Experience speaking Spanish in real-world situations is a necessity for a Spanish teacher, and Spanish teacher Ana Oshnock brings a lifetime of experience to her students. She’s been teaching Spanish for 17 years, but she’s been speaking it since she was a kid.

“Spanish is my first language,” Oshnock said, “and I love everything about the Spanish language and culture. It’s a privilege to teach a language and culture that is so close to my heart. I was born in Quito, Ecuador, and Spanish is a huge part of who I am. I love the language.”

It can be rare to find a Spanish teacher who has spoken the language their whole life, and Oshnock has used her Spanish all across the globe in her day-to-day life and through studying abroad. She offers experience with the language from multiple cultures and countries through her many travels to Spanish-speaking countries.

“I studied abroad for a year in Sevilla, Spain,” Oshnock said, “and I also studied abroad in Mexico. I also worked in an orphanage in Mexico for a year. I have traveled to many other Spanish-speaking countries as well. My favorite [part of it] was meeting people of all walks, and I loved Sevilla, Spain, and having the ability to easily travel Europe.”

She doesn’t just teach her students about Spanish, though; she also teaches her kids and makes sure that they get to see the world outside of Michigan and the different cultures of the world.

“I really enjoy traveling with my family,” Oshnock said. “I have a six-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son, and my husband and I intentionally try to travel whenever we possibly can to show our kids the world we live in. I love spending time with them. If we aren’t traveling, I enjoy running, working out, trying new foods, and reading.”

Oshnock finds her Spanish an incredibly useful tool in all aspects of her life, as she can talk to and understand many other people, and she now gets to teach a new generation of students wanting to learn the language. 

Her unique abilities and familiarity with the language have offered her numerous opportunities in life that she wouldn’t have had otherwise, and teaching here is only one of them.

“I have always used my Spanish,” Oshnock said. “Many times, it separated me from the rest and opened so many job opportunities for me. Spanish has also given me lifelong friends because we connected, and Spanish connected us. My favorite is when I have jumped into situations where I have been able to help complete strangers just because I was able to translate for them or speak to them.”

In her few weeks here, Oshnock has already seen and felt the strong community of FHC and the great possibilities and experiences it gives to the students who go here and help who they become. 

“I have always wanted to teach high school Spanish again,” Oshnock said, “and FHC is one of the best schools in the state; it was always a dream of mine to teach here. I love the community and how respectful and amazing students are here at FHC. It is a very incredible and special place. It is a powerful place that gives students opportunities to excel and become great members of society.”

Learning another language is often an essential life skill that helps you in all aspects of life and different situations, and Spanish is one of the most useful of all. It is spoken in all different parts of the world and can lead to job opportunities, amazing experiences, and connections with the people who speak it.

Oshnock is here to make sure all of her students understand the language and help them apply it to real-life situations in which they would use Spanish.

“[Spanish] opens the door to new perspectives and to a new world,” Oshnock said. “It is so useful in so many jobs, and it is very common that you could use it for many careers. It also has the ability to connect you with so many people. Language is hard and rigorous but so worth it. Keep at it and put in the work, and it will be so fulfilling. I am here to help you succeed!”