TEC Student of the Month Award

Naturally cheerful and full of curiosity, Anni (“Anita”) brings laughter and warmth to the Spanish classroom. Spending four months in Mexico as a child ignited her interest in Spanish, and since then she’s enjoyed further travels in Spain and Latin America and discovered a passion for the language and culture. Truly committed to building community (Anni lives in a housing co-op and works in a food co-op!), she actively reaches out to local Spanish-speakers and is determined to use her Spanish skills to break down the barriers that separate people. With such enthusiasm and initiative, we’re sure Anni will go far in her pursuit of fluency in Spanish and are proud of her progress at Tierra!

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.