Sabrina’s Guatemalan Escapades

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This picture, taken by Sabrina Spillari, shows the village of Antigua, Guatemala.

In the months of July and August, schools close and students are free to spend their time doing whatever they want to do. Some students spend this time working, others spend it with friends, but this summer, senior Sabrina Spillari decided to do something a little different. Spillari spent the summer in Guatemala studying Spanish. “I wanted to perfect my Spanish because it is a very important part of my future career,” Spillari explained. In the future she hopes to become a Spanish teacher for elementary school students.

Spillari lived in Antigua, Guatemala with her grandmother, and attended Escuela Christiana, a Spanish learning school, four hours a day for 38 days. When she wasn’t in school she spent time at the local beaches, famous for their black sand, and in Guatemala City visiting her dad’s family. “I have 33 cousins in Guatemala and I know every single one of their names,” she stated.

During school, students were expected to speak only in Spanish. “I didn’t find it challenging because I usually speak Spanish at home with my family,” Spillari explained, “but it was very different and the experience of being alone without my parents and only my grandmother was amazing and I really enjoyed it.”

While in Guatemala, Spillari enjoyed making friends with a lot of kids who had moved to Guatemala from the United States. She also enjoyed getting to see her family every single day.“I loved it in Guatemala, if I could I would move there tomorrow,” exclaimed Spillari. “Going to Guatemala was a wonderful experience and it greatly improved my use of the Spanish language.”

“I loved it in Guatemala, if I could I would move there tomorrow,” exclaimed Spillari. “Going to Guatemala was a wonderful experience and it greatly improved my use of the Spanish language.”