Maria Elicia Sánchez never liked math in school. In fact, as a student, she found the subject intimidating and frustrating. But instead of shying away from it, she realized that if she was struggling with math, so were others. For Maria Elicia, the root of this problem wasn’t the students—it was the lack of support and training for teachers. This realization in turn motivated Maria Elicia to become the math teacher she never had.
Now 33 years old, Maria Elicia feels she has been able to achieve her dream of becoming a professional who can give back to her community. In 2019, Maria Elicia became just the second person and first woman from Chajul to earn a bachelor’s degree in math, and is currently the only one currently working professionally in her field of study. And she already boasts 10 years of professional experience teaching middle school math at public schools in Chajul.
However, none of this would have been possible according to Maria Elena without the support of Limitless Horizons Ixil’s Youth Development Program (YDP), which allowed her to attend middle school despite her family’s financial challenges and not speaking any Spanish in 7th grade. With the help of a scholarship and intensive Spanish classes, she went on to become one of just eight YDP students to graduate from high school in 2011.
Now, her education and innovative teaching methods are already making a mark in the community. “In the past, math education was based on memorization. Plus, teachers didn’t have the training to teach the subject well, and there were no resources outside of school that we could turn to for support,” Maria Elicia explains. While creating her lesson plans, Maria Elicia is always thinking about how to make math more accessible for her students. “I realized that each teacher needs to dedicate their time to keep improving and to make our classes as good as they can be for our students. So I focus on teaching math logically, not just as rote memorization of formulas,” she says. “I even try to get parents to pitch in so that students can get more of a hands-on learning experience.”
Her approach is working. “I’ve had students come back from studying in other towns and tell me that I helped them understand math better than their new teachers,” she shares proudly. Families have noticed a shift too—students who were once afraid of math are now confident and engaged, and don’t shy away from the subject when it inevitably comes up in the diverse fields her students have ended up in: from medicine to systems engineering.
Maria Elicia’s story is a powerful example of students who dedicate themselves to becoming the change that they want to see in their own community. Thanks to Limitless Horizons Ixil’s support, she has not only transformed her own life but is now inspiring the next generation of students to see math as a tool for success, rather than an obstacle.
This giving season, support Limitless Horizons Ixil to empower more changemakers like Maria Elicia.