Student Spotlights
Meet Jean, 2023 Student of the Year

Spotlight on Jean
"I wanted help with my English so I can do better at work and also talk to my daughters about school."
Jean is originally from a city called Alajuega in Costa Rica. Married with two daughters, he has been in the U.S. for five years and works as a cook in a restaurant.
With help from Rick, Jean has been able to navigate a move to a new home and enroll his children in a new school.
When my family and I were moving, I had to call different rental agents. I had to speak English for information for price and size of apartment. Rick and I practiced words about housing or apartments – for example, the words, landlord, neighbor, security deposit, etc. When we moved, we had to move our children to a new school. During my talk with Rick, we practiced filling out a school application.
Jean proudly accepted the award at LVSC’s Annual Meeting in June, speaking in English to a large group, and showing how far he has come on his language journey.
I want to say thank you for giving me this honor. Also, thank you to all of you for giving time for me and other students.