Online Spanish Tutor Azucena Covarrubias - How a Teen English Tutor Became a Spanish Language Mentor

Azucena Covarrubias began teaching when most of her peers were still figuring out what university major to pursue. She was nineteen and fresh out of her teacher training program. Yet, despite her own nerves, she was entrusted with leading English lessons in companies where everyone else was older than she was.

“I remember arriving with no real lesson plan, flipping through the book on the way, and thinking, ‘How am I going to do this?’” she says.

Her ability to improvise well in those early days showed a natural knack for engaging people, a talent that helped her become an in demand teacher for both English and Spanish.

Early Beginnings in English Teaching

From the start, English was always at the center of her plans. After leaving high school, she traveled to the United States for four or five months to improve her language skills. “Everything I learned in school suddenly made sense over there,” she recalls. That quick progress inspired her to keep studying back in Mexico City, where she enrolled in a well known language institute. Before long, she was completing advanced courses and teacher diplomas while also training in administrative informatics, though she admits she initially had no idea what she wanted to do.

Soon, an opportunity arose to teach business clients. That first offer turned into a snowball of professional growth, with Azucena conducting lessons at various companies. “I was terrified because I thought, ‘I’m just a teenager; how can I stand in front of them?’” she says. But her steady approach paid off. Over time, her students rated her highly, and she was asked to return for new groups. She remembers glimpses of radio studios during corporate classes and feeling an extra spark just being around energetic professionals.

Shifts, Detours, and Returning to Teaching

Life then took her through a series of changes. She tried working in a school with primary students but found that managing a room full of restless kids was not her favorite thing. She also spent a short stint in the United States working in the mortgage industry but came back to teaching soon after.

“Whenever I left teaching, I ended up returning,” she says. “It’s what I do best, and I enjoy the shorter work hours and the creativity it involves.”

Spanish lessons entered her schedule years later. Initially, she balanced English instruction in the mornings with Spanish sessions in the afternoons. Gradually, her hours as private Spanish tutor expanded as she realized many learners genuinely wanted to explore the language. “It’s different from teaching English to teenagers,” she explains. “Most of my Spanish students come because they love the culture, and they’re motivated from day one.” She often adds cultural elements like Day of the Dead traditions or Mexican holiday customs, believing these help people connect with the language in a personal way.

Family Life, Pets, and Daily Balance

In the midst of her busy work life, she also shares her home with two dogs, two cats named Antonio and Yuki, and two turtles, cared for by her two adult children, a boy and a girl, who still live under her roof while pursuing their own ambitions. Azucena laughs about being allergic to pet dander, yet her fondness for animals keeps her household lively. She cherishes having her family close by, even if it means juggling schedules and responsibilities, because she firmly believes that staying connected helps everyone move forward.

Juggling Work, Teaching, and a Family Business

Outside her daily tasks, Azucena’s life revolves around her family. Though she once owned a kindergarten with her sister, she now co manages a small food business with her partner. “He runs it every day, and I join in on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays,” she says. “Monday to Thursday, I’m teaching in the morning at a secondary school, and later in the day, I have my online Spanish lessons.” She sometimes wishes she could just sleep by the time she wraps up her daytime work. “My hobby is sleeping,” she jokes. “It’s the one thing I truly crave when I get a break.”

Loyal Students and the Therapy of Language Learning

The results of her dedication are clear in the long term students she’s guided through Spanish55 classes. Some have stayed for years, even if life events pull them away for a few months at a time. “One of my students disappears and then comes back a few months later,” she laughs.

“They tell me it’s more like therapy than class, which I understand. But I still push them to remember their grammar.” She’s proud to see their gradual progress despite the “little holes” they might have in their Spanish after extended breaks.

Rooted in Resilience and Family Legacy

Above all, she credits her parents for showing her that big dreams start from small beginnings. She describes them as self made individuals who worked their way up from virtually nothing in Mexico City. “My dad had to work from a very young age, and my mom’s family had it tough, too,” she says. “They both decided they didn’t want that life for themselves, so they pushed and pushed until they built a different future.” That perseverance shaped her own outlook.

When asked about what drives her on a daily basis, she often thinks, again, of her father and mother, who never challenged their own ability to build a better life. She sees the value in staying active and honest about one’s ambitions, even if obstacles arise. “Saying, ‘Why bother trying?’ definitely leads nowhere,” she remarks. Everything in her story, from teaching strangers at nineteen to juggling her own children’s future, proves she’s kept her optimism alive. She might feel exhausted now and then, but her love for teaching remains strong, and that’s the energy she channels each time she turns on her webcam, opens her class materials, and shares her legacy, her language, with students from around the world.

Want to hear Sean’s full story working with Azucena?
Watch his interview on Conquering Spanish, where Sean shares how working with his Spanish55 tutor, Azucena, helped him move past early challenges, build confidence, and find joy in real Spanish conversations. Hear how their work together shaped his progress, inspired his travels, and deepened his connection to the language.

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