I’m a “Madrina”

A few weeks ago, Miriam, my Spanish teacher, asked me if I was going to be able to come to her graduation from nursing school.  She said that the school needed to know the name of someone who had encouraged her in her studies, and she wanted to make sure I would be there.  Of course, I would come.

I arrived a few minutes late, just after the ceremony had begun since the bus from Antigua took an unusually long time.  I was sorry that I didn’t get to see Miriam before the ceremony, and took a seat at the rear of the auditorium.

Though this is a secular school, prayer was offered by one of the local pastors, and he presented a message directed to the graduates, based on Scripture.  The music was all worship music, also.  This is typical here in Guatemala where there is no concern about “separation of church and state.”  Freedom of religion here is not confused with freedom from religion as it is in the US.  A refreshing difference!

Graduations here are very different than in the US.  Each graduate is called individually with their parents to acknowledge their accomplishment.  Miriam and her father were the first called and they could not have looked more proud.  It took a while for this part of the ceremony, since there were 72 graduates to be recognized.

 

 

Another difference here in Guatemala—vendors selling food during the ceremony.  This gentleman was hawking peanuts!

 

 

 

No sooner had this finished than the process of calling out each graduate was called forward again.  Again Miriam was first.  Not knowing the customs of graduation at this level of education, I sat in my seat.  After a few seconds, which I’m sure seemed longer to Miriam, her dad came back to me telling me that I was the “madrina” and need to go up on stage.  He then handed me a bouquet of roses, which I assumed were for Miriam.

The madrina (or padrino if a man), I learned quickly, is the person who has most supported and encouraged the graduate through their studies.  I had no idea that the little I had done to help Miriam meant so much to her.  This person is honored as well as the graduate and the family.

I stumbled forward self-consciously, and tried to give Miriam the roses.  She chuckled, telling me that the roses were for me, to thank me for my support.  I then found out that I had the honor of “capping” her, as well as pinning on her nursing pin and name tag.  My eyes welled up with tears so much I could barely see what I was doing.  (I learned later that one of the other students had joked with Miriam that “the gringa” (North American) was really nervous.  She got that right!)

We then went to the house of Miriam’s sister, Blanca, where we had a delicious meal and I was welcomed in as part of the family.  During the dinner I asked Miriam’s dad, who I had not met before, how he knew who I was.  He laughed out loud, asking me, “How many gringas do you think were at the graduation?  Only you!”  We all then joined in the laughter, as each family member recounted how I had stumbled though my role as “madrina.”  If there’s a next time, I hope I have a better idea what I’m doing.