¡Hola!
My name is Jessica Otero. I was born and raised in Havana, Cuba. I came to the United States when I was 15; following my parents dream for better economic opportunity and political freedom.
I graduated from the University of North Florida with a bachelor in Spanish and a minor in Education. Earning my BA with honors, my other notable accomplishments in college was having the honor of being elected as president of Sigma Delta Pi; a nationally and internationally recognized honor society of students who pursue Spanish majors all over the United States. These studies and my membership of Sigma Delta Pi have honed my Spanish skill to a fine edge.
I am a certified teacher for grades K-12 and currently teach at San Jose Catholic School. I am an enthusiastic and professional Spanish Teacher. Teaching for me is a wonderful experience; engaging and motivating students to learn about new cultures and a new language is such a fulfillment for me. Having a rich Hispanic culture myself provides my students with firsthand experience with a foreign culture.
Language development is not my only goal for my students, however. I actively strive to help my students develop skills, that will serve them later in life such as good study habits, critical thinking skills, organization routines and to have them understand the concepts of hard work, responsibility, and having a sense of humor. At the end of the day, I strive to demonstrate to them that with “ganas si se puede”, if there’s a will there’s away.
After my faculty responsibilities are finished for the day, I work as an independent tutor for people interested in practicing Spanish. I hope to one day grow my modest pool of students into a tutoring company.