One of the aspects characteristic of NCA is the fluidity of the staff. Every year we have new teachers, and my goal as a journalist is to help the student body get to know and appreciate our new teachers more.
I learned so much about Ms. Pasker just from the few questions I asked her. I hope you’re able to do the same. So, without further ado, the interview.
PETER: Your roots and background all both keys that open doors to relate to students. What was your early life like? What would you say were the biggest influences on who you are today?
MS. PASKER: I grew up on a small farm in Iowa, just outside the capital city of Des Moines. On the farm, my grandparents raised corn and soy beans and my parents have planted a vineyard and raised goats and chickens. I love my home – unlike some Iowa stereotypes suggest, our farm is made up of rolling hills and lots of trees. It’s beautiful!
I grew up Catholic and went to public school through high school, as did my younger sister and brother. I am very thankful for both these experiences! Although I no longer attend a Catholic church, I love what it brings to the universal Church. I have learned many things from this tradition, especially reverence for the holiness of God and the importance of listening for His voice. Similarly, although I now work at a private school, I’m glad for a public education that taught me to interact with people from many different walks of life in love and respect.
My parents were definitely the biggest influence, besides Jesus, on who I am today. Some of my earliest memories are of bedtime stories ending with songs and prayers. Both my parents became Christians later in life and were eager to read the Bible and grow. They passed their desire to know God on to my siblings and I, and the Holy Spirit has taken it from there!
PETER: Everyone at Nicaragua Christian Academy has a story of before they began attending. How did you know you wanted to be a teacher, and how did you end up here in Latin America?
MS. PASKER: I always wanted to be a teacher growing up (it probably has something to do with being the oldest and enjoying bossing younger people around). By the time I graduated high school, though, I wanted to be anything BUT a teacher. I had seen too many teachers disrespected and burnt-out to want any of that for myself! A few years into college, though, I began to remember my earlier desire and to see that I was actually good at teaching! I switched my major from history to education, and the rest is… well… history!
How I ended up in Nicaragua is, as is often the case I think, quite the story. I first came through Christian Reformed World Missions in 2011 for a summer. I stayed with the family of one of my good friends, Wendy Gomez (her mom is our very own Ivania Matamoros, NCA Business Manager). God did a lot of healing in my heart that summer through the love of my host family and opened my eyes to a foreign way to see the world – one that wasn’t American. Since that summer, I’ve wanted to return. In 2014, I had the opportunity to return to join the staff at Tesoros de Dios, a ministry just down the road, but felt lead to say no and stay in Des Moines. After that I was sure that the door to Nica was closed. But through a series of unexpected, very fortunate events, I saw the opening for an English teacher at NCA and felt an invitation from the Holy Spirit to go for it. I applied and was hired in March!
PETER: What is your favorite part about Nicaragua and teaching here?
MS. PASKER: Wow. This is a tough question. My favorite part of teaching is the people I get to see every day. Now don’t get big heads, because we’re all aware you’re not perfect, but…
my students are GREAT! Really, you guys are smart, funny, kind, and hard-working, and you make coming to work totally worth it.
I love many things about Nicaragua – hugs and kisses to say hello and goodbye, no below-zero weather, volcanoes out the window, church in the mountains… and especially the way people, not work or productivity, come first. I also just love that God loves Nicaragua and has plans to continue restoring and growing her. He hasn’t let me in on any of the details or anything, but I know it’s going to be beautiful.
PETER: How have you seen God working in your life before and since you made the move from the US to Central America?
MS. PASKER: Shucks, where to start? One thing He often works on with me is perfectionism. Until college, almost everything came easily for me: academics, sports, music, relationships. I was used to being among the best at everything I did. That changed in college. All of a sudden, things got harder and I wasn’t always succeeding, even when I gave my best effort. I felt like I wasn’t good enough anymore, that my coach, my boss, my professors, my friends were all disappointed in me. God used this to start to break down the lie that my worth comes from my performance. Little by little, He showed me how much He loved me no matter what I could or couldn’t do. This is something all Christians know in their heads, but, for me anyway, it took a quite a while to get to my heart.
And He’s still teaching me! So many days, I want to be as awesome at teaching as the experienced teachers I see around me. Then Jesus has to remind me that what I’m able to do right now is good, and that the rest will come with patience.
PETER: One way for students to be able to relate is through common interests. What do you like to do in your spare time?
MS. PASKER: I love to read! Some favorites are Black by Ted Dekker, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levin, Portrait of a Lady by Henry James.
Movies are great! Especially The Hunger Games (all of them), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and The Princess Bride.
I also love running, listening to indie/folk music, drinking hot drinks, and climbing trees.
Is there a teacher you’d like me to interview? Is there a question that you’d like to ask a specific teacher? Email us at ncaeagleseye@gmail.com, or come talk to any one of us! If you’d like to write an article, come tell us about it! We’d love to see it.
