In the hushed stillness of a Borrego Springs classroom, every pair of eyes fixed intently on T.J., whose name has been changed here to protect his privacy. His eyes were clouded with doubt as he faced a moment that felt like the last inning of a tied baseball game, the entire room holding its breath. Clutching his copy of Paletero Man tightly, he hesitated over the sentence, the weight of his classmates’ knowing support settling around him. Slowly, he began sounding out the last tricky words—“pal-eh-toh… pal-eh-ros”—his voice trembling but steadying with each syllable. Then, at last, he read the sentence aloud without a stumble. The classroom erupted with quiet gasps and whispered pride, an eruption of encouragement that turned what could have been just another page into a triumph. Watching this, Tania Fuerte, who once sat nervously where these children now sit, felt that familiar spark, the reason she returns each summer to help her community’s children find their voices through reading.
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This moment of individual triumph is just one chapter in the larger story of BASIC’s Learning Academy, a program that has been transforming young lives in Borrego Springs since 2016. This July, Tania will mark a decade of service at the Academy, the only original staff member who has taught there every year since the program began. Scholarships opened the door, education gave her the tools, and coming home each summer has become her way of paying that gift forward to the community that has given her so much.

Tania’s journey is a story of resilience and dedication. “I arrived in the United States at the age of seven from Guanajuato, Mexico , and I am a proud daughter of immigrant parents,” she shares. “I am a first-generation college student and the first in my family to attend college and graduate, paving the way for others.” 

This foundation of determination led to a pivotal milestone in Tania’s life. Tania still remembers the phone call that changed her path: the moment she learned she had received the BASIC scholarship. That invitation led to a meet‑and‑greet at a board member’s home where scholarship recipients gathered and shared their dreams. “I felt an overwhelming sense of pride and accomplishment,” she says, recalling the laughter, the hopeful conversation, and the sense that possibilities suddenly felt real.

The impact of those scholarships extended far beyond financial support. For Tania, those scholarships did more than cover expenses; they opened doors. They allowed her to complete her undergraduate degree at San Francisco State University and later to earn a teaching credential from California State University, Long Beach. Along the way, she kept in touch with BASIC, sending updates and sharing milestones. “As a scholar, one of my favorite memories was writing to BASIC to share my college experiences and accomplishments. I also fondly remember receiving the letters informing me that I had once again been awarded a scholarship,” she says. Each exchange was another confirmation that her community stood behind its students.

Teaching was always on Tania’s horizon, and BASIC’s scholarships and early opportunities helped make that path possible. Her teaching career began modestly after she started college, “I began as a teacher’s aide, then quickly became the lead reading teacher,” she says. “The Learning Academy was my classroom and my laboratory. Those years helped me grow professionally and personally.” Before that, while still in high school, her mentor, Tracey Lee McFarland, played a pivotal role in guiding her college journey, driving her to college tours and helping with scholarship essays. “Many evenings, we stayed at the high school library until 6 p.m., writing essays and filling out applications. I deeply admire Tracey for going above and beyond for her students. She began as my AVID teacher, later became my vice principal and high school counselor, and is now a dear friend.”

Tania’s journey highlights a profound truth about the power of community: when financial support, mentorship, and quality reading instruction come together, they do more than build skills, they cultivate confidence, engagement, and lasting opportunities for students. “BASIC’s board members, staff, and volunteers are a dedicated group of caring individuals who go above and beyond to ensure each student has the chance to pursue their dreams,” Tania says. “And perhaps most beautifully, they’re planting the seeds for those students to one day return and give back to the very community that believed in them.” She adds, “BASIC makes such a wonderful difference in our students’ lives. When they can read well, they dive into classwork with excitement and open doors to higher education.”

During the school year, Tania teaches English Language Arts in Los Angeles County and returns each summer to Borrego Springs with fresh methods and renewed enthusiasm. As a first-generation immigrant and college graduate, she deeply understands the challenges her students face, many of whom come from Spanish-speaking homes like her own family. Drawing on both her formal training and lived experience, she emphasizes that emotional safety is just as vital as literacy. She fosters this by starting each day with a simple but powerful ritual: every student selects an emoji from a feelings board and shares why they chose it. All students use small emoji plushies to express themselves, turning the routine into a fun, inclusive way to build confidence and encourage open communication. This daily practice fosters trust, centers the class, and prepares students to engage fully in learning. “When students feel safe, they read with confidence,” Tania says.

Building on this foundation of emotional safety and inclusive learning, Tania also celebrates the unique strengths that bilingualism brings to her students’ education. Last year at the 2025 Learning Academy Closing Ceremony, she marked this with a memorable class project where every student, regardless of language background, wore superhero capes and masks. Together, they read a bilingual book aloud and then turned to reveal capes that spelled out “Bilingual” to an audience of proud parents. This joyful moment reflected how embracing bilingualism builds pride, confidence, and a deep sense of community, helping students see their unique skills as keys to success

Tania’s holistic teaching approach fosters both confidence and skills, leading to significant academic growth and lasting community benefits. In her summer sessions, students achieve impressive results, with an average improvement of over 90 percent in word-reading fluency and reading comprehension. Additionally, between 75 and 90 percent of participants finish the summer at or above grade level year after year. Those results translate into higher confidence, stronger classroom performance, and new opportunities for further education. For many first‑generation learners like herself, that opening can change entire family trajectories. Tania and BASIC’s investment in students becomes a community investment in return, as alumni are then able to come back to teach, volunteer, or support the next generation.

Ken Collard, Dean of Students for BASIC’s Summer Learning Academy, shares his appreciation: “I’d like to thank Tania for her hard work and dedication to the Learning Academy. During my first four years teaching at BASIC, my mentor was Tania. She was the rock-solid go-to person, having been with us since the very first summer session. She grew with the program and shared her deep knowledge of its beginnings, helping shape it into what it is today. Our 2026 program will proudly recognize her as a founding faculty member who is giving back to Borrego Springs, her hometown!”

Tania’s ten years with the Learning Academy represent more than a milestone; they embody the heart of a small, tight-knit community that rallies around its children. It now costs $4,100 to support one child for a summer session, up from previous years due to rising costs, and BASIC can’t do it alone. Without sufficient funds, we risk turning away kids like Tania and T.J., children who deserve a chance to grow their confidence and their futures. Borrego Springs is a small, unincorporated town, and much of the support comes from within—from neighbors and friends who believe in giving back. This July, as BASIC and Borrego Springs prepare to celebrate Tania’s tenth summer, they invite everyone to join this vital effort: a celebration of perseverance, generosity, and opportunity. Together, we can help more children take their first confident steps into reading and into their own stories of success. Visit www.borregobasic.org or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl6hJacEInE&t=1s to learn how to give, volunteer, or celebrate with us. From Tania’s story to every child's future, thank you for standing with us.