TEC Student of the Month Award

A tremendously dedicated student, Scott’s unshakably positive attitude and endless curiosity are an inspiration. A passionate activist for immigrants’ and refugees’ rights, he finds great use for his Spanish skills in his volunteer work and is a voice for justice for our local immigrant community. Having started taking classes at Tierra as a high beginning student last fall, he’s been wholly committed to his classes and has made impressive progress, now possessing high intermediate skills. Always arriving by bike with a wide smile and buoyant energy, the kindness and support he bestows upon his classmates enrich the learning atmosphere for everyone. We’re grateful to count Scott as part of our community at Tierra and are honored to indirectly impact the lives of many through his good works.

Brimming with passion and enthusiasm, Gissel’s natural charisma injects positive energy into any class she joins. Of Mexican-American heritage, she was motivated to take classes to be able to connect with Spanish-speaking family and friends on a deeper level. Enrolling in both a morning intensive and evening once-weekly course simultaneously, she’s taken on polishing her advanced Spanish skills as a serious priority and is inspired to refine her vocabulary and use of Spanish structures. Currently working on creating a health and wellness blog, she has begun writing content in Spanish and plans to make her website fully bilingual. We’re delighted Gissel happened upon Tierra and graces us with her presence, we look forward to seeing where her projects take her!

Few students approach learning Spanish with as much joyful determination as Beth. Since starting her studies at Tierra a year and a half ago, she’s been utterly committed to her morning classes, sometimes enrolling in two intensive courses at once and so coming four times a week to build her Spanish skills. With a naturally sunny outlook, she’s met every challenge she’s come across with sensible optimism and has worked incredibly hard outside the classroom to achieve dramatic progress. Motivated to learn Spanish by her desire to volunteer to help farm workers and to have authentic interactions when traveling, her genuine interest shines through in the classroom. Warm and sociable, she is a wonderful classmate whose positive attitude and delight in learning are contagious. We are honored to have Beth as part of our student community and excited to continue to see her continue to reap the benefits of her hard work.