TEC Student of the Month Award

Lynn's impressive dedication to her Spanish studies stems from her wholehearted passion for social justice which has guided her career and life for decades. With a background in social work, she is a dynamic leader who has directed many organizations that serve women and children, including family crisis centers and Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Deeply interested in culture, literature, travel and history, her contributions to group conversations are thoughtful and highly stimulating. Lynn truly enjoys the process of learning Spanish, unbridled by worries of making mistakes, and builds strong relationships with her classmates and instructors. We are honored to count Lynn as part of our community at Tierra, and proud of the great work she does!

With great focus and commitment, Laura has built up her Spanish skills and taken advantage of every opportunity to delve into cultural learning in her two years studying at Tierra. A lawyer by profession, her desire to best serve and understand her Spanish-speaking clients was one impetus for her to pursue a higher level of proficiency in Spanish. Also inspired by her fondness of travel and eagerness to have authentic exchanges with locals, in her most recent adventure abroad this summer she spent several weeks studying Spanish in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. A highly motivated student with a quenchless appetite for reading in Spanish, she has no fear of the limits of her own understanding and pushes towards ever-deeper comprehension. We're thankful to have Laura as part of our community at Tierra, and look forward to seeing where her quest for fluency takes her!

Strikingly committed to his Spanish studies, Stuart has been a mainstay in his classes at Tierra since starting out in Beginner 1 in early 2014. An avid traveler, he was originally motivated to learn Spanish by journeys to South America and recently returned from an exciting trip to Ecuador and Peru. Stuart’s wide range of interests and talents have him wearing many hats including retired engineer, musician who plays the french horn, accomplished amatuer photographer, and helicopter pilot among others! As a student of Spanish, he’s a kind and enthusiastic classmate who always makes the effort to go beyond the task assigned to do research or extend the activity in a way that helps him to deepen his educational experience. We’re grateful for Stuart’s continued dedication to learning Spanish and look forward to continuing to see his skills flourish!