I recently embarked on the journey of interviewing some of our former and very beloved teachers, mainly to check in with them. I was able to contact Mr. Hamilton, past high school History and Geography teacher, and Mrs. Turner, past 6th grade teacher for most high schoolers.
Mr. Hamilton:
Where are you currently located?
“I’m located in Edmonds, Washington.”
Are you working? If so, what are you working on?
“I am currently looking for a new job at a mission organization or a nonprofit.”
How did you feel when leaving NCAI?
“I was feeling excited to leave because I was going to meet my girlfriend’s (Miss Baldwin’s) parents for the first time.”
What do you miss about NCAI?
“I miss the students a lot. I felt like I was saying goodbye to my younger siblings. I also miss the Barkers very much. I had a great time [helping] Mr. Barker with his gym classes.”
How do you feel about this new stage in life? What are some of your favorite things?
“I’m feeling excited to start a new job and
open up a new chapter in my life. I’m excited
to see what God has in store for me.”
What are some major things that have happened in your life since leaving?
“The most major thing that has happened
since leaving is that I am engaged and will be getting married in February. Being the only single male teacher in the school worked out very well for me.”
Mrs.Turner:
Where are you located?
“Managua, Nicaragua”
Are you working? If yes, what are you working on?
“My main role at the moment is a stay-at-home-mom, where I work to keep two small humans alive, making sure they’re loved and cared for. It’s been my favorite job that I’ve had so far. I also still work for NCAI, just no longer in a teaching capacity.
My official title is “Expat Staff Care Coordinator,” where I provide new expat staff with the resources they need to have a successful transition to life in Nicaragua and at NCA. I work closely with the new teachers to help them with their residency paperwork, travel plans, and settle into life in Nicaragua.
I am able to do most of this from home. I love that I am still part of the NCAI family, while having the flexibility to be at home with my girls.”
What were your feelings when you just were leaving NCAl?
“I had very mixed feelings when I left teaching. The main reason I left was because I was pregnant with our first baby, and I knew I wanted to be home full time when she was born. I loved teaching and was sad to leave, but I was also looking forward to this next phase of being a mom.
It was also bittersweet because my last year in the classroom was in 2020, during the start of the pandemic, and we ended the year online. In some ways I did not get the closure that I wanted because none of the end of the year activities happened that year. However, I am thankful that while I left teaching, I did not leave NCA, so I did not have to say goodbye to the people, just my classroom.”
What do you miss about NCAI?
“I miss the day-to-day activity of being on campus. I miss seeing students and colleagues on a regular basis, which is why I love still coming to school whenever I can in the afternoons for extracurricular events. Mr. Turner also keeps me in the loop with a lot of what goes on at school, so I don’t feel too left out :)”
What are your emotions now in your new environment, what are some of your favorite things?
“I love being at home with my family, though it was quite an adjustment at first. The pace of life is very different from the classroom. I enjoy finding fun activities to do with Verity, who is almost 2. She loves trying new things! We also love reading books together 🙂 Activities that I enjoyed doing with my 6th graders, I now get to adapt and do with my own kids. I am now looking forward to figuring out life and a routine with two little ones.”
What are some major things that have happened in your life after leaving?
“Well, I’ve had two major things happen since leaving: Verity born in Oct 2020 and Juliet born in Aug 2022.”
Life is all about new changes and experiences. We tend to ignore them in our own life, by seeing other people moving and changing we get an insight on time passing and life changing along with people we love.
