Ms. Lucia Linares: The Heart of Vistamar’s ESL and International Student Program

It is impossible to walk by Ms. Linares’ office without noticing the buzz of enthusiasm that fills the room and floods into the hallways. The bright orange wall of her office is covered with vibrant maps and artwork. Her gray couch always has people chatting on it. Her round table is always scattered with student papers and projects. Her room is always bursting with cozy liveliness. 

Ms. Lucia Linares works as Vistamar’s English as a Second Language (ESL) Instructor and International Student Advocate. She supports and monitors all of Vistamar’s international students. As an ESL instructor, she shadows her students in 9th and 10th grade humanities classes who are English language learners. During ESL class outside of the classroom, she sits down with students to go over material one-on-one to ensure they fully understand class content and can complete assignments with confidence. The hard work of ESL students is unmatched because Vistamar’s curriculum is not modified for international students. This lack of modification means that they are taking up to six classes in a non-native language with peers who have likely spoken English their whole lives. “They are my heroes,” says Ms. Linares.

Day-to-day, as the International Student Advocate, Ms. Linares works with teachers, advisors, life planners, host families, agencies, accounting and so many others, to ensure that international students are properly supported and heard while at Vistamar. Additionally, she works with admissions as international student admission is ongoing throughout the year. Ms. Linares acts as a connection between international students and any help they need on or off campus. 

Ms. Linares’s favorite part of her job is the personal connections she makes with her students. As a former ESL student herself, she is an adult on campus who truly understands the challenges of attending school in a non-native language. “I know how to put myself in their shoes,” says Ms. Linares. She is always around to root her students on and stick by their side through the ups and downs of their experience at Vistamar and beyond. Her office is a safe space for students to do homework, ask questions, speak in their native language, or just hang out. “There is always someone here, or two, or three,” says Ms. Linares. She particularly loves it when her students bring their friends who are local to Vistamar to her office. In addition, Ms. Linares loves seeing her colleagues in action when she shadows her ESL students. In those classes, she loves watching her ESL students gain confidence as English language learners. 

Ms. Linares was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela where she attended an American international school. After graduating, she attended Boston University where she double majored in political science and sociology. Later, she attended Nova Southeastern University where she received her masters in English as a Second Language. Before transitioning in 2020 to her current position, Ms. Linares was a Spanish teacher for four years at Vistamar. Outside of work, Ms. Linares enjoys rock climbing. Additionally, she travels to Mexico two to three times per year. Because of the politics in her home country Venezuela, she has not been able to visit her hometown in a few years. In Mexico, she has explored all over but often visits Mexico City and Yucatán. “It reminds me of home,” says Ms. Linares. 

If you have any questions regarding ESL or the international student program, or maybe you want a piece of candy, Ms. Linares’s door is always open! 

Photo Credit: Cliff Williams