Meet the English Language Program team!
As the new school year begins, we’d like to introduce you to our lovely English Language Program team, who are all familiar faces at Na’atik. Here’s what they had to say about their time at the school so far and what they’re most looking forward to about the year ahead.
EmilyTell us a bit about yourself I started at Na’atik last October as the School Librarian, but I’ve been working as the Study Abroad Coordinator since mid-July and I also teach one English class. I’m currently based in Cancún and I love learning languages – I speak four! Maya will be the next (hopefully!).
What has been your most memorable moment at Na’atik so far? The most memorable Na’atik moment for me was Halloween last year. I had only just arrived a couple weeks prior and it was such a wild ride getting everything ready for the big Halloween party as I was settling into my new job. I loved it, though!
What is one thing you’re looking forward to about the coming year? One thing I’m looking forward to this year is picking back up with my Maya classes and hopefully being able to practice it in person once the pandemic is over.
ZachTell us a bit about yourself I’m an English teacher, and I just started teaching at Na’atik this semester. I’m from Pennsylvania but I live in Austin, Texas.A fun fact about myself is that I can read Maya hieroglyphs! I studied Maya at Na’atik twice. The second time I came to Carrillo, I got off the bus, walked around the corner and literally walked into someone I knew. That feeling of coming home after just one time in the city was what made me love it so much. The people are great, the relaxed small-town vibe is amazing, and the connection to a culture I’ve spent so much time learning about in school is exciting.
What has been your most memorable moment at Na’atik so far? I have been so surprised by how dedicated to learning and bettering themselves my teenage students are! If someone asked me what I wanted to learn about as a teenager, I would have said “Comics? The Smashing Pumpkins?”. I asked them to help me set their agenda and they unanimously voted to talk about work and university!
What is one thing you’re looking forward to about the coming year? I’m looking forward to January, when I will hopefully meet all my students in person finally… or at least be in the same city as them.
RachelleTell us a bit about yourself
I’m from and am currently based in Liverpool, in the north of the UK. I’ve been working at Na’atik for just over a year, last year as an English teacher and this year as Academic Director of the English program.My fun fact is that I usually make animal friends wherever I go. Here in Liverpool I have several cat friends who follow me down the street if I don’t stop and say hello. I also have a whole photo album dedicated to the dogs of Carrillo I have met during my time there.
What has been your most memorable moment at Na’atik so far?Halloween and Dia de Muertos last year – turning the school into an underwater haunted house and seeing all our students in their Halloween costumes was an amazing experience. I was also lucky enough to be invited to CBTiS, one of the high schools in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, to view the altars that students had set up for their annual Day of the Dead altar competition.
What is one thing you’re looking forward to about the coming year?I can’t wait for the day that we can all be in school together again safely. I’m going to stay optimistic that this will happen this coming year!
TaliciaTell us a bit about yourself I’m from Felipe Carrillo Puerto and I’ve been working as an English teacher at Na’atik for three weeks.A fun fact about myself is that I like to act and sing, although I don’t do it very well!
What has been your most memorable moment at Na’atik so far? My most memorable moment so far was when all my students from Big Tots started to sing a song with me that I taught them called: “What’s your name?”
What is one thing you’re looking forward to about the coming year? I’m looking forward to continuing teaching at Na’atik because I love it so much.
RowanTell us a bit about yourself I'm from, and am currently based in, the Finger Lakes in Western New York. I started working as an English teacher at Na’atik last year. A fun fact about myself is that I set a goal of reading 50 books this year and am about to complete my 40th!
What has been your most memorable moment at Na’atik so far?I loved hosting the Halloween party at Na'atik. It was so fun to see the kids get dressed up and show off their creativity. I'm sad to miss it this year but who knows, maybe I'll find a way to work a little costume contest into my classes!
What is one thing you’re looking forward to about the coming year? My biggest source of excitement regarding the school year is the opportunity to give my students a forum to be interacting with their peers. We're all struggling to meet our quota for social interactions and I'm incredibly happy to provide a space where my students can add to their proverbial tank. Being able to flex their English speaking muscles is icing on the cake. It's been great to see the kids and I'm excited to see their practical language skills grow as we double our focus on verbal communication, as an adjustment to not being in physical classrooms this year.
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The best way to experience the Mexican lifestyle is in person, with a Na’atik Immersion experience. Not only do you live with a local Mexican-Maya family, sharing home-cooked meals and free time, but also receive expert instruction in your chosen language at our school. Best of all, every immersion experience helps fund our subsidized and free local education program, helping local students to access opportunities and make their own futures.