Wholeheartedly dedicated to her Spanish studies, Vicki has made impressive progress in one year of studies at Tierra! It is no surprise that she is a retired librarian, her love of language and learning is palpable. Passionate about travel and having enjoyed trips numerous to Mexico, during this pandemic time of non-travel she continues to immerse herself in cultural learning, whether it’s following Mexican cooking and cultural video channels, watching movies and listening to music in Spanish, or reading articles in Spanish. She delights in applying the knowledge gained in her classes to these authentic materials, a great example of what can be achieved with hard work and creative methods of practice. A kind and empathetic classmate, she is always encouraging of her classmates and contributes to creating an environment of camaraderie. We are honored to count Vicki as part of Tierra community and look forward to continuing to see her spread her wings, practicing her Spanish skills near and far.
An extremely dedicated student, Amanda began her studies at Tierra back in 2017 in the Beginner 2 level, and over the years has built up her Spanish skills to reach an advanced level of fluidity. Initially motivated to expand her Spanish skills by volunteer work she did building houses in El Salvador, her passion for providing all with safe shelter motivated her to find work at a local non-profit providing vital services to houseless people in Portland. She applies her blossoming Spanish skills when interacting with Spanish-speakers in her work and volunteer projects and is a wonderful example of someone who’s chosen to dedicate her talents to improving the lives of others. In Spanish class she’s a kind and encouraging classmate who always participates actively in class and makes her Spanish studies an important priority in her life. We are honored to count Amanda as part of our community at Tierra and look forward to continuing to witness her impressive progress in Spanish and inspiring work in our wider community.
