Laura Salas, Costa Rica
"I feel fortunate to teach my students that the world is much bigger and wider than they could possibly imagine."
Laura Salas is a third-term VIF teacher teaching elementary Spanish at Benton Heights Elementary School in Union County Schools, North Carolina.
My friend was in her first year with the VIF Program when she called me and said: "You have to apply! This is for teachers just like you - teachers who love planning new activities, who like adventures and who enjoy challenges." So I took her advice, and I am now in my third year with the VIF Program, working for Union County Schools in Monroe, North Carolina.
When I arrived, I had an excellent local advisor: a Canadian VIF teacher in her third year. She helped me choose an apartment, get my driver's license and Social Security number and apply for basic utilities for my apartment. My local advisor was a real friend for me, explaining to me life in the USA. She and another teacher helped collect donations from community members, and they filled my empty home with a bed, a couch and much more. I had no words to thank them! I understood that it was the beginning of a wonderful time during this new experience!
They welcomed me with similar warmth and support at Benton Heights Elementary School, where I still today feel valued as a professional. I have always had the support of our principal and assistant principals. They promote the learning of a second language in our school. All teachers are also interested in knowing and learning about my culture and my country. Many of them want to visit Costa Rica and the rainforest, our beaches and the volcanoes they have heard about in my lessons.
I feel fortunate to teach my students than the world is much bigger and wider that they could possibly imagine. They learn that there are many countries in the world and that one of those countries is the wonderful place were I was born: the only country in Latin America where there is no army, filled with animal and plant life, where everyone speaks Spanish!
Through my lessons, I offer students the chance to travel around the world and get to know new cultures, customs and languages. My students, learning Spanish, know about the importance of knowing more than one language. They are also learning respect for cultural differences, which makes me feel satisfied and proud. Their learning is thanks to VIF, which has given the chance to be a cultural ambassador, one of the greatest objectives of this exchange program.
My students are always excited about the new things that they are going to learn. Last year, a group of six boys and six girls performed traditional Costa Rican dances during one of the PTA meetings. Another time, a group of Girl Scouts from our school represented Costa Rica for a Girl Scout activity, and they asked me to join them. We wore typical Costa Rican costumes and made gallo pinto, a traditional food from my country.
Without a doubt, coming here has been the best decision I have ever made in my career as a teacher. VIF has provided me with the opportunity to grow as a professional, to learn, to share, to fulfill many goals, to make new friends and to travel.