As a native Spanish speaker myself, who has first-hand experience with the benefits and value bilingualism, I knew I wanted my child to be raised with these opportunities. In recognizing that the dominant language around us is English (including in my own dual-language household), I knew that in order for my child to be just as fluent in Spanish, I would have to be intentional about their learning of the language.
What this meant for me was for my child to not only routinely engage with the Spanish language in our everyday experiences at home, but also with other children in a setting where Spanish would be the primary language of play and meaningful experiences. I not only hoped that this would lead them to speaking and understanding the language. Perhaps, more importantly, I was hoping this intentional and consistent exposure would aid my child in experiencing meaningful interactions and developing meaningful connections with others in the Spanish language, thus leading to a deeper connection to and understanding of the language, the people, and the culture.
With this in mind and heart, I developed a curriculum grounded in Developmentally Appropriate Practice and in Dual Language/Immersion for my child but I was eager to supplement their learning with meaningful experiences and connections so I went searching for opportunities within my immediate community, but I was unable to find what I was looking for. The silver lining of this reality is that it led me to start to think about this beyond my own experience. I started to wonder if there were other parents and caregivers like myself committed to having their child experience first-hand the significance and value of bilingualism, and I found that I was not alone. After much consideration and overwhelming support from family and friends, I decided to plant the seed with the hopes to collaboratively cultivate a meaningful Spanish Immersion experience for our children and families! This brings us the start of: Blooming en Español (BEE). So, let’s bloom together!
With Immense Gratitude,
Kenia Torres Jewell
Our Team
Brand and Content Manager 🌻 Estefany Torres
I was born in El Salvador and grew up in Virginia, and as a veteran, life took me all over the country — new cities, new communities, but always looking for a taste of home. No matter where I lived, I found myself missing my culture: the food I grew up eating, the music that got everyone up and dancing, and the Spanish that connected it all. Cooking those recipes and dancing to that music became my way of holding onto El Salvador, wherever I was. That same connection to my roots is what drew me to contribute to Blooming en Español´s mission, where I now serve as Brand & Content Manager, shaping our voice, our story, and the everyday content that helps families connect with what we do. As a native Spanish speaker, I don’t just create content, I bring culture, food, music, and heart into it, so every family who finds us feels a little more connected to a language, and a world, worth loving.
Founder and Educator 🌻 Kenia Torres Jewell
I was born in El Salvador and raised in Virginia. Traveling back and forth throughout my childhood and experiencing the differences and similarities between both cultures, namely through language, music, and food filled me with wonder and I wanted to learn as much as I could about it all!
This curiosity led me to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in international relations/global affairs. While in pursuit of my graduate degree, I also had the opportunity to serve as an educator at the university through my role as a graduate professional assistant and it led me to a wonderful career in the field of higher education.
Fast forward 12 years of experience as an educator, my own bilingual journey, combined with my commitment and dedication to bilingualism (especially in the early years), founding Blooming en Español has felt like the most beautiful and organic evolution to my journey as a learner, educator, bilingual, and newest and most important role, mom ❤️ I hope and look forward to being a part of your family’s bilingual journey, wherever that may be!
