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Spotlight On: Amity Intern Katherine Julissa Amaya Andrade

January 21, 2020 by guest Leave a Comment

Amity recently had the pleasure of interviewing Salvadoran Intern Katherine regarding her experiences so far in the United States. Read a little bit about her transformative journey from El Divisadero Morazán all the way to Washington State below.

Tell us a little about yourself: Where is your hometown? What school are you interning at?

Hi! My name is Katherine, I am 22 years old and I am from El Salvador, this is a beautiful country divided into 14 departments or states and I come from El Divisadero Morazán, a small town full of history and pretty landscapes. I am interning at Puesta del Sol elementary school in Bellevue, Washington.

Why did you did decide to participate in the Intern Program?

I first learned about the Amity program from past Amity students. They had amazing stories that inspired me. I wanted to participate not only for the challenge but also great adventure. I want to be the person to inspire and tell amazing stories for the next round of students.

Living abroad has its ups and downs! What is your favorite part of your internship so far? What was the biggest challenge?

My favorite part of my internship is experiencing the culture. I love to talk about Salvadoran culture and I really love to learn about American culture as well. Now I have firsthand experiences to see the contrast between Salvadoran culture and American culture.

The biggest challenge for me was the culture shock. At the beginning was very difficult for me to adapt to everything new. Sometimes I felt weird about what I was doing, but now I am more comfortable, and I am enjoying every single moment and taking advantage of all the opportunities that are presented to me.

What have you shared about your culture? What do you think surprises people about your home country?

I have shared many things related to El Salvador such as patriotic symbols, food, amazing places to visit etc. Most of the time people are surprised by the culture and the different traditions in El Salvador and how the Salvadoran people are influenced by them.

What has surprised you about the United States?

There are some things that have surprised me. The first is the beautiful country! I love the United States. It is clean and everything is in order. The education system is great and amazing. I admire the families always trying to be involved in new things in order to help their children become better.

What does a typical day look for your in the United States/at school?

I wake up around 8AM and then head to school with my host family. There, I supervise the children in line at the entrance of the school in order to ensure they are ready for classes. Next, I start my reading club in 1st grade, where I am assisting students that need a bit of extra help with Spanish reading and writing. Next, I have little projects with groups of students in different subjects; sometimes, they need extra support like math and literature. I also work in conjunction with the classroom teacher in presenting curriculum material for different subjects, like social studies.

How do you think interning with Amity will benefit you, personally and professionally?

I think this opportunity will bring a lot of benefits to me both personally and professionally. Not many people from El Salvador have the opportunity to come to the United States and work here as a volunteer in a Spanish Immersion School. My dream is to become an English teacher. Having this experience will give me the opportunity to get hands-on experience teaching in an American school. I have learned about the diversity of culture in this country, giving me an open-mind.

Any advice for interns who would like to come to the United States?

Some advice that I can give to incoming interns is: try to be open-minded to the diversity of cultures in the United States, take advantage of all the great opportunities you have here and when you get constructive criticisms, analyze the feedback and think about how to improve.

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This experience changed my life! Now, I have more dreams and some other goals. I'm so thankful for everything that I've learned. I want to continue growing as a human and as a teacher. The Amity program is one the best things that ever happened to me." - Michelle, 2018-2019 Intern

We have been working with Amity for several years. Learning about different cultures, communities, traditions, music, arts, dances and more, helps our students to see the world as a global place fostering diversity and respect. Having a second adult in the classroom helps our teachers to be able to have more individualized attention to students and work on small groups. Amity has been a wonderful organization to work with, reliable and accessible, bringing highly qualified young people to work in our school."- Maria Buceta Miller, Amity School Coordinator, John Stanford International School

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Exchange Visitor Program Sponsor 🇺🇲 (BRIDGEUSA)
60+ years of building International friendship + cultural understanding by through teaching exchange 🌎

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📣Intern Admissions for the 2026-2027 School Yea 📣Intern Admissions for the 2026-2027 School Year is now open! 

Are you ready for a life exchanging experience and be part of a global community? Click the “Intern Program Registration Link” in our bio to be one of the first applicants and to secure your spot early! 

For more information on how to qualify, please visit our website at www.amity.org (link in bio).

Share our post and tag a friend below that is interested in participating in an intern program in the United States! 

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Intern Alumnus Spotlight: Elhadji Abdou Sarr from Intern Alumnus Spotlight: Elhadji Abdou Sarr from Senegal 🇸🇳

Mr. Sarr participated in Amity’s Intern Program in 2023-2024 and recently reached out to us to express his gratitude for the program along with sharing what he has been up to! 

“I wanted to take a moment to express my deep gratitude for the incredible opportunity I had through Amity Institute to work at Academy Lafayette in the United States. It was a truly enriching experience that greatly shaped my personal and professional journey.

Since returning to Senegal, I have continued working with children by teaching English to young learners. Inspired by the methods, creativity, and cultural exchange I experienced in the U.S., I have developed engaging English sessions tailored for kids here. It has been both rewarding and exciting to apply what I learned during my time with you.

I’ve attached a few pictures of my students and some of the activities we’ve been doing. I hope this gives you a glimpse of the positive impact your program continues to have—even beyond borders.

Thank you again for your support and for believing in global exchange. I would be happy to stay in touch and share more updates in the future.

Warm regards, 
Elhadji Abdou Sarr”

#bridgeUSA #j1
Another wonderful site visit at Star of the North Another wonderful site visit at Star of the North - East Bethel Campus! Mrs. Gibbons-Bullock had a lovely time visiting our teachers and meeting with the Executive Director, Mr. Rabeaa. 

Fun fact: they have a garden at the school and they share it with their teachers! 

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Amity Intern, Sergio, sharing his culture with his Amity Intern, Sergio, sharing his culture with his students! 🇪🇸

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Amity’s School Liaison Officer, Mrs. Gibbons-Bul Amity’s School Liaison Officer, Mrs. Gibbons-Bullock, had the pleasure of visiting our teachers placed at Escuela Exitos, located in Minnesota! She enjoyed spending time with the Principal, Mr. Vanegas, and spending some time with each teacher! 

#J1 #bridgeusa
“We are so lucky to have our Intern, Alex, from “We are so lucky to have our Intern, Alex, from Spain!” 🇪🇸

-Mr. Rios, Language and Immersion Coordinator

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