Spanish Professor Maria Rodriguez

Spanish professor Maria Rodriguez knows how to keep herself busy. Her life resembles a delicate juggling act, with several balls, pins and flaming batons all in the air at once. She also has the ability to do it all with a smile, as she really seems to be enjoying it. Perhaps she is.

"I have this gift. I have so much energy, I am always happy," said Rodriguez.

The juggling act is performed with a career at Calvin, the pursuit of doctoral degree in education curriculum and instruction, as well as tending to a family of six children. To top it all off, four of the six children were born last year as quadruplets, which she describes as "a blessing."

"My only concern was whether I would be able to love all of them. I didn't even think if I could support the babies (financially)," explained Rodriguez.

Her children are undoubtedly her number one priority. When she discusses them, Rodriguez glows. You can bet in conversation that she will revert back to her kids at some point, almost as if they are at the core of her life and everything else simply orbits around them.

Rodriguez's own family life growing up was very dynamic. She was born and raised in Honduras. When she was a teenager, her life took an abrupt turn. Missionaries from Grand Rapids working in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, adopted her and brought her back to the States.

The reason for the adoption was more of an opportunistic move. Her biological mother was perfectly fit to raise her, but the kind of doors a life in the United States would open, both spiritually and economically, were not present in Honduras.

The move was not as difficult as one might expect for Rodriguez, it seems that she was born to be a juggler who can adapt to different challenges being thrown her way.

"I adjust so easy, my biological mother said that I have a gypsy heart," claimed Rodriguez.

She stayed in America until she earned her bachelor's degree at Grand Valley State University, at which point she went back home to Honduras to pursue her master's degree. Rodriguez said it was strange to see the different teaching style at the National Autonomous University of Honduras.

"The teachers there thought they were gods. If they liked you, you passed. If they didn't, then you failed," claimed Rodriguez.

After completing her masters, she began teaching at the university for teachers. There she was made coordinator of a new program, called English as a Second Language. It was a difficult position for someone who had just graduated, but she notes it earned her respect within the school, something that has lasted.

"Everyday I still get two or three emails from the teachers there (in Honduras)," Rodriguez commented, "And I know I still have a spot there."

Prior to coming to Calvin College this year, she taught at Grand Valley for two years, a job she found on the Internet while in Honduras. It was a tough decision to make, but she decided it was best for her career and family.

All along she had her eye on Calvin. All of her siblings in America had graduated from there and she wanted to attend the school as well, but did not have the English proficiency at the time. After graduating she always kept on the look out for an opening at Calvin.

"The reason I wanted to come was because of the Christian environment," explained Rodriguez.

She has found the atmosphere at Calvin to be similar to the one at the teacher's college in Honduras, especially in terms of the teacher-student relationship.

"I think the teacher-student relationship has to be personal and be human," said Rodriguez, something Calvin's "Open Door" policy allows for.

Her students agree. They comment on how she is always willing to help them out, especially in the higher level Spanish classes.

She does not plan on living out her life in America. She wants her children to finish high school in the United States and gain essential English skills necessary for the times. She also wants to complete her doctoral program at Wayne State University.

Her family belongs in Honduras, though. Rodriguez believes it is her calling to work there. It would also be fair to her Honduran husband who came to America with her. He was an agricultural engineer in Honduras, but is staying home with the children here because he does not have much experience with English.

On returning to Honduras, Rodriguez said, "I feel like I owe my country . I just feel needed there."

By Dane VandenBerg '01

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