After a decade and a half at North Penn High School, Ms. Megan Jermain embarked on an exploration that took her from the classroom to the far corners of Europe and Central America. Fueled by her passion for travel and lifelong learning, she was able to advance her education while also creating memories that will last her a lifetime.

In 2008, Ms. Jermain started her job at North Penn High School. After 15 years teaching in the Post-12 program, Jermain was ready for a new chapter in her life. 

“After Covid, I had started to co-teach social studies and it was really fun because it was my first experience being around EL students (English Language Learners). That was when I got the idea to do a sabbatical,”Jermain stated. 

Jermain decided to advance her education while also pursuing her passion of traveling.

“I took the classes for my sabbatical and it was wonderful, because it allowed me to travel for eleven weeks in Europe and then I also went down to Guatemala and Peru for three weeks. I loved that connection because we do have a lot of students from Central America,” Jermain added. 

Being a big traveler, Jermain wanted to visit as many places as she could while also making amazing memories.

“I did a whole month in England and a whole month in Italy. I’d never been to Sardinia before but it was so beautiful. I also went to Oktoberfest in Germany, which was amazing. Also, the history part of me really came out. I got to go to a concentration camp, which I’d never done before. We went to Prague in the Czech Republic as well. That was as far east as I went. I was in Paris for a week. We stopped in and drove through Switzerland and Austria,” Jermain said. 

Jermain was also able to travel to Central America with her good friend who is a digital nomad. 

“He was with a group of people that all worked remotely and they were moving from Lima to Guatemala. So I also got a week and a half in Guatemala which is one of my favorite countries. It’s beautiful,” Jermain stated. 

Jermain not only loves to travel, but also enjoys planning the trips on her own. Technology has been a huge help making it easy for her to do. Although technology makes it easier to plan the trip, Ms. Jermain believes the smoothness of her trips are due to the help of locals. 

“I always say, when you are kind to people, anyone is willing to help you out. I’ve never had a problem getting help from the local people,” Jermain said. 

While aboard in Guatemala, Jermain was able to visit the Acatenango Volcano. Reflecting back on the trip, she describes it as one of her life’s greatest experiences.

“We waited until four in the morning when it was pitch black because the whole night it was kind of cloudy. You could see the volcano spewing in the sky. It was unbelievable,” Jermain said. 

Jermain was able to visit and explore so many amazing regions across the world. But, when 3000 miles away from home, Jermain realized how small the world really is.

“In Antiqua, Guatemala, my friend and I were on our way to catch an Uber that was taking us to a beautiful lake. Right before we got to the Uber, we passed this gorgeous little shop and we were both like we should go in,” Jermain explained. “When we walked in, the owner of the shop was my college roommate who I hadn’t seen in 18 years.” 

Jermain and her roommate attended the University of Delaware. Besides being facebook friends, they hadn’t been in touch since their college days. 

“We were not supposed to be there at that time, you know? And she was not supposed to be there either. She normally had a class at that time of night. It is just remarkable how small the world can be. It was really special to reconnect with her,” Jermain commented. 

When her trip aboard finally came to an end after 14 wonderful weeks, Jermain returned back to NPHS. Although she assumed she would be coming back to the same position, a new opportunity in the English Language Development program arose for Jermain. 

“Coming back, I wasn’t planning to use the degree yet. But at the end of last year, Mrs. Lynn had contacted me saying that they were going to be hiring for a full time position,” Jermain stated. 

Even though Jermain knew it would be hard starting a new position, she decided to take it. 

“It’s hard being in a new position. I feel like a first year teacher all over again, but it’s so important to grow and change and push yourself out of your comfort zone. I’m really enjoying meeting a whole new department and all new students that I normally didn’t have a lot of interaction with,” Jermain added.

The part that Jermain loves most is working with the students and helping them adapt to a whole new environment.

“For the most part the students are so hardworking and so appreciative. I think they’re some of the bravest kids in the building. I grew up on Long Island in the same house with the same friends since I was five years old. I never had a big challenge in my life, and I can’t imagine coming to the building this big, not knowing the language, Jermain reflected. “A big part of my daily routine with my students this year is I’m really trying to teach them about all the different things that North Penn has to offer.”