Ana Salazar has been working in The Learning Center as a Spanish tutor for approximately two years, being promoted to the role of Graduate Tutor during 2014. In the TLC, Ana has contributed a strong knowledge of the world and one of the foremost languages within it as a graduate of the University of California, Davis, having double majored in International Relations and Spanish.
Working under the direct supervision and mentorship of The Learning Center staff and Professora Luciana Castro, Ana has served as a true model of what a graduate tutor should exemplify, always knowledgeable in her subject matter and looking for opportunities to expand the horizons of her students into the Spanish language. Some of the ways that Ana has done this include taking the lead with preparation and delivery of Spanish workshops along with Peer Spanish Tutor, Maria Somarriba and in coordination with Spanish Professors Castro and Juan Carlos Gazulla, hosting Spanish Conversation Groups in The Learning Center with the inclusion of cultural field trips in the community and cooking Nicaraguan dishes prepared by herself, developing her own materials for use in tutoring sessions and workshops, and consistently exuding positive vibes and a liveliness that is unmatched.
Ana hails from Nicaragua where she was the youngest sibling of a large family. She immigrated to the United States in 1989 to further her educational pursuits and in order to seek refuge during a tumultuous period in her home country’s history. She attributes her late, but dearest mother as the source of her motivation to excel academically, and her mother would be proud to know that Ana has been asked to complete her Master’s degree in Spanish at Stanford University. This is an opportunity that she plans to embrace very soon in order to follow her long term dream of becoming a Spanish Professor.
During her spare time, Ana enjoys reading about literature, culture, and history of other countries, and when asked about her teaching philosophy for keeping students motivated, Ana had this to say:
“My philosophy that I convey to my students is that no matter how long it takes them to achieve their goals, what is important, is that they achieve them. Also, I say that perfection does not exist, but what is real is that we learn from our mistakes.”
Ana is one of many graduate tutors in The Learning Center who have served as warm and reliable anchors for empowering students towards mastery in their subjects, in harmony with the Skyline College mission statement of “transform[ing] a global community of learners.”
To get more information about TLC programs and services, please visit us in Building 5, or visit us on the web at www.skylinecollege.edu/learningcenter
Article by Chanel Daniels
