Lincoln-Way Central’s Staff Member of the Month, Profe Buechner, set up a program for her students to exchange letters with other students in Costa Rica. She had previously lived in Costa Rica for 9 months while she was in the Peace Corps.  While she was there, she formed connections with teachers that work in Costa Rica that later allowed her to set up the letter exchange program for her students.

When asked what she missed most about Costa Rica, Profe said, “there is such a value in the personal relationships in Costa Rica, and I miss all my friends.” When asked why she joined the Peace Corps, she responded, “I wanted to be a Spanish teacher, and it was important to me that I knew the culture because I don’t come from a Spanish-speaking culture.”

Profe Buechner really cares about teaching both language and culture to her students and is very engaged in the classroom. Students from LWC and the school in Costa Rica all love getting to know each other through the letter exchange because they learn they are more alike than they think. Profe says, “language is alive and always changing, and I want to make it real for you guys.” Her students all feel her passion for teaching every day, and we are so proud that she earned Staff Member of the Month because she truly deserves it.