Last Day at CENLEX

It is really hard to believe that today was my last day at CENLEX. Almost 8 months ago, I started working here, getting to know the students and teachers. Now, it is going to be hard to leave the many friends that I have made. In order to make the goodbye more enjoyable, Cammie and I planned several events for the students.

First, we took them on an English scavenger hunt around campus. There were 4 teams of students and each team had to figure out a letter puzzle. Once the puzzle was solved, it determined where they needed to go next.

After that Cammie and I provided some snacks for the students, which included Rice Krispie treats, Rice Krispie treat caramel balls (everything you can make without a stove), and chocolate chip cookies. Our students brought lots of other goodies, including chips, cookies, drinks, and a delicious mango cake. Andy also came for the celebration, and it was nice to have him there. The man wearing the pinkish-white shirt is Alejandro…I will never forget when he acted out the word “sleigh” during a game of charades. He got his hips moving and everything trying to put on his best impression of Santa Claus. Alejandro is doing a recap for us in this picture.

Following snacks, Cammie and I hosted a water balloon toss. Yep, that’s right. We filled over 25 balloons with water in the CENLEX bathroom beforehand. Everything was going great and the students were loving the event, when we were suddenly “shutdown” by the authorities. Apparently, we were making too much noise and it was just too messy. The worst part of the whole deal was that they sent out a custodian to “mop up” the water that was on the pavement. We were outside for heaven’s sake, but oh well. Can’t mess with the big guys.

After spending time with the students, the morning teachers invited us in to the English coordination center for a little goodbye party. They bought pastes de mole for everyone and also provided lots of drinks.

In the afternoon, the other group of teachers did something similar. They bought whole wheat empanadas for us stuffed with a variety of vegetables. There was so much food that by the time I left CENLEX, I felt like I was going to burst. We stopped to pose for a picture with our two wonderful and crazy bosses, Frank and Charlie. It was really hard to say goodbye. I must say that everyone at CENLEX made me feel extremely welcomed not only during my first few days, but throughout my stay.

Thanks to the IPN and CENLEX for hosting me as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. I truly appreciated it!

Click for more pictures!

Abrazos, Nicole