Most people think that human development does not count as an extracurricular activity, but from my own experience, I have had deep emotions from learning how much it truly matters in everyone's life. A year ago, in August, I was teaching Kindergarten at an Elementary school in Orem, Utah.
I sat there in class, waiting for the first day of school to begin, when I heard a cry echoing from the open door. My curiosity got the best of me, so I turned around only to find a young boy hysterically sobbing his poor heart out. I asked some of the other teachers if anybody knew him, and no one seemed to be paying attention to or noticing the scared little boy at all. Worried, I decided to approach him and ask what his name was. He quietly answered over hiccupping sobs, “My name is Matias, and I am from Mexico.”
I held his hand and said, “I am Fernanda, and I am from Vina Del Mar, Chile”. Matias was overcome with excitement that someone else knew the beautiful language of Spanish. I then asked what his favorite thing about Mexico was, and he spoke softly, with a somber face and eyes full of nostalgia. “The colors, the music, my family, my friends, and the culture.” He hugged me, then he put my question right back to me. “What is your favorite part of your home country, Fernanda?”
And I answer “the smell of the salty ocean, the sand swirling around my feet and squishing between my toes. The wind is lightly blowing against my face like a kiss from the sky. Vibrant colors that pop out full of life. The smell as you walk through the markets, hearing laughter and chatter all around. The sun, warm hands on my face, making me smile. All the palm trees swaying in the wind, a beautiful dance. Music fills the streets and your soul. And most importantly, all my family and my friends.”
Matias' little fingers grabbed hold of my hand again and asked if there is something similar to that in the states, so I grabbed both of his little hands and said, “Nothing is the same as where we come, nothing can even compare, but you can always find your second home wherever your heart goes. And that is anywhere as long as we remember who we are and where we come from."
His face lit up in a smile so big and full of gratitude. With the hug, I felt the love of this precious little boy, and he looked up at me and said, “I am ready to go to school now.” I proudly watched him walk into that classroom with confidence big enough to inspire the world, ready for his day.
For the rest of the day, he went from zero confidence to having the best day of his life. During that day, Matias learned to be more open and comfortable around the teachers and other kids, helping him to make friends with them. Throughout the lesson, he also learned a couple of new words in English, such as Hello, Hope, Apple, and Butter. It was the cutest thing to see him get so excited over the simplest of things. But to Matias, it was not simple; it was a start to his new life and what he would make of it. Ever since that day, as we went throughout the school year, he started to love coming to school and learning something new each day.
Throughout the whole year, I saw that little boy go from no English to fluent and confident in it within months. I still remember the day he read a whole book to me in English. I was so proud of Matias, he even wanted to read more to me. That day, during recess, I grabbed a book full of small stories, and we sat there and just read for the rest of recess. Matias was so happy and said to me, “Thanks for being my teacher and my best friend”. Then he went and lined up to go back to the classroom holding that book so close and tight to his chest, just like it was a childhood teddy bear full of hopes and dreams.
Little Matias had so much progress in just a single school year, and as I watched him continually do more and learn more, it also became part of my progress and my story. Matias became my inspiration and love for teaching. That year made me love something deep within me that I had always thought was impossible to be a teacher, but it opened my eyes to a world full of possibilities that fit passions such as mine. To be a teacher and continue to help little boys and girls who, like Matias, did not believe that they could have a happy new start.
By the end of that year, the mom of that little boy came up to me and gave me a gift in appreciation for what I had done for her kid. She gave me a wooden traditional decoration of Mexico to thank me. I still have it to this day and keep it close to my heart from what it has taught me. To always love and help others see what a beautiful thing second chances are.
Before that internship ever happened, I was lost with no purpose, not sure if teaching was my thing or the right path for me. Maybe teaching is not for everyone, or extracurricular, but it was that senior year that changed everything with just one class and a whole year of beautiful little souls that changed in a way that now life has a new meaning in more ways than I ever thought possible. And I am grateful for everything that brought me to this moment and built up my love and confidence in teaching, the path meant for me.