TEC Student of the Month Award

A steadfast student who’s been exquisitely dedicated to her Spanish classes since starting in Beginner 1 nearly three years ago, Laura’s hard work has paid off as she’s advanced through Tierra’s curriculum and developed ever-stronger skills. A warm and caring classmate, she is always eager to participate and helps foster camaraderie in any group she’s in. Inspired in part by her love of travel and dreams of living abroad, she delighted in her ability to reach out to people in their native language on a recent trip to Mexico. Her unceasingly positive attitude is an example and gentle reminder for us, particularly during these trying times, that anything is possible and our attitude deeply impacts our experience. We are honored to count Laura as a valued member of our community and look forward to continuing to see her stretch herself to reach beyond her goals.

Wholly committed to his twice-weekly morning class for the past two years, William, who goes by “Memo” around Tierra, is a gem of a student. Brimming with enthusiasm for learning Spanish, his skills have bloomed during his time studying with us and his steadfast perseverance has paid off. Having retired from his career as a project engineer, he dedicates a significant amount of time outside of class to his inquiry into the Spanish language. A genuinely warm and generous soul, Memo is a thoughtful and sensitive classmate who always seeks to take care of his compañeros. Passionate about effecting positive change, he is deeply concerned about climate change and dreams of using his Spanish skills to connect with hispanic communities and discover solutions together. We are grateful to count Memo as one of our valued students at Tierra and look forward to seeing where his hard work will take him!

A student who puts great effort into her Spanish studies, Becky has been extremely committed to her twice-weekly morning classes for over a year and a half. She arrives early, ready-to-go, brings kindness and laughter to the classroom, forms strong connections with her compañeros, and makes a significant investment of time studying on her own and completing class assignments with creativity and thoughtfulness.  A master gardener, a discussion with Becky often begets new plant vocabulary, and she is generous in sharing the bounty of her harvest with appreciative classmates. The same patience, curiosity, and inner strength that bring her great success in the garden inform her attitude as a student of Spanish - she is perseverant and at peace with her learning process, whatever challenges it may bring. We are delighted to have Becky as party of our community at Tierra and look forward to continuing to marvel at the fruits of her labor.