While working at two different bilingual schools in Guatemala City, I taught students of a high socioeconomic status, students of privilege. But the reality is that kids, rich or poor, are still kids. The little ones still cried over things like spilt milk and the adolescents still struggled with acceptance by their peers, and defining who they really were. In 2015, Guatemala faced some political upheaval as the president and vice president were ousted following a customs-import corruption scandal. Many of our wealthy parents were implicated in the corruption. As a result, students were more sensitive to what was coming out in the news regarding (sometimes) their very own parents, and in some cases, their fathers being taken to prison. While not every student has struggles like these, what it taught me is that wealth does not protect students from difficulty. Many of my students, whether or not their parents were implicated, very seldom saw their parents, much less received the love, care, and attention that every young person needs growing up. They were left to their own devices, and were often swayed by the influences of their peers. Kids will always need guidance from home, and school, as they seek to make their way in the world.
Amanda M. Orozco 