I've done a lot of volunteer work in Central America, but VolunQuest is one that has trained me to be the best global citizen. We live and work directly with the community of a small island in the Mexican Caribbean. Part of living abroad is branching out and becoming independent. VolunQuest allows you to grow as a teacher, a co-worker and an individual.
Life on a 5 mile long, ½ mile wide island called Isla Mujeres is more fulfilling than anything I've experienced before. It is about a 30 minute ferry ride from Cancun, México and is everything that an island should be; tranquilo (relaxed), gorgeous, great weather, white sand beaches, sea turtles and even the coolest ever whale sharks. But, my take on island life is a bit more detailed than what your normal Joe Shmoe would come up with. I come from a itty bitty all women’s university that only has about 600 students, 100 faculty and about 50 horses. I am used to small communities and I have learned throughout my 4 years of college to notice every detail and make use of everything a small, close knit community has to offer.
Most people think of the tourism that Isla Mujeres has to offer, the beautiful beaches, tasty margaritas and an exotic paradise to escape your reality at home. To me, Isla Mujeres is an island FILLED with incredible Mayan history, interesting people, delicious food, the best music and a relaxed way of life. But most of all, the anthropology geek in me loves this island for it’s unique culture. I came here to indulge myself into a new way of life, to give into making a difference in the community and to the community making a difference in me. Living on a tiny island isn’t all beaches, bikinis and margaritas. I believe in the work hard, play hard motto here on the island. Yes, we do have access to the beaches and pools, drinks and fun times, however we work hard every day of the week and after hours.
Not only am I speaking on the volunteer teachers behalf, but mainly for the locals. Our neighbors, our student’s parents and even some of the students are the ones working in the hotels, the beach clubs, and the bars that tourists enjoy. The locals are the ones who work to make this island the exotic escape that it is to the tourists. Living the island life is more than an extended vacation at the beach. To me, it is about living like a local, learning their way of life and how to work hard for the better of the whole community.
Living like a local is about guessing what animal made the mystery poop on your porch. It’s about not needing to set an alarm because the Zeta Gas truck comes through the neighborhood around 7AM every morning. It’s about living with 3 strangers, hoping our internet will work for movie night and trying to figure out how to do laundry by hand. It’s about language barriers, Spanish and British! Haha. Living like a local is NEVER being on time because who knows what is slowing you down, your golf cart with a flat tire or an iguana crossing the road. It’s about getting to know your neighbors, like the tamale lady who also sells fruit at the market in the AM. It’s about learning how to make-it-work. Living like a local is a quest. It’s the quest of volunteering abroad, the quest of a new life and a new culture. It’s about making your community a better place, one wave and a “Buenos días” at a time.
Teaching abroad isn't just an inside the classroom job. It isn't just moving to another country to have fun. It isn't just "teaching English". It's changing lives. It's being a role model to these students. It's being that building block for them to be something more in their futures. It's being a new friend. VolunQuest benefits over 2,000 students on this tiny island. I have 400 students, I see them everywhere. The smile on their face when they run up and tackle me with a hug is the greatest appreciation you can receive.
Every time I travel somewhere, the saying always proves true, “time flies when you’re having fun.” A friend on facebook recently commented on a picture of mine saying, “You look so happy in every picture you post!” And I truly am. Living in Mexico has exceeded any expectation I had. I highly recommend this experience to anyone who loves children, Central America, the beach, tacos, adventures and changing lives <3
Response from VolunQuest
Jessica, we are sorry to hear you had a negative experience as one our interns. We have had many interns complete this program who had a very positive and fulfilling experience, and we regret this was not the case. Other interns from your semester remained friends and often come to the island to visit, and one stayed for a year longer as the Director of Education because she too believed in our vision.
We would, however, like to address a few more of your concerns. As a VQ intern, there are rules and expectations within the contract that are different from a paid volunteer participant. Unfortunately, you did not get to participate in the final outing with the other interns because your intern contract was violated and terminated. There were political comments on your Facebook that were offensive to Mexican Nationals, which violates our social media policy because we are working in the Mexican public-school system. Also, we have had to add additional house rules due to the multiple conflicts with your roommates that arouse during your semester in the program, which related to your personal life outside of teaching.
We are unsure what you mean by power-hungry. VolunQuest does have rapport with all of the inhabitants of the island and the parents of our students, due to our multiple outreach campaigns and programs. As you learned, VolunQuest participants become sort of local celebrities, with parents and students often greeting and running up to the interns in public outside of the schools. However, this is only a byproduct of the work that we do here and in no way is our ultimate goal or mission. We like to think that the positive relationship that we have with the people in the community is a constant reminder of us doing a good job. Anyone who contacts local businesses in Isla Mujeres will quickly learn that we work with and are supported by a multitude of companies. We work with Barlitos, Marina Paraíso, Hotel Cha Chi, The Joint, Ruben’s, Chilito’s, Fayne’s, Lola Valentina, Madera Food and Art, Skulls Landing, Green Demon, Barracuda Skate, Everything Isla, Mundaca Real Estate, Pocna Dive Center, and Acción Isla, to name a few.
You were asked over text message to remove a Facebook post about building a wall between Mexico and the United States, which was the third warning in violation against your contract. Your first warnings happened when the teacher’s complained about mistreatment of the students. There was a one on one meeting with the president of VolunQuest, where she offered her support to work with you every day to help improve classroom management skills. The director asked you in person to please remove the social media post, and when that was refused, the contract was canceled. Upon termination, we provided housing and transport to the airport, made sure that you had everything that you needed to get home safely and did not charge you for your violated contract, even though we had the legal right to do so.
We understand that you are upset about being removed from the program, but we wish you the best in your future endeavors and hope that at some point you will reflect on your time with VolunQuest and take away something positive from the experience.