JEANNIE AMIDON

Jeannie taught 4th grade for several years in Illinois, and for twenty years she taught 6th grade at a middle school in Escondido, CA.  Most of those years she taught different levels of English as a Second Language. 

"Doug and I both retired from teaching in June 2008 and were looking for an opportunity to use our skills and gifts to serve the underserved.  When a friend introduced us to Starfish One-by-One, we were  immediately intrigued.  Upon traveling to Guatemala in January 2010, we had the privilege of seeing Starfish One-by-One first-hand.  We were captivated by the vision of the founders, the leadership of the Executive Director, and the dedication and commitment of the mentoring staff.  Plus we "fell in love with the Starfish kids."  They are bright, capable, and hopeful.  This is where we wanted to invest whatever time and talents we had.  We feel education is critical to the Starfish One-by-One girls' and boys' future.  When academic help is combined with life skills counseling and family involvement, Starfish One-by-One provides a powerful program that can change a girl, a boy, a community, and a country. Since we feel that these kids can only go as far as their education takes them, as retired teachers, we want to help."

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