Devin

Certified Tutor

Learning a new language is like solving a jigsaw puzzle. At first, you only have a few pieces, a few words. But as you start to learning, you gather more information and you start to get a better idea of what is happening in front of you. And soon, you'll feel accomplished as you are traveling the world, understanding the proud beauty in different cultures and philosophies. You'll be able to understand and communicate your ideas freely and it all starts here. Trust me. I have one it! And you can too!

When I was in high school, I didn't have a passion for learning. I slacked off in class and casually cruised to graduation. I figured that I wouldn't go to college because I wasn't smart enough. All I wanted to do was travel the world. The summer following graduation, I worked construction framing houses and got enough money to buy a ticket to Australia. And in a few months, I was off to see the world.

When I arrived at the hostel in Melbourne, I quickly realized that I was under-prepared for the real world. I was only 18 and staying with older travelers who all had bright-intelligent ideas. Many of them could speak more than one language and, suddenly, I found myself overwhelmed. The first night in that hostel, I made a decision that I would never take education for granted again and that I would learn another language.

Shortly after coming home from Australia, I was asked to manage a coffee shop in Playa del Coco, Costa Rica. I jumped at the opportunity. I flew to Costa Rica and eagerly dedicated myself to my goal. I would wake up every morning, ride a bike with no brakes to the coffee shop (hoping I didn't have to abruptly stop along the way), opened my books and started reading. I started by reading children's bible books written in Spanish. It gave me a basic understanding of the grammatical structure and vocabulary. After 4 months, I was proficient but decided I needed something more. So, I decided to study at Kent State University. At Kent, I participated in a foreign exchange program, worked at a Mexican restaurant, participated in Spanish Club, and represented in Modern and Classical Languages in student council. All of which, helped to further advance my ability to speak Spanish.

After graduation, I took a job working as an Application Engineer for Latin America (which was a fancy term for technical support). Later, I went on to work as a Sales Engineer for Latin America, serving 41 accounts throughout Latin America. Since, I have been traveling frequently to Mexico and working as an bi-lingual actor in Cleveland, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Kentucky and Indiana.

Long story short, I love speaking Spanish. I think it's a great way to communicate with the world and a great reason to travel! I am excited to share my experience and help you achieve your goal of becoming fluent!