New Middle School Spanish teacher told of her eye-opening experience volunteering at an orphanage in Honduras.

Although middle school Spanish teacher Mrs. Kelly Catania isn’t new to some of the Malvern community—she substituted for theology classes last year—she is new to a full-time teaching position at Malvern.

Catania is originally from the Manhattan area and northern New Jersey, but has lived in West Chester for the past five years.

“We moved from New York down here because my husband was relocated to Wilmington, Delaware,” Catania said.

She has four children, the oldest of which will be a freshman at Malvern this year. She also has two daughters and another boy, Juan Carlos, whom she adopted from an orphanage in Central America.

After college, Catania knew that she wanted to volunteer somewhere.

“I knew that I wanted to work with children and I knew that I wanted to work in a third world country. I really wanted to experience what it is like to be truly poor,” she said.

Through research, Catania found an opportunity to volunteer at an orphanage in Honduras. “There were 90 children in the orphanage and I lived with them for a couple of years,” she said.

She did not know any Spanish, but was happy to be helping those in need. “I had taken Latin in high school so it was a big step for me coming out of college, but a great step because it has opened so many doors for me,” she said.

She explained that it was difficult at first, but she was able to learn from the children. “[The children] were the best teachers because they helped me with my Spanish as much as I helped them in the long run of life,” Catania said. “If I didn’t understand a word, they would kind of laugh at me and then I would move on to the next child.”

Catania said that the differences between her life in Honduras and her life in the United States were difficult to cope with at first but each day it got easier. She said it really made her count her blessings and feel gratitude.

Catania said that the greatest gift she received from her experience in Honduras was knowing in her heart that she wanted to adopt a child from the orphanage, and she did.

After returning from Honduras, Catania pursued her masters in education.

“I started teaching in Spanish Harlem in New York City at PS128, a small public school in not a great area of New York City that consisted of many Dominican students,” Catania said.

In the past couple of years, Catania has been working at the STEM Academy in Downingtown. She decided to apply for the job at Malvern because it would be a good opportunity for her family, especially her sons.

“We were looking at some high schools that maybe our boys would go to. Malvern seemed like a better fit for me as my children are getting older,” Catania said.

Catania said that she is thrilled to start working full time at Malvern.

“I can really sense the great community that is here,” Catania said. “I love seeing how much you young men want to give to others, and I think that is so important.”