By Kennedy Leavens | Executive Director
Jenny, a native of Ollantaytambo, has been a Spanish teacher with Awamaki since 2010. Surprising to those who have witnessed her natural knack for teaching, Jenny’s background is neither in Spanish nor in education. In fact, she studied in a culinary institute for several years in Cusco and then worked as a chef in restaurants throughout Peru. Jenny expresses that her favorite part about being a chef was meeting people from all over the world, hearing their stories and forming connections.
This love for sharing in others’ experiences is what inspired Jenny to become a Spanish teacher with Awamaki.
"I thought this would be an interesting way to connect with tourists," Jenny explained, which was the part of her culinary career that she loved. On a more practical note, she states that the flexible hours guaranteed by being a Spanish teacher with Awamaki allow her to achieve a balance between work and family, something she highly values.
When asked what her favorite part about teaching Spanish is, Jenny pauses and smiles softly, thinking for a moment. Then, she beams and says, “I love the beginning of classes with a student, because it creates friendship. It makes it easier to get to know people.”
Recently, Awamaki chose Jenny for #WomenCrushWednesday, where Awamaki's amazing women get a spotlight each Wednesday. Former students on Facebook gushed about their teacher. Stacy Ridgley extolled, “Best Spanish teacher ever!”
“Jenny. Mas mejor maestra de espanol,” wrote Lourdes Malave, exemplifying her Spanish chops honed by her teacher. “Hola Como esta su hija? Besos y brasos por ti y su familia.”
Jenny has indubitably impacted the lives of many during her time as a Spanish teacher with Awamaki. We thank her for sharing her bright spirit with us and inspiring countless to study the Spanish language.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
