Changing hearts and minds: How education is transforming leaders like Alejandra

Changing hearts and minds: How education is transforming leaders like Alejandra

Alejandra Maldonado is the Education Manager at AMG Guatemala, EduDeo's partner in the country. Alejandra works closely with principals and teachers to support the work they are doing across the country.

In 2023, Alejandra began her Master's in Educational Leadership at the Institute for Christian Studies, and in 2024 was named as one of the recipients of the Alice Vanderkooy Transforming Education Award for her second year of study!

Alice was a dear friend and kind-hearted Walking Together volunteer at EduDeo. Before her passing in 2022, Alice's award was set up to come alongside emerging and established educational leaders to provide financial support as they pursue further education and professional development opportunities. The award is given to leaders who are committed to guiding their communities into hope, love, and transformation.

You can learn more about Alice's story here.

We recently connected with Alejandra to learn more about her studies and the impact it is already having on her work in Guatemala.

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EduDeo: Hi Alejandra! To start, can you tell me a little bit about your role and the work you do with AMG Guatemala?  

Alejandra Maldonado: I am the Education Manager at AMG Guatemala. AMG Guatemala has many areas of work, one of those being education. This includes schools and after-school programs, and each of these programs has a principal or coordinator who is in charge. I am in charge of them – I talk to them about what is happening in each school, if the educational programs are happening in the schools, if they are serving the students, if the students are attending every day, if the parents are understanding the education.  

EduDeo: Great! And you’re currently studying remotely through the Institute for Christian Studies. Can you tell me a bit about your program and what you are studying there?  

AM: Okay, so my goal – my dream – is to study for my Masters. Right now, I am taking courses for the Masters in Educational Leadership. I love the courses – there have been three courses so far, and the three courses have been adding value to me in my professional life, but also in my personal life too. And in my position, they give me tools that I can use with my team and in the schools.  

My first course was “Finding Joy in Learning” and I think that was the best course to start the master’s with. Because in that, my professor invited me to enjoy and love whatever I do, and to enjoy education and my role as an educator, being in charge of principals and teachers.  

At the beginning of this year, I started “How to Finance Your Vision”. At the beginning, I said “I don’t know anything about financials! I don’t know anything about money!” but when I started the course, I understood that it was not about the money, it was about the heart. It was about the vision of the leaders of the schools, and if you have a vision how you can invite others to become involved in the vision. I really enjoyed that because I think it can add value to AMG.

 Alejandra Maldonado is the Educational Manager at AMG Guatemala. There, she works with principals, teachers, and families across the country to make Christ-centred education all that it can be.

EduDeo: How else do you see the courses and your studies being applicable to your role with school leaders?  

AM: When I finished the course “Finding Joy In Learning”, I took some of those things that I learned, and I taught them to principals so they can serve their teachers better and they can serve their families better. From my most recent course “How To Finance Your Vision”, I’ve been thinking about how principals need to be involved and have a better view of the money and finances in their schools, the budgets, the operations, the expenses. They need to care about the money that they have at the beginning of the year… what amount of money do they need? What if they don’t have the money they need? What can they do to get that money?  They need to have the tools to invite others to be a part of their schools. They need to make relationships with the families and with other people. Principals also need to know how to fundraise to bring new people, new organizations, or new businesses into the vision. They don’t need to be skillful in fundraising, but they do need to know how to do relations and how to transmit the love of God to people who don’t know that. Maybe people or businesses want to give money or support the schools, but they don’t know how they are impacting families, are they are a part of the big story. So I think for me that was a learning to share.  

EduDeo: That’s incredible that the course work is already impacting you in that way. Earlier, you mentioned that your courses have impacted you professionally, but also personally. In what ways have you stared to see your studies impact you personally?  

AM: Something that is challenging me is the [course being instructed in] English. Second is the way we are learning. I think it’s very common for you in Canada, but it is not the same way here. We are still learning in a very traditional way. Before my courses, I know I have to read, to reflect about my readings, I know that we are going to exchange opinions, and we are going to exchange experiences. One of my teachers said that we are all going to share our experiences – it doesn’t matter what experiences, but everyone can add value to the other people in the class. So for me, it’s a new way to learn. Because we don’t usually do that – in Guatemala it hard for people to give their opinion, their experiences in the middle of class. The other thing was the use of rubrics. It’s clear what he (the professor) is going to grade. We send our projects or homework in, and we receive feedback from our classmates and from him. I realized that for me, that’s very personal. It’s hard to get feedback, I was afraid to get back feedback. But I understood that there was something in me, and so now I am more open to get some, to learn from other people and hear what they want to give me as advice.  

EduDeo: Why do you think it is important for leaders to have access to professional development? What would you say to someone who wanted to understand why that is important?  

AM: I always say “When you invest in me, that is a part of my salary”. And I feel thankful because someone is adding to that. And I know that God is sending that to me to grow professionally and personally. It’s something that can change not just my professional life, but my personal life. These three courses have made many changes in my heart and in my mind. And I know this is going to impact not just me, but with the other people that I work with too. We don’t know how investing in the education of someone is going to impact other people, and their education. And in my position in education, my role is going to impact teachers and principals, and they are going to impact the students and families.  

It has opened my mind. The perspectives are a little different and it has opened my mind to new things.  

Alejandra says "These three courses have made many changes in my heart and in my mind. And I know this is going to impact not just me, but with the other people that I work with too."

*This interview was edited for length.  

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The Alice Vanderkooy Transforming Education Award walks alongside established and emerging leaders around the world to break down barriers to further education so that they can advance Christ-centred education and fulfill their dreams.

You can learn more about the award and contribute to it here.