During my first week in Kingston, Jamaica, I was on a quest to find where I would complete the service portion of my study abroad program. I had high expectations for myself and wanted to work in place that would most benefit from what I could give. I chose to work as a teacher’s assistant for a youth development program at the Kingston YMCA. The program focused on providing life skills and raising self esteem of at-risk youth so that they could become responsible, successful citizens.
The YMCA staff was struggling to obtain this goal. The uncertified teachers had the heart but not the means to help the students to succeed; the program was only locally funded and could not afford highly educated teachers. Thus, I took on the task of organizing a program to train the existing teachers.
I had found my path, but the road to accomplishment threw more than a few curves at me. The teachers were not as accepting of my intentions as I had hoped. They did not think I could live in their world even understand their culture. My immediate response was to gain their support, respect, and trust by immersing myself in the Jamaican culture and society. I embraced their customs. I road the bus to work and school, ate and cooked Caribbean food, stayed in a Jamaican home, and even learned to speak some basic Patios, Jamaica’s second language. Not only did I prove myself to them, I fell in love with this culturally rich island.
Shaker High
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