Photo by hopefulist on Flickr
August 2009: Stacey Holeman, a frequent trip leader and traveler in Central America, visited San Pedro La Laguna in Guatemala for some on-location language learning. While immersing in the local culture and spending time with Guatemalan families, Stacey learned that children of the region can only continue their education beyond 6th grade if their parents can afford tuition – which is beyond the means of many local subsistence farmers and laborers. As a teacher of special needs kids back home in The Dalles, Oregon, Stacey was particularly disturbed by this.
She decided to do something about it, and The Beca Project was born. From Stacey and her husband’s initial sponsorship of one deserving student, The Beca Project has grown to support the continued education of 29 students with renewable scholarships for as long as they want to stay in school, and the Holemans are working to offer even more students the opportunity to keep learning.
Photo by hopefulist on Flickr.
The Beca Project is by no means Stacey’s only link to Central America. She also developed a Spanish-language immersion program, called Live and Learn in Latin America. During her summers off from teaching autistic children in Oregon, Stacey heads south to guide individuals through the culture and language of Central American countries, helping them to make the most of their time and acquire Spanish-speaking skills that would take three times as long to learn in a classroom setting.
Between working with disabled children, running a non-profit, and leading trips to Latin America, Stacey took a few minutes to speak with us about her work.
Amble Resorts: You wear a lot of hats these days. Which of your roles do you consider to be the most important?
Stacey Holeman: My favorite role is “mother,” but “teacher” is also a big part of who I am. The importance of my work as an educator drove me to acquire Spanish skills, then develop a mission to get more educators in my community working on their skills, too. Eventually it led to The Beca Project.
AR: How receptive have your fellow educators been to learning Spanish?
SH: Some are intimidated or just plain too busy – acquiring a second language takes some dedication, and teachers often put in a lot of extra time just to keep their heads above water with school work.
Many have tried over and over, on their own or at the local community college, or they took Spanish language courses in high school or college years ago, and in any event have little to show for it. That’s where immersion study in Latin America comes in; I can learn more in a week at a quality Spanish school while living with a local family that doesn’t speak English than I can in a whole term of college Spanish.
When I started leading groups to Honduras and Guatemala for Spanish study, some of my coworkers trusted me enough to try something they’d never done before: visit a developing country for language and cultural immersion. We’ve taken some remarkable trips together.
AR: What’s your best memory from all your travels in Central America?
SH: One of the happiest times I’ve ever had anywhere was the second annual celebration dinner for The Beca Project on Lake Atitlán in Guatemala last July. Several parents helped the students put on a cultural show with traditional songs and dances and a poignant and at times hilarious play about Maya courtship rituals, specific to San Pedro. They presented me with a plaque that is one of my most prized possessions. This occasion was also the first time my husband had visited San Pedro, which made it extra special. It was hard to say goodbye.
I’ll be going back in the summer to visit each family and put on the third annual dinner – I think about that nearly every day, but it’s too soon to start a countdown.
AR: Is your family involved in your work?
SH: A big part of our inspiration for starting The Beca Project was that one of our three children was born in Guatemala and joined us through adoption when he was four (he’s now 26). We traveled to Guatemala in the ‘80s to bring him home – that was our introduction to the country. It was important to all of us that he grow up with a respect for his Guatemalan and Maya background. We’ve enjoyed learning about the Maya culture, which is a very colorful and dynamic one.
Our 25-year-old son Isaac co-founded a nonprofit organization which functions in countries around the world, but he’s based mainly in eastern Africa. His help in developing the website and answering business questions has been invaluable to our success.
Our daughter Mariah and her husband Greg stepped up to sponsor a student as soon as they learned about our idea for this project, before it even had a name. Greg’s parents are also sponsors, and his mom and brother will join me for a week with the Beca students in Guatemala this summer. One of my husband’s sisters and her husband also sponsor a child, another sister-in-law cosponsors, and one of my sisters has contributed to the emergency food and medical fund and the housing project… there are a lot of us involved!
AR: How do you weave together your family life, teaching, and traveling?
SH: Common threads with all my vocations and avocations are research, photography, and journaling. I like to read about the places I’ll visit, help others prepare for their travels, and develop photo collections, blogs, and travelogues about my trips. I also enjoy online travel forums and continue to work on my Spanish skills.
The amount of time I spend on the Beca Project has grown exponentially since we started it two years ago, but it’s pure joy – one of the happiest, best things about my life (second only to my family).
AR: What’s the greatest insight you’ve gained from learning and teaching “second language”?
SH: There are a lot of reasons for learning a second language, including enhancing professions in many fields. I didn’t realize how much learning Spanish would enhance my travel experiences in Latin America. I’ve gone from seeing the culture of the places I visit to a more three-dimensional immersion. I loved traveling before I could speak Spanish, but now I treasure it.
AR: Is there anything you’d like to tell the present generation of children?
SH: I wish people felt more empowered to study a new language. It’s good for the brain and can sometimes be heart-changing, too – it was for me! I also wish that everyone could find their special project, whatever it is and whatever the scale: something that feels right and makes the world a better place.
To find out more about Stacey Holeman’s work, check out her websites for The Beca Project and Live & Learn Latin America, and visit her Flickr page to see more photos and trip reports from her Central America travels.
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