From Lost to Found: The Personal Development of a Fellow
I have always wanted to work with teens and young adults. My goal has always been to help them to improve their quality of life through counseling and personal development programs. When I got the chance to work with the A Ganar Workforce Development Program at the DREAM Project, I jumped on that opportunity. I was eager to work with Dominican youth but not sure if I was ready to work with them in a classroom setting. You see, I never had aspirations to be a teacher; while I respected the profession, I never truly pictured myself following that career path. When I was told that I would be in charge of giving the English classes for the second phase of A Ganar, I was hesitant, but ultimately I said, “okay, I will try.” Having no prior experience in a proper classroom, I signed my contract, moved my life to Cabarete, and became La Profe de Inglés all within the span of one month. That first month for me was the hardest. Not only did I have to learn how to lesson plan, but I also had to learn how to be an effective teacher all while trying to overcome my crippling fear of public speaking. Can someone please explain to me how someone can stand in front of a class of extroverted teens and teach them new material all while being uncomfortable not only with presenting in front of large groups, but also taking on a role that was completely foreign to them? Newsflash: it’s not easy!
My experience teaching in the DR
That first month, imposter syndrome was the theme and “fake it ‘til you make it” was my mantra. My first day of class with the 34th cohort of A Ganar felt like I had been thrown into a 12-foot-deep pool without any floating devices and even fewer swimming skills. Nevertheless, somehow, I got through it; each day after that got easier and easier. With my second group, the 35th A Ganar cohort, as the lead teacher, I was now able to teach the classes without the threat of nerves, and I was slowly gaining the confidence to add my own subject matter and really personalize the classes. That newfound confidence allowed me to see what hadn’t been clear to me before: I had been restricting myself to a specific career path based on my fear and avoidance of public speaking. I thought that the only thing that I could do with my psychology degree was become a therapist. I failed to see just how much psychology was applied to teaching and just how much I enjoyed applying my degree in this work.
Teaching in a classroom allowed me to directly socialize with the students and relate to them in ways that would not have been possible had I not been teaching. Seeing how the students interacted with the lessons and captured the information given to them was also a great experience, because it not only showed me that I had the capability of relaying new information to them, but I had a talent for it. I had a talent for creating a fun and safe space where students were eager to learn in my class, and that showed me that I wasn’t just a Fellow. Through DREAM and A Ganar, I had become an educator, a person with a passion for relaying information and helping the newer generation to become educated members of society. What started off as a gap year for a confused twenty-something turned out to be a year of re-discovery for a young woman with new goals, dreams, and an entire world of opportunities, and that is all thanks to that one day when I decided, on a whim, that I would move to Cabarete and spend the next eight months giving back to my country.
About the Author: Sashairy Henriquez, A Ganar Fellow
Sashairy Henriquez is a 22-year-old Dominican-American from New Jersey. She recently graduated from the University of Tampa with a BA in Psychology. Her plans for the future include attending graduate school to attain a Master's degree in Global Health and ultimately work for an NGO just like the DREAM Project.