TEC Student of the Month Award

Nancy is an exceptional student of Spanish, unceasingly dedicated to honing her communication skills and fascinated by all things Latin American. Her warmth and compassion lead to her take every opportunity to reach out to native-speakers, eager to form meaningful relationships and learn from others’ approaches to life. In her travels she’s chosen the less trodden path, seeking authentic experiences and immersing herself completely in Spanish while building lasting friendships with locals. Perhaps most notable in her language-learning trajectory is Nancy’s voracious appetite for reading in Spanish - armed with a dictionary, pen, and highlighter, Nancy revels in the challenge of understanding written Spanish and deepening her cultural knowledge through literature. With such zest and commitment, we feel lucky to count Nancy as part of the Tierra community.

Already fluent in Farsi and English, Leila’s dedication to mastering her third language stems from her commitment to better serve the Spanish-speaking community: as a chiropractor she has many Spanish-speaking patients whom she helps to overcome pain. She approaches studying Spanish with lighthearted determination and a healthy sense of humor, building camaraderie amongst her classmates and facing challenges with laughter. We at Tierra commend Leila and all healthcare professionals who are motivated to devote time and energy to learning a language by the desire to communicate effectively with the people they treat.

Passionately committed to service work in Latin America, Tom’s enthusiasm for learning and sense of purpose infuses the classes he joins with positive, joyful energy. After experiencing volunteer trips with medical associations, he founded a non-profit NGO “Agua Pura Para El Pueblo”, dedicated to promoting simple, small-scale methods to help communities and families obtain safe, clean drinking water and improve sanitation. He and his wife Susan frequently travel to Mexico with the organization, where they can be found this month working on projects in Mexico City, Chiapas, and Oaxaca. Tom’s innate curiosity and natural optimism make him an exceptional student of Spanish and Latin American culture, always seeking to expand his ability to communicate with and understand the diverse communities south of our border.