Although she grew up in the Dayton area, 25-year-old Treva Wynn doesn’t consider the Midwest her home. Her heart lies with the children in Esquipulas, Guatemala.
“My whole body, my heart and soul belong to these kids internationally,” Wynn said, “These kids consume me every day and every night.”
Although Wynn graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in International Relations and Diplomacy, during which time she learned Swahili and traveled in South Africa, her career path led her to teaching English in third world Spanish-speaking countries. And that’s without knowing a lick of Spanish!
It started when she was six months out of college, and the economy had started to tank. Wynn was laid off from her job, she and her husband had to downsize their living situation, and then she saw an internet posting for a need for English teachers in Honduras. The school would cover living expenses and didn’t require an education degree – they just wanted people who would come.
So, Wynn’s husband Riley stayed behind to support themselves while Wynn taught English to grade schoolers in Honduras for six months. At the end of that commitment, Treva knew that was what she wanted to do, and Riley knew he wanted to do it with her.
“I love the kids’ lack of judgment, and their overwhelming love for people that love them,” she said.
She found she loved teaching, too. Treva was known as the teacher who wasn’t afraid to be goofy, play games, and get on all fours if that’s what the kids needed to learn.
Soon after she arrived back in America, the Wynn’s got a phone call from the Honduras workers. They knew people in Guatemala also looking for English teachers, and thought of the Wynns.
“A few weeks later, we were on a plane,” Treva said, “We just left.”
A year and a half later, Riley is still in Guatemala, and Treva is in the states for a month to recover from a broken foot and raise awareness for a new cause.
She broke her left ankle and her right heel when she fell through a roof – that’s where Guatemalans hang their laundry. The 16 foot fall forced her to take three weeks bed rest, and since there’s no cable where she lives, offered plenteous time to think.
“Breaking my foot gave me a lot of time to self-reflect,” Treva said.
She saw that kids around the world have a lot in common.
“Kids are the same all over – they want to play, and they want to be hugged, and they want to be kissed, and they want to be told they’re a ‘good boy’ or a ‘good girl’,” she said.
Treva also realized that in her travels around the continent, the value of education stands paramount.
“These countries are just beautiful, the people are incredible, but I see the overwhelming effects of the lack of education,” Treva said.
She detailed that both poverty and violence rates go down as the education rate goes up. However, schools are not always easily accessible. In Guatemala, every child has the governmental right to a free education, and money is allocated from the federal budget to the schools. In reality, though . . .
“If they live in an aldea (small village outside of town), they can’t get to the school, or the money that is being given to the school is not all spent on the kids,” Treva said.
So she and Riley want to create a NGO (non-governmental organization) to raise the money to repair existing schools, build new “green” schools in the outer lying areas, and leave a continuing source of funding so the school can stay open. Their vision starts in Guatemala, but would encompass all of Central America and beyond.
“I want to do it all over the world, and end in East Africa,” Treva stated.
To get a running start, she entered StriVectin’s “Power to Change” contest. The skin care company is offering $30,000 to who best answers the question “What would you change with $30,000?”
Out of 600 finalists, Treva was chosen for the top 15. She then had to submit a video about her vision – which went back and forth between her on her crutches in the middle of a jungle, and some of her kids laughing and playing.
“I envision new computers and big libraries, sturdy crayons and up to date textbooks,” Treva narrated in the video, concluding with “The true prize is seeing all my kids with diplomas in their hands and bright futures ahead.”
The video with the most votes is the winner. Although voters can only “like” it once on Facebook, they can vote daily up until July 25.
Even if the Wynns don’t win the contest, Treva said they will still start a foundation.
“I am so unbelievably confident that I can do this,” Treva said, “I have no doubt that I’m going to do it with or without the money. We will establish this NGO in the next 1-5 years.”
To vote for Treva’s video, go to www.strivectin.com/powertochange. Treva’s video is on the bottom row, and shows her standing with her crutches in the jungle.
Mike McDermott is publisher of several web news properties, including this one. Long time resident, and local business owner, Mike McDermott lives in the downtown and fiercely defends Tipp City's honor at home and abroad.
