Walking past la clase de español, a student may hear a lot of commotion and chaos on the other side of the door.  They would notice students speaking Spanish, while occasionally butchering the pronunciation; they even may see kids creating plays that will help practice commands, and sometimes, Spanish music can be heard from the other end of the hall.  The bottom line is: Mrs. Mercer has a lot to handle in a day’s work.  While staying on top of her grades, she keeps the class exciting. She must be super woman for handling such chaos.  Lucky for Mrs. Mercer, Spanish amity, Sonia Sanz Juy, is there to help her with all that ruckus.

Sonia is this year’s amity, travelling from Valladolid, Spain.  She arrived in the United States this past August, wanting to expand her knowledge far beyond the boundaries of the Atlantic Ocean.  She explains that she came to America, hoping to learn how to teach and practice her English. Sonia says she gets frustrated when people don’t talk to her in English. She explained her situation by saying, “For example, when I went to Florida, people would be like, ‘Oh, you’re from Spain. Cómo está?’ No! Please! Talk to me in English.”  Even though she wishes she could speak more English, she enjoys working with Mrs. Mercer and her students, and Mrs. Mercer is happy to have Sonia around.  It is very common for Mrs. Mercer to express her gratitude for Sonia. During class, she often says “What would I do without Sonia? I would be in trouble if she wasn’t here.”

Sonia is staying with the Bauer family and she couldn’t be happier.  The Bauers have brought Sonia to many places in the U.S., such as Las Vegas, San Francisco, and the Minnesota Renaissance Festival.  She has built a very strong bond with her host family and is very thankful for their generosity. “I talk with them everyday, and I am very happy to be with them.”  Sonia has enjoyed her experience here and hopes to learn even more English before she returns home to Spain.  Her flight back home departs on June 16 of this year, but she would like to remain in the U.S until June 23 and stay for one more week.  
Enjoy the rest of your time in Cannon Falls, Sonia!  Stay as long as you would like to!