Today we’d like to introduce you to Jackie Rodriguez & Wendy Ramirez
Hi Jackie & Wendy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Back in my sophomore year at UC Berkeley, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Mexico City. One of my professors there really pushed me to answer questions in Spanish. I remember feeling so anxious and nervous before every class because I struggled to find the right words. It was especially frustrating because she didn’t push the other exchange students in the same way. That’s when it hit me: because of my skin color and ethnicity, people expected me to speak Spanish fluently.
My Spanish was pretty basic, nowhere near as good as my counterparts in Mexico. Even though my mother is a Central American immigrant, I grew up and went to school in the U.S. It became clear that if I wanted to serve my community effectively, I needed to become fluent in Spanish. So, I dedicated over twenty years to learning and using Spanish to advance my career in education, law, government, and international development.
After leaving my dream job to start my own projects, I began reflecting on my struggles with Spanish and interviewing friends to understand their experiences. They shared feelings of shame, embarrassment, and guilt about not being fluent in Spanish, feeling like they were letting down their family and community.
One of the friends I interviewed, Jackie, eventually became our co-founder. She’s a natural storyteller and visual designer who shares the same values and motivation of serving our community. With her talent for telling our story and my focus on designing and delivering our content, we have grown our team and community to serve over 1,700 individuals in the last 5 years.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s not a smooth road; we face plenty of challenges along the way. I would say an early challenge was knowing we could help people but figuring out how to do it effectively. Our programs have continuously evolved to support our community in the best way possible. It’s funny to think back to the beginning when some students didn’t even know how to use Zoom. Then, when the pandemic hit in 2020, suddenly everyone was on Zoom looking for community, and we grew fast—so fast, it was hard to keep up with the demand. It was a whirlwind trying to manage the influx of new students and maintain the quality of our program.
By 2022, as the world started to open up again, fewer people were joining us on Zoom. We had to pivot, so we started organizing trips to Latin America—Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, the Dominican Republic—and held in-person meetups and events in cities like LA, NY, Chicago, Seattle, Washington DC, and Oakland. It was a big shift, but it allowed us to connect with our community in new and meaningful ways.
The period from 2023 to 2024 has been particularly tough. There’s an active genocide taking place, and on a personal level, it’s been incredibly hard to dissociate from that. Promoting our program, posting on social media, or even just showing up on heavy days has been a real challenge. Yet, this time has also introduced us to amazing people who share our values, and we’ve been able to form some incredible partnerships.
One of our ongoing obstacles is helping people overcome feelings of shame and guilt about not being fluent in Spanish. We’re not therapists, but we strive to hold a safe space for practice and growth. It’s a delicate balance, but it’s essential for our community’s progress.
So, no, it hasn’t been a smooth road. But every challenge has taught us something valuable and brought us closer as a community.
We’ve been impressed with Spanish Sin Pena! (Spanish without shame/ judgment) , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Spanish Sin Pena is for those that connect with Spanish, but struggle speaking it. Our focus is to create a safe and accessible space for people to heal, practice & have fun learning Spanish with others that understand what it’s like learning a language to your heritage.
Our program was created for Latino/e/x’s and Allies that want to speak Spanish with confidence to connect with family, open up professional opportunities, be a resource to their community or pass down the language to future generations!
I think that’s what makes us the most proud, seeing all the powerful work our students are doing with the Spanish skill in their community and with their families.
We have students going for their dream jobs in immigration law and winning asylum cases for families. Teachers hosting parent teacher conferences in Spanish for the first time. Medical professionals connecting, and reaching new patients. Others having their first full conversations with their grandparents, it’s endless!
Our collective power always inspires us to keep getting creative in how to support the needs of our community. We love to watch all the seeds bloom!
We’ve grown organically over the years, and sometimes there’s pressure to multiply in numbers quickly. But in reality, we’re proud of our community as it stands. We want to continue getting to know our students personally, allowing them to build their own connections and contribute to their Spanish-speaking community in meaningful ways.
Looking ahead, we see a growing demand and opportunity to work with younger generations. Currently, we only serve adults, but there’s an internal calling and requests from our community to expand our support to younger people. Understanding how best to share our collective skills and talents with this new audience is still a developing process, but it’s a big change we’re excited to explore.
We also cherish the grandparents who join our program—they inspire us with their determination and remind us that it’s never too late to learn a language tied to your identity.
What’s next?
One of our upcoming projects that I’m particularly excited about is the launch of our scholarship program this fall. This will open up many opportunities and allow us to hear about all the incredible work folks are doing in their communities.
Our trips are another highlight. We just got back from taking a group of 12 students to Oaxaca and we’re also planning a trip to El Salvador in late November, which we haven’t officially announced yet, so you heard it here first! It’ll be a chance for cultural immersion and practice while eating pupusas with a group of like-minded learners.
Our students constantly inspire us with new ideas and invitations to grow, like our podcast hosted by some of our talented students. We also look forward to having amazing guest speakers join us. This summer, we have reggaeton historian La Gata and María García, creator of the Mi Divo & Anything for Selena podcast. We love inviting Latinx leaders to share their knowledge and magic with our students.
So, while we’re excited about expanding and evolving, we remain focused on nurturing our current programs and community. The future holds many exciting opportunities, and we’re looking forward to each one.
Pricing Options:
We offer a variety of pricing options based on how much time you want to commit. You can choose between one or two seasons, or commit for the entire year. A three-month session costs $720, and we have payment plans available, along with discounts for paying in full. You can view all the options at SpanishSinPena.com.
Many students have had the program covered by their employers. On our website, you’ll find a PDF to share with your employer to explore using professional development funds.
For those facing financial hardships but committed to learning and serving our community, we offer scholarships. Get on our waitlist and follow us on social media to be notified when we open our Fall Scholarships!
All your readers can use Voyager10 at check out for 10% for the fall enrollment!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Spanishsinpena.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spanishsinpena/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spanishsinpena
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqcmNH5_V2E1YdRbQ5Ijlkw
- Other: Our Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5uxTWiqPe9f9oHUY6HPCCw?si=atBWVJe2RiyuQAS9gcOxmw
