Hello dear friends, one more week has passed and we are here again in this virtual space, where it was Jessica Cabezas’ turn. She is our founder and main operational engine at the institute , today she wanted to share what One Language and the English language has meant for her through life. This story embodies all the emotions and experiences that this initiative has gone through. As always, we invite you to follow us on all out social media Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn; maybe to share what learning a second language has meant to you.
Hello friends and followers of One Language, and to the ones who don’t know me, I will introduce myself, I am Jessica Cabezas CEO and founder of One Language.
First of all, on this anniversary month I want to thank you for all the love and support that you have given us through social media and to all the people who have taken part in the creation of this space that is our blog.
Today I want to tell you about my story and how this one is connected to our name One Language. This question has been asked to me many times, even students have told me that it would mean a lot to have the opportunity to tell the story of this name that is so powerful.
First, I want to tell you what English has meant to my life. I was born in the small and then rural town of Lo Barnechea, that town that was part of Las Condes commune. At this time in the 80s, I was part of a beautiful educational Project. Maria Luis Vial had founded a new and small school with an ambitious and innovative teaching system. It was called LA DEHESA School, this school which had extensive sessions, and many families had access to the same level of education as many higher-up private schools. Its vision was a real quality education for all, under this premise the Miss Lucha taught us not only the importance of the 4th year of high school English, but also, we learnt Latin, we had technical English, subjects such as mathematics and biology were taught with books in English for girls who never heard up to that point to any friend or relative speaking in this language. This was another world, and I must admit I loved listening to my teachers speaking English among them since very little. I promised myself to learn to speak as good as they were and I did it. Since I was a child I had that dream and I think that what left a mark in me happened in the month of April 1984. I have to tell you that in that year, this Little town girl didn’t have any money in her pockets to give her mother a present. Then I had an idea, I had a Cindy Lauper songbook and I told myself I would learn one of her songs and give this as a present to my mother. I sang on her birthday the song “True colors” and I think I will never forget that afternoon. While I was singing with my head up high and trying to stay as stunned as possible, my mother couldn’t hold her tears. I was not only a 9 yeras old girl singing to her mom, I think she saw that moment that I was breaking through, that her Little girl was going to be the first woman to speak English in the family and without a doubt that was going to change our history. I must say that to this day, my mother and I listen to this song and we both get as emotional as that day.
Today after many years of this road, I must recognize what English has meant to me. In my working history, I have worked on a lot of personal projects and I have worked for big companies as well. On my corporate road, I worked for customer service companies like Banks, realtors and tourism agencies, and the English has always been present. Furthermore, on my enterpreneur road has happened the same and the language has always been present as well. Through different projects, I was fortunate to work with people from Sweden, Germany and The United States. English has always been along my path, not only I have shared knowledge but I have also broadened my network of friends, acquaintances and consultants. I have created alliances, I have met amazing, talented people with pasión and love for what they do. I have seen beautiful places, incredible sunsets, historical places, I have enjoyed the best local and gourmet gastronomy from different cultures. I have lived every second of my journey as if it were the last one and I think that’s the best way to do it.
Above all the trips I highlight with a lot of gloom, and especially on times of COVID-19, that English immersion trip that I made to New York in October of 2018. Until that date I felt uneasy, I felt that I was stalled and beside having done many things in my life, I still felt I haven’t found what I was looking for. At this point, my husband supported me beyond words, and besides from supporting me financially for this adventure, he also told me “I want you to promise me that you will enjoy every second of this trip, that you will study, nevertheless, you will as well enjoy this trip that is only for you and that the answers that you are looking for will be there”. Looking forward to this amazing trip, the classic song from Frank Sinatra echoed in me, this phrase “if I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere”, and that’s how the ideas started coming, let me tell you all about it.
This trip was just simply amazing, not only for all the places I could visit, moreover, for their super cool people, for the classmates I met, the teaching methodology from the institute where I loved this immersion in which my brain made an explosión. I believe I didn’t tell you that my last job was for a language institute that works nationwide. At that moment I could contrast clearly what was done in Chile versus what was done in other countries regarding the teaching of English, and though the inspiration didn’t come right away, something happened a week after. I had a meeting in the Empire State with the director of Kaplan, on the 63rd floor of that wonderful place. It was just fantastic, it was my first business meeting in NewYork and in no other place than the Empire State. My English was so fluent that I was even congratulated for it, but one question changed it all. This passionate and professional man made me a question, What’s your dream Jessica? I think I had never had a meeting like this, where such a simple question could be so profound. My answer came from my heart, I didn’t even think before and I said: I dream than in Chile we have more people who speak fluent English, I dream with delivering more opportunities, I know that English has allowed me to be here now, and I know it can do a lot more for the wonderful people in my country. The director was delighted with my answer and he told me: “ Then, open your own language institute”. Just like that, it was so simple although many people told me before, plenty of human resources directors and my husband as well. It wasn’t until that moment that the idea became crystal clear to me. I was learning everything about teaching methodology from this wonderful institute and I realised I could replicate what I learnt. After this meeting, The director invited me to another meeting at Kaplan’s office in Soho,New York. He gave me a lot of information about their working system and structure. Beside giving me many presents, he also promised that if I open my own institute I could represent this fantastic institution.
On my return journey, I felt like floating, I remember the happiness about everything I lived and also because I received that answer that I longed for. I knew that I would have hard work but I had to start with its name. A few minutes before taking my flight, I took a photo. It was an airplane for Lan’s airline and then I heard a message. I was my answer. It was and advertisement from One World Alliance, and I asked myself: “How about One Language?”. Then I felt another explosion in my head but this time, It was the 2.0 version. I had found a powerful name, not only because everybody knows what One means, but also because being number 1 has a great meaning. The concept of one language is historical and biblical before the Babel Tower´s fall according to what the bible points us to.
The universality of this expression, One Language, has been proven more than ever during the pandemics. It has been more present than ever, now is when we realize how important is English as a universal language.
Today, I feel excited and grateful for all the support, acknowledgment and love from my family, my team and myself. I tell you to live your journey until you discover your path. I discovered mine and here we are, together as a community, doing something good that fills our hearts with joy, because we impulse other people to develop and reach further. We promise something that we are fulfilling, to make each one of you a better version of yourselves.
With love,
Jéssica Cabezas
As we told you previously, One Language is celebrating its anniversary and we want to share our joy with you. Soon we’ll be back with new tips, opinions and comments, as Jessica said, we want your best version.
We want the Best Version of You!
