A Lasting Impact: PRS Faculty Honored in El Salvador

Last month, Spanish teacher and (back-to-back CIF Championship winning basketball coach), Chris Burman traveled to El Salvador, where he was honored by the nation of El Salvador as a “Noble Friend of San Pedro Nonualco,” an award given by community leaders to individuals who have made lasting contributions to local El Salvadorian education. He was recognized alongside fellow former Peace Corps volunteers Aaron Redman and Anthony “Tony” Gasbarro for their collective work supporting students through the Becas Nonualco scholarship program.

For more than two decades, Burman has remained deeply connected to San Pedro Nonualco, El Salvador, a relationship that began during his time in the Peace Corps. The experience not only shaped his global perspective, but also planted the seeds for a long-standing commitment to educational access that has continued at Pacific Ridge. This work has been integrated into his service learning group, Becas Nonualco, as well as an upcoming global trip to the town where PRS students will have the opportunity to meet the becarios in person as well as engage in a youth forum designed to foster mutual understanding and shared learning.

"Three of us, together with our former Peace Corps boss, who happens to also be originally from this area, have been working together to fund this scholarship program for the past 20 years. My service learning here at PRS, Becas Nonualco, has been sending about a couple of thousand dollars every year, in addition to some other money I collect, as well as all the money collected by my fellow Peace Corps volunteers (Tony and Aaron). The whole thing really is a team effort, former volunteers, the local community, all the many donors, the scholar recipients, and their families."

Teacher Spotlight

Burman has been a Spanish teacher at Pacific Ridge for 13 years and head basketball coach for the past decade, leading the program to two consecutive CIF championships. In the classroom, his approach reflects the same commitment to real-world connection and authentic engagement that defines his work abroad.

“Our department has worked well together to find authentic ways for our students to connect with young people across the globe, both to practice language skills, but also to develop an understanding of our increasingly interconnected world.”

Leading Through Connection

At the heart of Becas Nonualco is a simple but powerful idea: small contributions can create life-changing opportunities. For Burman, the program and the relationships behind it offer students a tangible way to understand the impact of education and the importance of global citizenship.

“I hope kids who participate in Becas Nonualco - and on the global trip - gain an understanding of how important access to education is in order to improve lives. The scholarships we are contributing to this program are small and simple, $175 per student per month. This is money the students use in order to make education a reality. They use it for transportation, housing, school materials, food, etc. It is amazing how a relatively small amount of money can make such a huge difference in a life."

Burman spoke about a former scholar recipient, Rosy, who shared that she became pregnant at 18. She was about to give up on school, but was accepted into the Becas Nonualco program and that $175 each month aws what made the difference in her going through college, while supporting her daughter. Today, Rosy is working as an accountant.

"I really hope our students realize that yes, our part in this process is relatively small, but those small, incremental contributions are changing lives. I also hope they see this program as an example of what the collective effort of many people can do to create real change.”

"The students who are going to travel to El Salvador during global are going to get to meet the scholar students, learn their stories, share their own stories, and get to genuinely connect with them. Hopefully, our students gain an understanding that, while we come from very different places, we share many of the same worries, challenges, as well as the same desires to be successful.

Our students will get to sit down face-to-face with the scholarship students and simply chat about issues that we all care about. There is no better way to develop global understanding than to listen and share each other’s perspectives simply.”

A Global Mindset at Pacific Ridge

Burman’s work reflects a broader commitment across Pacific Ridge: Global Programs are not confined to a single trip or moment in the school year. They are woven into the fabric of the curriculum and brought to life by faculty who carry global perspectives into their teaching every day.

From language immersion and international partnerships to service learning and travel experiences, Pacific Ridge educators design opportunities that challenge students to engage deeply with the world around them. Faculty draw on their own international experiences and networks to create meaningful, authentic connections, ensuring that students don’t just learn about global issues, but encounter them firsthand, reflect critically, and develop the empathy and perspective needed to navigate an increasingly interconnected world.

To learn more about the Global Programs at Pacific Ridge, check out the video below: