My first blog, and my name was available! Very exciting.
My journey began more than a year ago when I
was accepted to an Educational Leadership Doctoral Program at the University of
North Carolina at Wilmington. This
spring, I have the opportunity to explore higher education in Belize, by collaborating
with faculty and staff at schools in San Ignacio during a 10 day internship.
I am expecting the biggest difference between
San Ignacio and Wilmington to be in the ecological biodiversity rather than the
school structure and curriculum. In
driving just four hours south of Wilmington to Charleston, SC, there are palm
and palmetto trees, so I imagine Belize, being so much closer to the equator, will
be very hot and humid with dense plant, animal, and bird species which I have
never before seen.
I venture to guess
the people of Belize will be equally warm and diverse in appearance, language
heritage, and cuisine. I have already
exchanged money and had been expecting worn bills, but received crisp new bills
through AAA. I see that the BZ$100 is
larger than the ten or twenty denominations in size. Featured on the Belizean bills are tropical
fish, birds, and plants along with the Queen of England’s image, providing a
Commonwealth cultural snapshot of the country.
I also imagine that life will slow
down when I am in Belize, as there will be just enough contextual
differences to make an impression on my mind.
I imagine that many things Americans take for granted such as lines
painted on public roads or outside lighting at night are not available in
developing countries such as Belize.
I
am looking forward to meeting and collaborating with faculty and staff in San
Ignacio while assisting them with their development needs. I am also looking forward to speaking with
students and instructors about issues that both locations encounter and sharing
best practices.
