Excited about learning and eager to advance, Gretchen has thrown herself into studying Spanish wholeheartedly and her extraordinary effort has paid off as she’s made impressive progress in her time at Tierra. A teacher who helps at-risk youth to become engaged in their education and finish high school, she is motivated to study Spanish by her commitment to serve her students and communicate more effectively with their families. “Over the years I've observed how Hispanic/Latino families can be underserved by the traditional school system, and I'm constantly trying to support them in better ways. For me, learning Spanish is part of that process,” she relates. We at Tierra salute Gretchen and her colleagues in the education field who go beyond what’s required of them in their quest to connect with their students and guide them to success.