August 2023 - Nichelle Moore

Full of curiosity and enthusiasm, Nichelle has been consistently dedicated to her Spanish studies at Tierra since starting to take classes four years ago. With a passion for social justice, she is motivated to perfect her Spanish skills by her advocacy work and her desire to be able to communicate with people she serves in their native language. A kind and supportive classmate with genuine interest in everyone around her, Nichelle’s joyful energy has a positive impact on any class she joins. Always seeking to deepen her understanding and find patterns in the language, her probing questions often elicit answers that benefit the whole class and reveal fresh nuances of Spanish structure. We feel proud that the language education we provide at Tierra has a positive effect on the lives of the local Spanish speaking community through students like Nichelle who provide vital services to these communities, and we look forward to continuing to see her reach the stars on her path toward fluency.

Name: Nichelle Moore
Occupation:  Advocate
Time Studying at Tierra: 4 years

1) Why are you studying Spanish?
"Growing up,  I lived in a neighborhood where many of my neighbors and friends spoke Spanish, so I've always wanted to become fluent. I've worked in social services my whole adult life, and it would be really beneficial to be able to use Spanish at work to help people. My goal is to be able to pass the Spanish tests at work before I'm 40!"

2) What is your favorite part about your experience here at Tierra?
"The teachers are the best part. Every teacher I've had at Tierra has been wonderful. Each has their own style,  but they are all so encouraging and helpful and come up with great ways to help us practice".

3) Can you tell us of a time you have been able to use what you have learned studying here?
"At work I was supporting a bilingual survivor of violence. She needed assistance connecting with a culturally specific community resource,  so I called with her to help explain what she was needing.  The provider who answered did not feel comfortable speaking in English and asked the survivor if they could switch to Spanish.  I was quite pleased that I was able to understand their conversation and was still able to advocate for the survivor's needs when I noticed that the provider had misunderstood what services we were trying to access. After the phone call,  the person I was serving said it was very helpful to have someone who knew that program explain what she was trying to do and how they might be able to help her, which I couldn't have done if I hadn't understood the provider's conversation with her. It was a good example for myself of how much progress I've made, and good motivation to keep working at it so that I can actually use it at work".

¡Felicidades Nichelle!