Adam WozniakParticipated in 2011Volunteer Abroad | Honduras
Adam was born and raised in Wisconsin and now lives in Tacoma, WA. He loves traveling and has spent most of my time abroad in Central America and Spain. His most recent trip abroad was a trekking trip to Nepal. On the weekends you will likely find Adam outside hiking, camping, or playing soccer.He currently works for Share Our Strength, the nonprofit behind the No Kid Hungry Campaign. Previously, he was a Program Manager for a USAID implementing partner in Washington, DC, and was BECA's Program Administrator at Santa Monica Bilingual School in Vida Nueva, Honduras. He graduated with a dual major in International Economics and Spanish from the University of St. Thomas (MN) and recently completed his Master's in Applied Economics from the University of Maryland.
What inspired you to go abroad?
There were three main reasons why I decided to go abroad after college. Back in college, I studied abroad and was hooked on the adventure—every day was a new experience where I was seeing, hearing, smelling, and learning things I never knew existed before. I wanted to have that feeling again. I also wanted to improve my Spanish and do all of this while having a meaningful professional experience, doing work I could be proud of in an organization that shared my values.
Why did you choose BECA?
I learned about BECA from a friend whose mentor volunteered with BECA years before. So I started digging deeper into the organization really liked what I saw. BECA's track record was impressive, with its first partnership now 17 years strong and an array of alumni who used this experience to further their careers.
The interview process was thorough, consisting of 3 interviews that were each over an hour long. The interviewers (all alumni) did most of the talking, as they did their best to accurately paint the picture of their experiences. This interview process is what made me realize how well-aligned BECA's values were to mine.
I was impressed by BECA's commitment to authentic cross-cultural collaboration. During the application process, I was constantly reminded how I would learn much more from my host community than I would teach as an educator. BECA's model as a partner to community-run schools relied on community members as primary stakeholders in the school, who also volunteered their time and talents to ensure that their kids' school was a success.
BECA was very competitive with what they offered volunteers, including room & board, and a very professional six-week training program. The Program Administrator position also includes a flight stipend and an additional monthly stipend which is enough to cover all needs and some travel as well!
What was your favorite part of Cofradia, Honduras?
I know it is the cliche answer, but I have to say the people—the families who would invite us over to hang out, chat, and munch on baleadas or fresh papaya from the back yard; the parents who worked two jobs but always found time to help at the school; my soccer teammates who welcomed me onto their team in the local league; THE KIDS, their curiosity, boundless energy, and the perspective they gave me every day (even the days when they drove me crazy, but only in retrospect!); the 30+ parents who showed up on a Saturday to build new classroom tables; and the warmth of being part of a small community, seeing familiar faces, and making small talk around town.
What made your experience abroad unique?
How much I grew professionally. As a Program Administrator I developed so many skills that have served me later on in my career. I am a stronger leader, listener, communicator, and relationship builder as a result of the experience. I learned to be creative and inventive in a low resource environment. I became more organized and less of a procrastinator, and I learned the value of both working hard and working smart.
How did local staff help you throughout the program?
I was greeted in country by the group of trainers and Executive Director who led us through a week of orientation and six weeks of intensive training and a group bonding trip.
As a Program Administrator, I was the primary support for the four other volunteers at my school. In that regard, I saw my role as helping make all the little things at the school run as smoothly as possible so that the team could concentrate on their classrooms.
We were also supported by our In-County Director (ICD), who was able to support me in higher-level conversations with our partners and community members.
The larger team was also a great support system—our team dinners were an opportunity for us to bond, share our challenges, and support each other in a very natural way.
What is one thing you wish you would have done differently?
I wish I would have taken better advantage of the trainers' expertise during the six-week training program. The trainers were all either former BECA volunteers or teachers that were teaching in Honduras at the time. I wish I would have peppered them with more questions to better prepare me for the transition into the school year.
Describe a typical day in the life in your program.
It starts at the break of dawn with breakfast on the back porch of the volunteer house, watching the sun start to peek out from behind the green mountain range to the east. Then, it's off to school. Before the 7:15 a.m. first bell, I would usually have meetings with parents, hang out with the kids, or prep lessons for the day. The morning typically flies by with some combination of the following: team teaching, meetings with the school director, working in small groups with kids who need extra help, coordinating the work of 60+ parents who volunteer at the school in exchange for their child's scholarship, discipline meetings with kids and parents, playground duty at recess, planning school events, and mopping up barf.
Then there's lunch at noon. Most kids' parents came to school during that time to drop lunch off for their kids and sit outside and eat it with them. When I wasn't on playground duty, I would use that time to catch up with students and their families.
The afternoon—the last hour and a half of school—is always tough since it's really hot and the kids are tired. Some days have after school activities such as homework club, reading club, drama club, or English classes for parents.
Then it's home for a break before team dinner. Team dinner was at 6:00 p.m. and was a time to get together, hang out, and relax together—unless you're invited to a student's house for dinner. I usually spent the evenings relaxing on the hammocks, chatting, or playing games with my housemates before an early bedtime.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time?
When I was staying around town, I enjoyed playing soccer, visiting students' homes, hanging out with teammates, and reading.
It was also a great place to get out and see other parts of the country and region. I was able to get to see so much of Honduras—scuba diving in the Bay Islands; the amazing beaches of the Cayos Cochinos keys; the mountains, jungle and roaring river of Pico Bonito; Mayan ruins, nightlife, and cool weather in Copan Ruinas; and hiking over the mountains from Cofradia to San Pedro Sula. I was also able to visit Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Costa Rica during my two years with BECA.
What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?
I lived in BECA's volunteer house with four other volunteers. My favorite part was our shaded back porch with hammocks that looked out over the mountains—it was a great place both for quiet time and quality time with housemates.
Furnishings were basic, there was no A/C, and almost all volunteers share a room with another volunteer. The house was pretty typical for the center of Cofradia (the town I lived in).
What’s one thing every participant should know before applying to your program?
This is a challenging program. Leaving everyone you know, being in a new culture, and starting a new, demanding, and unfamiliar job all at once should not taken lightly. You will be challenged to your limit. You will have low lows and high highs. But, if you're willing to get out of your comfort zone, work hard, and learn, you will find that these challenges make for a unique and incredibly rewarding experience.
Now that you’re home, how has the time abroad impacted your life?
I've already mentioned the professional experiences and skills I developed in my time with BECA. After leaving Honduras I moved to Washington, DC to start a job in international development, a job I would have been entirely unqualified for without my BECA experience.
I also gained a deep appreciation for Honduran culture, a different way of life, and the power of communities. I believe the experience made me a more open-minded, compassionate, and informed individual.
Would you recommend BECA to others? Why?
I would definitely recommend BECA to those who are up for to challenge. BECA's partner communities are special, and I will never forget the experiences I had working and living alongside my Honduran counterparts and BECA teammates. My experience in Honduras has also been vital to my career—I would have never broken into the the international development field stateside without it.
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