Ben Sagun and Other Filipino Teachers at The Children’s Guild School in Maryland

Ben Sagun is an elementary school teacher from the Philippines who came to America to specialize in special education at The Children’s Guild School in Maryland. Along with roommates Curt Cruz and Rachelle Evangelista from Maryland, he shares an apartment house full of other teachers from his home country.

They work at a small independent special education day school that has experienced severe staffing shortages.

Early Life and Education

Curt Cruz, Rachelle Evangelista and Richard Sagun of The Children’s Guild School in Maryland greet each other warmly as they pass each other in the hallways. These teachers hailing from the Philippines have recently immigrated to America in order to teach special education – however their transition has proven challenging.

Sagun says they learned much from their missteps during that first month in school. Due to a paperwork mix-up, they were denied entrance into an independent special day school; furthermore, there wasn’t much support or guidance from administration. Sagun believes they learned a great deal through this experience.

Clarita Sagun was an attentive wife and mother who dedicated her life to taking care of her family. A member of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Hernando, Florida; native to the Philippines; retired oncology nurse