My name is Mario Alfonso Rodriguez Peralta. I am 27 years old and I was fortunate enough to have support from the Asla Foundation from 2013 until 2020. I am from a community called El Espino, a small farming community about 2 hours from Condega. Most people plant beans and corn for consumption. With the help of Asla I received support for 2 years of high school and 5 years at the University. At that time I studied at a University in Condega, but now the branch is closed. I received my degree in English, and now I am an English teacher in the community of San Jose de Pire, which is about 40 minutes from where I live. I teach all levels of English to about 130 students in all five levels of high school, grades 7-11. San Jose de Pire is also a farming community, slightly bigger than El Espino, but with a population of less than 600 people. Classes are all day on Saturdays. Wednesdays are half a day for tutorial support.
I am so grateful to my family for giving me love and good values. I have two younger brothers who are 21 and 24. My brother Hector is looking for a job in Spain; if he has not found a job soon he might come home at Christmas. My other brother Danis works construction in Costa Rica. My father is a farmer of beans and corn. Sometimes he produces more than we can eat, and then he sells the extra in Condega. My mom works in the home.
I like to help people who want to learn, and I feel it is important for high school students to learn English. When not teaching, I am prepping for classes and traveling to Condega for meetings at the Education Department. And in my free time, I help my dad with the farming. I also love to listen to music.
Thank you, Asla, for your support and for helping me to have a career which I love and, at the same time, allows me to help others.