by Josselin Chun Cojom

My name is Josselin Chun and I was born in Guatemala. I am currently 21 and studying at the University of New Mexico. I first came to Albuquerque for a cultural exchange with the Garden’s Edge. Through the Garden’s Edge, I visited some of the Pueblos in New Mexico, and I found them very interesting because they have their own native languages like we do in Guatemala.

After my cultural exchange was over, Sarah and her family invited me to live with them and help me go to college. I did not speak any English, so before I could go to UNM, I needed to learn! I went to the Center for English Language and American Culture (CELAC) program at The University of New Mexico to learn English.When I went to CELAC I was expecting to learn more about American culture.

Learning English was very difficult because I did not like reading or writing. I grew up in a family where storytelling was more important than reading or writing. But I tried to learn because I wanted to speak English.

However, my expectation changed when I found out that my classmates were from all over the world. I made friends from Saudi Arabia, Brazil, China, and other countries. I was interested in learning about them and their cultures, but since they all spoke different languages, English was the only language we could use to communicate. Learning about my friends and the places where they came from became an inspiration for me to learn English. After four semesters at CELAC, I passed my TOEFL test. Passing the TOEFL is required for non-native English speakers who want to attend college in the United States. In the fall of 2016, I started studying at the University of New Mexico, Valencia Campus. I am very happy to be a student there, and very thankful to have this opportunity.

Growing up in Guatemala

As a child, I grew up in a small village in the ­­­­­­­northern part of Guatemala helping my parents. They used to plant large amounts of corn and also produced coffee. Later, they became part of Qachuu Aloom. They were very excited because they started learning new techniques for gardening and I was able to get a scholarship for high school in Guatemala from the Garden’s Edge. I grew up speaking Spanish and Achi, the Mayan language that people speak in my town. Now that I speak English, I am able to help translate things in three different languages.

Since I became part of the Garden’s Edge, I have learned many things. I have also been able to share my story and help the Garden’s Edge do presentations in the United States. We travel to different Native American communities to share our knowledge and plant Amaranth (a traditional Guatemalan grain) in those communities across the U.S.

 

I am blessed to have the opportunity to meet new people and I am very excited to keep learning to read and write in English writing because now I actually enjoy reading and writing.

My experiences with Qachuu Aloom and The Garden’s Edge have allowed me to share my story not only with the people in my own country, but with others.

Maltiox | ¡Gracias! | Thank you!