Hi everyone! It’s been a while since the last post. At the end of last year, I decided to stick with my plan to move to Philly for the spring semester even though classes are still virtual, so…I am writing this post from my new studio apartment, located less than a mile from the Penn campus! So far, I love Philly, even though it is … Continue reading New semester, new city
“If we are facing in the right direction, all we need to do is keep walking.” Buddhist Proverb México I was born and raised in Mérida, Yucatán. I finished high school and started studying business administration in my hometown. In my second year of studies, as I went along with a “normal life” in my social context, I realized that I was facing the wrong … Continue reading Ricardo’s Road to Penn
My background My path to IEDP was a bit unconventional. For one thing, my undergraduate degree was in classical music. For another, I received that degree twenty years ago. It was a winding road that brought me here, but I couldn’t be happier with my decision. For the past fifteen years I’ve worked in standardized test prep, both as a teacher and teacher trainer. I … Continue reading A long and winding road
It is my last week at R4D! How is it here already?! Trip to Eurasia It has been less than a month since my last blog post so not much has happened work-wise, but a lot of interesting things took place outside of work! For starters, I traveled to Baku, Azerbaijan for the first time. It was gorgeous! Visiting all the major post-Soviet cities has … Continue reading Dobby is free!
Since arriving in Malawi, I have constantly heard the phrase that Malawi is the ‘Warm Heard of Africa’. Over the past three months as I reflect on my internship and the people I have met and the experiences I have had, I have realized that truly it is the Warm Heart of Africa. From day one, I was welcomed with open arms by nearly … Continue reading The Warm Heart of Africa
“I share my story here today for every girl and every boy in Jamaica who is subjected to sexual violence, and they are everywhere. There are children who are keeping horrible secrets in Upper St. Andrew, in downtown Kingston, and all across rural Jamaica” As I listened to Shaneille speak, my eyes welled up with tears. Her voice, steady and unwavering, commanded the great room … Continue reading Witnessing History in Jamaica
My previous blogs for September and October, which detailed my arrival in Paris and my trainee-ship at UNESCO, were quite verbose. I have, therefore, decided for this third post to be a picture blog in chronological order. Side note: while we were still studying at Penn in Philadelphia, we would try and come up with instagram and twitter hashtags for IEDP (International Educational Development Program), … Continue reading November Blessings
On the internship It has been two months since I started my internship at R4D in Washington, D.C. I can’t believe that I have only one month left here! It has been great to intern in the city that I am so familiar with because I never experience the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)! I am fully focused on the internship and job applications. Now, … Continue reading The home stretch!
Pre-Roatán The first two weeks of my internship were in Washington D.C, where an IEDP cohort-mate and I were introduced to the English program we were going to be working with and prepared for the field work. I not only learned more about Interactive Audio Instruction (IAI), but also observed how this specific nonprofit organization functions. I was able to sit in on other meetings … Continue reading Roatán Adventures
Words will fall short for me to reflect on my incredible internship experience at UNESCO IICBA. During my final week my office threw me a farewell that was one of a kind. The entire office gathered in the common area for a little farewell ceremony for another colleague and I, and also a short birthday celebration for two other colleagues. Those I worked with said … Continue reading Reflecting on an Experience of a Lifetime
The International Educational Development Program 