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TEC Student of the Month Award

July 2018 - Beth Parmenter

Sun, 07/08/2018 - 01:12 — admin


Few students approach learning Spanish with as much joyful determination as Beth. Since starting her studies at Tierra a year and a half ago, she’s been utterly committed to her morning classes, sometimes enrolling in two intensive courses at once and so coming four times a week to build her Spanish skills. With a naturally sunny outlook, she’s met every challenge she’s come across with sensible optimism and has worked incredibly hard outside the classroom to achieve dramatic progress. Motivated to learn Spanish by her desire to volunteer to help farm workers and to have authentic interactions when traveling, her genuine interest shines through in the classroom. Warm and sociable, she is a wonderful classmate whose positive attitude and delight in learning are contagious. We are honored to have Beth as part of our student community and excited to continue to see her continue to reap the benefits of her hard work.
 

June 2018 - Tracie Bennink

Fri, 06/15/2018 - 01:40 — admin

Committed to her Spanish studies and determined to enjoy the process, Tracie’s lighthearted sense of humor makes Spanish class more fun for everyone. A natural extrovert, when she travels abroad she comes home with new friendships blossoming, which she maintains through message writing - her favorite way to practice her Spanish skills. Also a fan of watching television in Spanish, she has the patience to watch an entire series despite not understanding every word, as she trusts (correctly) the exposure is good for her language development. In class, she easily connects with her classmates and contributes to a creating a collaborative atmosphere and sense of camaraderie. We’re grateful to have Tracie as a student and look forward to watching her march on to conquer her learning goals.

May 2018 - Emiko Badillo

Thu, 05/24/2018 - 02:12 — admin


Motivated to study Spanish by her family background - she’s the daughter of a Mexican-American father and Japanese mother - learning one of the languages she grew up around, but didn’t speak, is greatly meaningful for Emiko. Deeply dedicated to ethical eating and animal rights, she is co-owner of the vegan grocery store “Food Fight”, an activist in social/racial justice movements, and generally passionate about “fighting oppression against humans and non-humans”. Despite working everyday on these inspiring projects, she always makes it to Spanish class and carves out time to study. A delight to be around, her unfailingly positive attitude contributes to cultivating a fun and welcoming learning atmosphere for all. We admire Emiko in her tenacity as a student and in her commitment to her life’s work, and look forward to continuing to enjoy her presence and to witness the fruits of her hard work.

April 2018 - Rian Sackett

Tue, 04/17/2018 - 00:59 — admin


With great zeal for learning Spanish and an infectiously positive attitude, Rian’s presence energizes any class he’s in. Motivated by a strong desire to communicate with native Spanish-speakers and expand his cultural horizons, he takes every opportunity to practice - watching television and movies in Spanish, listening to music, and engaging locals in conversation when traveling, often bringing new words he’s picked up to share in class. Kind and supportive with a playful sense of humor, he revels in the camaraderie established in small-group classes. We are delighted to count Rian as part of our community at Tierra, and look forward to continuing to enjoy his company and see his skills blossom.

 

March 2018 - Joanne Rekow

Sun, 03/11/2018 - 15:04 — admin


With a wide smile and stellar attitude, Joanne's positive approach has buoyed her throughout her learning process. Having started in Beginner 3 over two years ago, she's been tenacious in her studies, consistently gracing her morning intensive classes and building Spanish skills that are now impressively strong. She is a caring classmate who forms close relationships with her fellow students, even traveling to Oaxaca with one of them! When she's not practicing her Spanish, Joanne enjoys making art as her hobby, including wood carving and painting, and is also an avid gardener and dedicated chicken keeper. We are proud to be witnesses to Joanne's hard work to pursue her Spanish goals, and look forward to continuing to see her inspiring progress.

 

February 2018 - Patrick Heath

Fri, 02/09/2018 - 00:41 — admin


An incredibly dedicated student with a deep interest in literature and culture, Patrick has truly made the most of Tierra’s literary and cultural immersion course offerings. His thoughtful reflections and contributions in class demonstrate a gift for analysis and nuanced understanding of the messages embedded in the novels, short stories, and films studied. His enthusiasm for literature, travel, and even grammar is infectious, as are his jovial sense of humor and naturally strong rapport with classmates. Usually arriving for class on his bicycle despite a notably busy professional life and whatever the weather, his commitment to his Spanish studies is impressive. We are so grateful to have Patrick as part of our community at Tierra and look forward to continuing to enjoy his company!

January 2018 - Tandra Schmidt

Wed, 01/03/2018 - 10:16 — admin

Tandra Schmidt

 

Naturally vivacious and seriously passionate about her Spanish studies, Tandra brings immense enthusiasm to any class she joins. A nurse practitioner who enjoys using her budding Spanish skills to get to know her Spanish-speaking patients, she is excited to expand her medical Spanish skills in Tierra’s Healthcare course this Winter Term. Also motivated by her love of travel, Tandra’s positive attitude and tenaciousness in her quest to achieve fluidity in Spanish are an inspiration. We look forward to continuing to hear her laugh and watch her Spanish skills bloom!

 

December 2017 - Marcia Darm

Tue, 12/05/2017 - 01:56 — admin

With an enthusiastic and even-keeled attitude, Marcia is tenacious in her study of the Spanish language, never afraid to explore new, complex structures. An avid traveller who has a special love for Africa and has enjoyed trips around the Americas, her desire to understand different cultural realities and have authentic exchanges with locals is one factor that stimulates her dedication to learning Spanish. Naturally vivacious and friendly, she helps build the camaraderie that creates a uniquely welcoming learning environment at Tierra. It’s been wonderful to watch Marcia make significant progress in her time at Tierra so far, and we look forward to continuing to see her sharpen her skills and test them out near and far!

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