As the school year comes to an end, the Clearview Elementary community hosted a farewell picnic to thank this year’s Amity Interns and wish them well as they return to their home countries. 

 

This was the ninth year the school has participated in the program, which brings native speakers from foreign countries into the classrooms for students to experience different cultures first hand. Similar to student teachers, the interns both assist and learn how to become teachers themselves. They stay with host families so they are completely immersed in U.S. culture.

 

Clearview was home to seven Amity Interns again this year, Mayra Araniva, Lidia Alonso Vazquez, Mario Alexander Portilla, Andrea Priego Mora, Sofia Iglesias Pérez, Laura Giménez and Jennifer Andrea González León.

 

Mayra Araniva is from El Salvador. She became an Amity Intern because she loves kids and being a teacher is one of her biggest passions.

 

“I learned different teaching methodologies this year,” she said. “I really like the Amity program because you can interact with students and they really enjoy the presentations from my country.”

 

Araniva said she was going to miss the kids, her host family and the weather. She plans to start working as a teacher when she returns to El Salvador.

 

Lidia Alonso Vazquez is from Valladolid, Spain. The quote from Pythagoras, ‘Educate children and you will not have to punish men,’ inspired her to go into education and become a teacher. She became an Amity so she could get to know a new culture and different educational system.

 

“I know more about people of other cultures now,” she said, “And they had the opportunity to learn about me and my country.”

 

She will miss her host families when she returns to Spain, and plans to continue her studies in education, eventually becoming an elementary teacher.

 

Mario Alexander Portilla is from Pasto, Colombia. Already a university graduate as an English and Spanish teacher, he wanted to become an Amity so he could travel to the United States, foster his English skills, teach Spanish and share Colombian and Latin American culture.

 

“I learned a lot about language acquisition with kids,” he said.

 

Portilla said he enjoyed winter sports and traveling around the U.S. When he returns home, he plans to look for a job teaching English and Spanish.

 

Andrea Priego Mora is from Barcelona. She completed her degree in education last year, and before she started her career in Spain she wanted to learn more about different teaching methods and improve her English skills, as well as grow as a teacher and as a person.

 

“Everything is so fast here,” she said. “But I like it because the day is done. In Spain, our schedule is 9 to 5 with meetings after that.”

 

She learned a number of different teaching strategies during her time at Clearview, and said she will miss her host family and sour cream. She plans to teach or study psychology, as well as continue traveling and exploring the world.

 

Sofia Iglesias Pérez is from Valladolid, Spain. She enjoys traveling because it gives her the opportunity to know new cultures, places and customs. With the Amity program, she found a great opportunity to learn about other teaching methods and gain experience in education.

 

“I have always wanted to improve my level of English,” she said. “And I know that being here can do it in a very successful way.”

 

She said she was going to miss her host families but not the weather. She plans on obtaining her master’s degree in human resources once she returns to Spain.

 

Laura Giménez came to Clearview from Montgat, Spain. Traveling, learning from other cultures, visiting new places and meeting new friends on her trips are her favorite things to do.

 

“I have always wanted to live in the U.S. for a while to improve my English and to get to know better its culture,” she said. “Last year I found out about the Amity program and I could not miss this opportunity.”

 

Jennifer Andrea González León is from Bogotá, Colombia. She decided to participate in the Amity program to progress in her personal and professional life, as she is a language teacher in English, Spanish and French.

 

“I was looking to improve my teaching skills and I could not think of a better way or better country to do it,” she said. “Furthermore, I think that teaching my culture to students using my mother tongue allows greater interaction between these two societies learning from one another.”