An Unforgettable "Alternative" Spring Break in Guatemala
SDSU graduate student José “Pepe” Nevarez says he never got to participate in a study abroad program as an undergraduate, and he’s always wanted to travel.
So he opted for an “alternative” spring break this year, and spent his time in Guatemala with others from SDSU. They helped paint a school, got to know the locals, and saw the sights. For Pepe, it was a life-changing experience.
Here’s Pepe’s story, in words and pictures.
"I’d been to New York and to Mexico, but never farther than that. It was during spring break, so it seemed like a good time to go. Also, I’ve been really into doing community service lately, so that was an added bonus: to get to go out of the country and also do some worthwhile work."
"We painted an elementary school in the town of Tecpán. It’s only six classrooms for 160 kids who go from preschool to 6th grade. The younger kids go earlier in daytime, and the older kids go in the aftenoon. They held a welcoming ceremony for us on Saturday. The kids did a traditional dance, and the head teacher and school director met us. We played soccer and basketball with the kids, too, to get to know them."
"It was very humbling to see how communal everyone was. For there to be so many kids, and just one soccer ball . . . there was never an argument. They interact very well and they’re very family-oriented. People were very giving with the little bit that they had. One little girl picked blackberries for us, and we tried to give her money, but she wouldn’t take it, even though they have so little. 'This is my gift to you,' she said."
"We started on Monday and painted the school yellow and red. The previous color was turquoise. We thought the paint wouldn’t cover but after letting it settle, as the days went on, you could see the difference. It looked really nice afterwards. Every day we showed up to help paint, the kids would clap and cheer for us. It was so nice to feel appreciated for the work we were doing. There were 26 of us from SDSU. Everyone participated in helping, and we did a lot of work."
"I’ve been working on my second master's degree in public administration — and not sure what I wanted to do with it. This trip made me realize I like working with kids, and I have a real passion to do this. It's always been in the back of my head. I thought I’d have a job to make money and maybe teach later on, someday. But this trip made me reaize that’s what I really want to do. I’m going to figure out what I need to do to make this happen. People always say do what you love, and everything else will fall into place. So I figure . . . things will fall into place. I want to teach elementary school. . . . Throughout the week, the kids would start saying my name. 'Pepe! Pepe!' I must have heard my name a thousand times. It felt really good to see the kids so happy."
"Alternative spring break is a great investment. This trip was really affordable: $1,600 with everything included: flight, hotel, meals, transportation, and college credit — one unit. And you can put it on your resume or CV."
" I’m already looking forward to the next one. It’s very rewarding, and I now feel like there’s no better way to spend a spring break. You get to go learn about a community in need, learn about their culture, help them out — while still having fun. . . . Next time, I may want to go to another location. Who doesn’t want to travel the world?"
"I wouldn’t want to do any other kind of spring break now. I’d like to thank the trip coordinator, Dr. Sarah Maheronnaghsh, and Dr. Patricia Lozada-Santone for giving us the opportunity to go. It was an unforgettable experience that changed my life, so I’d like to give them thanks for putting this together."
"I made a lot of good friends, and we all can’t wait to get together again and relive our trip. We're planning to have a reunion soon. I got so attached, not only to the little kids but also to the people from SDSU. It was a great group of friends. I didn’t think one week could make that much of an impact."