AATSP Exams is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 AATSP Programs Support Award. This award recognizes educators who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to promoting Spanish language learning and Hispanic culture through their participation in AATSP Exams and other AATSP Programs, including Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica (SHH). This year, we are delighted to honor three outstanding teachers: Nicole Zaeske from Wisconsin, Julie Galvez from Illinois, and Marbel Tamayo from New Jersey.

Nicole Zaeske: A Passion for Spanish Education

Nicole Zaeske is a Spanish teacher and SHH Chapter Advisor at New Berlin West High School in Wisconsin. She teaches Spanish 3 and 5 and proudly advises Capítulo El Sol. Nicole administers the National Spanish Exam (NSE) annually and also engages her students in the AATSP Poster Contest and the AATSP-WI Concurso Oral. Her dedication to Spanish language education is evident in her commitment to providing her students with enriching experiences both inside and outside the classroom.

Nicole and her colleagues run annual trips to Spanish-speaking countries, and this summer, she will be traveling to Mexico City and Mérida, Mexico with a group of 23 students. She is grateful for the Premio de Apoyo to celebrate her SHH students and those competing in the NSE and Concurso Oral this year, as well as her outstanding Spanish department colleagues.

Nicole explains why she chooses to administer the NSE each year: “I choose to administer the National Spanish Exam each year because students are able to earn nationwide recognition for their Spanish language skills, and I am able to see areas of strength and weakness in our language program and adjust instruction accordingly. The NSE has been a blessing for our school. We keep a record of the students earning recognition and honor them with a small awards ceremony during our Flex time. Beginning in 2015, three students earned honorable mention, and last year (2024), we had an impressive 36 students earn recognition. The students look forward to the exam, challenge themselves to study and prepare, and are proud of their accomplishments. Last year, one of my students won the KCB Global Citizen Scholarship and was able to go to El Lago del Bosque for a week. He has impressed me this year with how much his speaking abilities improved over the summer. I won a teacher scholarship to study in San José, Costa Rica in July 2018 and I met some of my best friends while there. I still stay in contact with my host family and am able to incorporate so many cultural tidbits I learned while there into my teaching. Thank you, NSE!”

Nicole’s dedication to her students and her passion for Spanish language education make her a deserving recipient of the AATSP Programs Support Award.

Julie Galvez: Bridging Cultures in Chicago

Julie Faustine Galvez is a Spanish Bilingual Educator with the Chicago Public Schools District 299. She has been teaching at Foreman College and Career Academy for over 16 years and is a proud member of the Chicago Teachers’ Union local 1. Julie loves teaching Spanish to her Dual Credit Spanish students and English to her ELL students. Her family is originally from Peru, and she enjoys sharing her culture with her students while learning about their cultures as well.

Julie administers the NSE to increase Spanish learning acquisition and help her students achieve medals and recognition. She believes that language and culture are essential for communication and learning with the world. Julie’s commitment to her students extends beyond the classroom, as she strives to provide them with field experiences to explore Spanish language events in Chicago.

Julie shares her vision: “Students need field experience to travel to Spanish language events in our city of Chicago. Buses are expensive and hard to book. So perhaps we can use public transportation or meet at a museum or festival to enjoy the Spanish language culture. I am in a school that is over 80% low-income homes. Students struggle to learn about the city and usually stay just in their neighborhoods. It would be nice to take them outside of the neighborhood to explore their city more!”

Julie’s dedication to her students and her efforts to bridge cultural gaps make her a deserving recipient of the AATSP Programs Support Award.

Marbel Tamayo: Empowering Students in New Jersey

Marbel Tamayo is a Spanish teacher at Eastside High School in New Jersey. Born in Barranquilla, Colombia, Marbel completed her secondary education at Colegio León XIII and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences and Economics from Universidad del Atlántico. She began her career as a Spanish teacher in the United States in 2003 and has been a dedicated member of the AATSP since 2015.

Marbel founded the Esther Forero Chapter of the SHH at Eastside High School and has participated in the NSE for the past 10 years. She also engages her students in the Poster Contest and the Essay Contest. In 2024, the Esther Forero Chapter was selected as Chapter of the Year.

Marbel explains why she administers the NSE: “The main reason is for students to improve their skills and abilities to speak, read, and write Spanish, and they can be competitive when competing with other students nationally. Using both formative and summative assessment methods provides the educator, department, and/or institution with a better understanding of how and what students learn. In addition, interpretations of student achievement can help identify learning experiences that do or do not promote expected outcomes.”

Marbel’s plan for the Hispanic Honor Society for the 2024-2025 school year is to promote more engagement in cultural activities within the Paterson New Jersey school community by supporting various community institutions that help battered women, orphaned children, and children with cancer.

Marbel’s dedication to her students and her commitment to community service make her a deserving recipient of the AATSP Programs Support Award.

The AATSP Programs Support Award recognizes educators who have made significant contributions to Spanish language education and Hispanic culture. Nicole Zaeske, Julie Galvez, and Marbel Tamayo exemplify the dedication and passion that this award celebrates. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you for your unwavering commitment to promoting Spanish language learning and Hispanic culture. Your efforts are truly making a difference!