Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Smallest of Small Worlds

I'm back in Phoenix now for a while.

Let me share with you one last story of serendipity from Mexico:
Sunday morning, I got up early, packed, and left for the bus station to catch a bus for Mexico City. As I was lugging my suitcase, my backpack, and my carry-on through the station, headed for the ticket window, I hear, "Excuse me, aren't you from Phoenix?"
"Well, yes."
"You were my English teacher at Paradise Valley Community College."
The guy's name was Arellano and he was one of my ESL (English as a Second Language) students about 5 years ago at PVCC. He finished his 2-year Associate's degree in Business, perfected his English, and came back to Mexico. Today, he has a good job as a supervisor in a manufacturing plant (where English skills are required). He'd just gotten married and was seeing his parents off at the bus station. He's not from Queretaro, but moved there for the job.

Now, what's the likelihood of running into a former student in such a remote corner of the world?

Don't know the odds,but it was an amazing moment. How rewarding to know that my teaching helped him in some small way get a better job and have a better life! Arellano said he is happy and that Queretaro is a wonderful place to live.

I couldn't have asked for a nicer finish to 3 months in Mexico.