TEC Student of the Month Award

An inspiring example of what can be achieved when one pursues a goal with determination, Martha started her Spanish studies in a Beginner 1 course at Tierra in the fall of 2021 and in less than two years has attained solidly high intermediate skills. A retired violist who played with the Oregon Symphony for decades (as well as a talented photographer), Martha brings an artist’s discerning eye and discipline to her Spanish studies, meticulously analyzing the material learned and delighting in the nuances of the language. Soft-spoken and gentle, she is a kind and compassionate classmate who makes building community in online classes seem natural. She is currently preparing for a trip to Mexico next month where she’ll spend time in Mexico City and do an intensive Spanish immersion program in Oaxaca. We are honored to count Martha among our amazing community of Tierra students and look forward to seeing her continue to blossom as a Spanish speaker.
 

An extremely dedicated student, Laura has put in the time and effort during her studies at Tierra to blossom into an advanced Spanish speaker. Motivated by a desire to exercise her brain and expand cultural horizons, she is thoughtful and analytical, often asking questions with answers that unearth nuance for the whole class. Laura is a calm presence who is a kind and supportive classmate. Particularly interested in literature, she has milked opportunities to take literary immersion classes at Tierra and always engages deeply with the language and story.  With her love of travel being another impetus to improve her ability to communicate in Spanish, she reports finding the skills she’s gained at Tierra to be transformative during a trip last year to Patagonia. We’re honored to count Laura as part of our wonderful student community and look forward to continuing to see her achieve and surpass her fluency goals.

An extraordinarily dedicated student, Sherry has attained an advanced level of Spanish after having started at the Beginner 1 level at Tierra in 2018. She is a nurse by profession who is preparing to retire soon, and it was the plan she and her husband made to retire in Costa Rica that ignited her passion for learning Spanish. Unafraid of challenges, Sherry probes the nuances of Spanish structures and meaning and is intent on deepening her cultural understanding. Delighted to be able to use her burgeoning Spanish skills to communicate with Spanish-speaking patients, she has also made many trips to Costa Rica in preparation for her move and reports being evermore able to engage with the locals, to understand and be understood. Full of positive energy and sincere care for others, she easily builds rapport with her classmates and helps create a dynamic learning environment. We are honored to count Sherry among our student community at Tierra are thrilled to have helped her achieve her goal of building solid Spanish skills ahead of her move abroad.