MAYA JAGUAR CELEBRATES 15 YEARS OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
- rickfrancona2
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
The faculty and students of Instituto Maya Jaguar are getting ready to host a birthday party! It’s not just any birthday party, it is a quinceañera to celebrate the 15-year anniversary since the first students entered the classrooms of the hilltop school site in 2010 to begin their high school education!
According to tradition in Guatemala (as well as in many other Latin American countries)a female child’s fifteenth birthday is considered a developmental milestone which marks her transition from childhood to womanhood. The young woman celebrates her 15th birthday, her quinceañera, by hosting a grand fiestato honor her parents and to thank her family and friends for their support as she has grown.
On August 6, 2025, in keeping with this tradition, the Instituto Maya Jaguar is hosting their own fiesta and has invited the proud families of students, graduates of the school, representatives of the Guatemala Ministry of Education and representatives of the Fundacion Para el Desarrollo Comunal de Huehuetenango to a grand on-site quinceañera.
From the reports which we are receiving about 150 people are expected to participate—primarily the families of the students (babies, toddlers and siblings of the students are included because parties always include the whole family, who would take care of the kids otherwise?!). Ted Rose, vice-president, will represent the Board of Directors of Adopt-a-Village in Guatemala and will participate by Zoom to offer words of friendship, accomplishment and pride. The traditional toast (brindis) offered by the godparents (padrinos/madrinas) will be given to acknowledge the growth and development of Instituto Maya Jaguar, as well as to express hopes and good wishes for a future filled with more successes.
The “founding mother”, Frances Dixon, envisioned a school which would provide ahigh-quality education along with teaching practical life skills. In keeping with this goal the current students are actively involved in the planning and logistics required and, along with the faculty, are in full swing as they implement the details of transportation of families from the outlying villages, the program of ceremonies, guest speakers and activities, the menu for meals and snacks and the housing needs.
Anticipation is building as lists are being made, responsibilities assigned and supplies gathered:
a live, 220-pound pig (on the Wednesday morning breakfast menu as carnitas and chicharrónes) is being hauled in by pickup truck
extra cooks are being hired to pat out “thousands” of tortillas (eaten by everyone at every meal)
tables and benches are being scrubbed clean and handwashing stations are being set-up to keep everyone healthy
the soccer and basketball equipment and courts are being readied for the competitions between boys-dads and girls-moms
New hand-tied soccer nets a “mini workshop” for guests to showcase organic gardening is being organized
traditional dances are being practiced for the “Cultural Night” dance competition
Are you excited? Don’t you wish that you could be there?! Stay tuned—check your mailbox! We’ll follow-up with more stories and pictures as the event unfolds.
Kathleen Zamboni Advisory Council member