Amarylis’ father was born and raised in Arecibo, Puerto Rico and while her mother was born in the United States, her family is from Jayuya, Puerto Rico.

“I’m excited to learn more about where I came from,” Amarylis said. “Last year, I visited Puerto Rico with my family and my Dad showed us where he grew up. It was an amazing experience.”

“My trip to Puerto Rico inspired me to want to learn more Spanish,” she said.

“I’m taking classes at PA Distance so I can learn the language so that I can have conversations with my Spanish-speaking family and friends,” she said. “I also wanted to learn a little bit more about my background.”

(photos from Amarylis' recent trip to Puerto Rico)

Amarylis was born and raised in the United States, so while her family is from Puerto Rico, she primarily grew up learning and speaking English.

“My parents absolutely love that I’m taking Spanish, especially my Dad,” she explained. “My Dad’s main language is Spanish but growing up he spoke English with us,” she said.

“My parents would speak Spanish around me and my siblings to keep secrets from us,” she said with a laugh. “And now that I’m taking these classes and learning the language, they’re not going to be able to hide anything if I know what they’re saying.”

“My Abuela doesn’t speak English,” she said of her grandmother. “So I’m really excited to be able to communicate with her better.”

In her Spanish classes, Amarylis learns about the Spanish language and the cultural components of each country that speaks it, too.

“In class, we learn about cultural greetings in different Spanish-speaking countries. It’s funny because we learned about how some cultures greet each other with a kiss on the cheek and that’s what my family did growing up all the time.”

Although Amarylis isn't graduating quite yet, she has always known what she wants to do when she finishes school. She’s confident that her Spanish education at PA Distance will help her with it, too.

“When I grow up, I want to be a Missionary for the Church,” she said. “If I go to Spanish-speaking countries, knowing Spanish will help me communicate and spread the gospel better.”