Marya Washburn '04

Marya Washburn '04

Major(s): Spanish, Sociology

Employer: Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center, my Americorps Public Allies placement.
Country of residence: United States

What was your Spanish language-based experience upon graduation from Bowdoin?
I have spent this past year in Estes Park, Colorado, working as the Foreign Language intern for a residential alternative high school called the Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center. The internship is through the Americorps Public Allies program, and it is a year long placement. I work side by side with a team of instructional specialists, helping students find success in a high school made for students that had been labeled as “failures” and “dropouts” in other settings. I teach Spanish, social studies, literature, service, and anything else I want to, though my focus is Spanish. This summer, I was able to co-teach a class that went to Guatemala, our first international expedition ever. The Guatemala trip was an incredible experience, and I have definitely made my mark on the school by helping the international program get it’s feet off the ground. In August I will leave this position, but not before receiving an Alternative Teaching License in Foreign Language for the state of Colorado. Eagle Rock has paid for me to get this license and I plan on using it, with reciprocity, in other states. In addition to a license, I am gaining endless amounts of teaching and mentoring experience, especially since I live on campus along with the eleven other Public Allies interns, who work in areas from Math to Counseling. I use my Spanish daily with the native speakers at Eagle Rock as well as with the Spanish-speaking population of Estes Park. It’s a wonderful job in a wonderful state, where Spanish is spoken in many different places. I highly recommend it to anyone.

What was your motivation for searching out a Spanish language-based
experience upon graduation from Bowdoin?
I heard about this school from a Bowdoin Alumni who interned here previously. She told me that this school had really changed her life, and so I knew that I could not pass up the opportunity to work here. They offered me the Spanish position, and I accepted it immediately.

What previous experiences prepared you for your experience?
Living in Chile for a year, which helped me gain more fluency in Spanish, helped prepare me for teaching Spanish as well as living in a very different sort of community. This school is also very tough academically and mentally, which is something I learned how to handle at Bowdoin.

What methods, contacts, etc. did you use to arrange your experience?
Like I stated above, a Bowdoin alumni contact told me about Eagle Rock, and from there, it’s history.

Country in which you are currently residing:
United States

Organization for which you are working:
Eagle Rock School and Professional Development Center, my Americorps Public Allies placement.

Are you currently using your Spanish language skills?
Yes

Did your experience influence your current and/or future career choice and job skills? If so, how?
Yes. I now know that I want to always surround myself with some sort of Spanish speaking community, be it through teaching, volunteering, or simply living.

Are you willing to be contacted by students who are interested to learn more about your experience?
Yes, definitely.

Story posted on September 21, 2005

« Back | More Career Profiles | Go to News Home