico, Geyni realized her love for English and how Na’atik had laid the foundations. Geyni studied English at university and became a teacher. Her former teacher, Na’atik’s director, Catherine, encouraged her to come back. “She always told me, ‘When you finish, come to Na’atik.’ So I did.”

Now, Geyni teaches at the same school where her English journey began. “Na’atik helped me so much, especially with listening and pronunciation,” she says. “Having foreign teachers helped me gain confidence. I remember loving the varied activities in Na’atik that we don’t have in school.”

For Geyni, teaching at Na’atik is more than a job, it’s a full-circle moment. “We help students from Carrillo gain opportunities through English. Some come from families with little money, but they love learning. That makes me proud.”

Her sister and cousins are now Na’atik students too, a true family tradition that continues to grow in Carrillo.

Abigail Tus

Abigail first joined Na’atik when she was 13 years old. “At first, I didn’t want to go,” she admits. “My sister convinced me to join so we could do something together in the afternoons.” Her sister only stayed one year, but Abby stayed for nine.

Her connection to Na’atik ran deeper than just lessons. Her family was one of Na’atik’s early homestay families, hosting international students in their home for our MaS program. “My mom didn’t speak English, and my dad speaks only a little, so I helped translate for our guests,” Abby recalls. “That really helped me practice and feel more confident.”

“Originally, we received half-price classes for being a homestay, before we received a full scholarship. I also remember many of our homestay guests wanted to pay my fees. One time, my father went to pay for the year, and the receptionist said it had already been paid.”

Thanks to her years at Na’atik, Abby’s English opened doors she never imagined. She earned spots in several international programs, including Jóvenes en Acción through the U.S. Embassy and a leadership exchange in Canada. “I lived in Thunder Bay, Ontario, for five months, it was my first time seeing snow!” she laughs.

After completing her degree in Business Management Engineering, Abigail’s Na’atik story came full circle. “Before I even graduated, Daphne called and offered me a job,” she says. “I started as an assistant, and then became the Coordinator of the Maya & Spanish Program. She told me, ‘You know the homestay program from the inside, who better to lead it?’”

Now, Abby helps oversee the very program that first connected her family to Na’atik. “Na’atik has been part of my life for so long,” she reflects. “It gave me opportunities I never thought I’d have and helped me grow into who I am today.” As well as her family being a homestay family, her 3 nieces are also students here!

Priscila Estrella

When Priscila first joined Na’atik in 2010, she was just ten years old, one of the school’s very first students. “Back then, Na’atik was still a small house with one classroom,” she remembers. “My teacher was Yareni, one of our current teachers, and we learned through games and activities. It was so much fun.”

Her mom had heard about Na’atik on the radio and encouraged her to join. “I’ve always loved languages,” Pricy says. “At that time, I just wanted to learn English because it sounded exciting and there wasn’t any opportunity in school.”

For five years, she studied at Na’atik through primary and middle school. “It really helped me with pronunciation and confidence,” she says. “When I went to public school, I realized I was far ahead of my classmates, everything felt easier because I had already learned it at Na’atik. One time, the school teacher sent me home because I already knew the class content.”

Priscila fondly remembers how interactive her lessons were. “We did projects, sang songs, and even cooked food from other countries for a class presentation. It never felt like traditional studying. I remember this great class where our teacher used One Direction songs, and I loved One Direction at that time.”

That creative approach inspired her future. After high school, Priscila pursued a career as an English teacher. During her university studies, she returned to Na’atik to complete her teaching practice. “I wanted to learn from the same teachers who taught me,” she explains. “Other schools were stressful, but here I felt supported.”

Now, at 25, Priscila teaches full-time at the same school where her English journey began. “Na’atik gave me the foundation for everything, my English, my confidence, my career,” she says proudly. “Now I get to help my own students the same way my teachers helped me.”

Erick Chuc

Erick first joined Na’atik when he was 10 years old, also when Na’atik first opened in the previous school building. Erick was the first student from a Maya community to attend Na’atik. ”My town, X-pichil, only had a dirt road in and out of town. We didn’t even have internet back then!”.

“At the time, my only interaction with a foreigner was through my TV and Movies. I loved watching Hollywood movies as a child. When I first came to Na’atik, I was nervous and shy. I had never met an American before, so I was very quiet in class.” However, Erick found a love for English during his time at Na’atik and soon grew in confidence and ability.

Erick was also one of our first recipients of the Maya Youth Scholarship. “Unfortunately, my family was no longer able to pay for my classes. I remember Catherine was very sad about this. Then one day, my family received a call telling me Na’atik had granted me a scholarship and I could return to class. I was so happy.” This was the start of our MY Scholarship Program, and Erick paved the way for the many students we have today.

“As a former student, it was amazing to experience English with different activities, games, and trips. Personally, learning the language and different cultures helped me determine a clear goal in my life, which is teaching English. I would like many kids, teens, and adults to experience the same opportunity I had.”

Now, Erick is our English Program Manager, guiding the next generation of English learners and teachers at Na’atik. “I feel accomplished that I can give back to the community with the same opportunities I was given.”

As you can see, Na’atik is dedicated to this community. We want our students to forge a bright path for their future. It is even more amazing when they return to Na’atik to aid us in our mission. Our subsidized English program gives all students the same opportunities that these 4 staff members had.

To learn more about Na’atik’s English language program for local and Indigenous students in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, visit our Impact Page. We are only able to provide this much needed program thanks to the support of generous donors and the funds raised from our award winning Maya and Spanish Immersion Program. If you would like to support our mission please consider donating today or take a look at our immersion programs and online class packages.