Final Days

The final day of teaching and school counseling was successful for all of the students.  The difficult part was saying goodbye to the students and teachers that we have come to know.  The children and teachers hugged us and waved as we left the village schools.  It is amazing how close that we have become in such a short time.  The UL group went to Arts Festival to see the students perform on Tuesday night.

The school teachers and administrators were extremely complimentary of the UL teacher ed student's teaching skills, professionalism, preparation, and thoughtfulness about culture.  All three schools want us to come back to work there again next year.

On Wednesday, we drove back through the mountains toward Belize City.  We stopped at the capital city of Belmopan to eat lunch.  After lunch one group went to the University of Belize for a tour and to see the US Embassy and Belize government buildings.  The other group went to the Belize Zoo.  We reconnected at the zoo and drove back through Belize City to our hotel for the night.  After an excellent dinner, we met to talk a bit about the trip. 

I'm so proud of the UL group for their hard work and preparation for this trip.  They were flexible in the midst of changes.  They were respectful and kind to one another as well as those that we met on our journey.  Each of them has the gift of teaching, counseling, and working with young people.   It was wonderful to hear their stories at the end of the work days.  They learned so much about teaching and themselves.  It has been a joy to work and travel with them.  Parents, loved ones and UL faculty, you too should be very proud of these wonderful young people.  They represented the US, the University of Louisville, and the College of Education and Human Development in an exemplary manner. 

Thank you to Dr. Sandra Duncan who was willing to bring school counselors to the schools for the first time.  Her group did a great job.  

My special thanks to Margaret Zettergren and Nicole Glenos who were the interns from the Administration of Higher Education program.  They were wonderful to help with every aspect of the trip.  These two young women are creative, resourceful, and intelligent.  They can plan a trip, run a budget, organize meals for 19, plan excursions, carry 5-gallon bottles of water, drive large vans, and get tires repaired.  There was nothing that they would not tackle.  I'm especially grateful to them for their leadership.

We head to to the airport this morning, but the memories of our journey will stay with us for a lifetime.  It has been a great trip!  -  Margaret Pentecost