Johnathan Branch, USA
My first contact with INEPAS came about through its Spanish Language Immersion Program. Tired of spending my days memorizing the 300 most useful Spanish verbs or alternatively embarrassing myself while trying to order a taco, I looked into the immersion experience and decided it was the only way to truly learn a language.
Fortunately (for a variety of reasons) I attended the program at INEPAS. Choosing to participate in an immersion program was easy enough. Guatemala's reputation for language schools certainly helped this decision along. Possibly the most difficult choice - without knowing anyone there at that point in time - was choosing the right school. I ended up spending a fair amount of time researching the different factors, such as location and organization, etc.
My final decision was for INEPAS. The quality of instruction is a vital factor when choosing a school. I chose to also consider other factors, such as involvement with the community and with social projects. According to these criteria, I came to the decision that INEPAS was where I would learn Spanish. It turned out to be a very good decision.
A few years after my studies at INEPAS I decided to return, but this time to participate in the social projets, as a volunteer. This experience is one which I will never forget. For me, it opened doors to a (world-wide) community of people attempting to take a less than perfect situation, and make something better out of it. What originally began as a short-term commitment of a few months eventually transformed itself into years of direct contact in Xela, and a long-term commitment to INEPAS from afar.
A long story made short - for those of you considering INEPAS, whether to learn Spanish or to contribute your time and effort to improving the situation in Guatemala through direct involvement - I can only say that the experience for me was personally rewarding, and has permanently enriched my life. I wish you the best of luck. Just remember to pack a few extra pair of underwear when you do go - the journey might last a bit longer than you had expected.
