Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaime Sisson.
Hi Jaime, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Growing up in Mesquite, I was always a curious student who loved learning, though I could never pin down just one favorite subject. I was raised in a monolingual, English-speaking household, but from an early age, I found myself deeply drawn to worlds outside my own. I possessed a profound interest in other cultures—learning about them, experiencing them, and simply being around people from different backgrounds. To me, discovering how other people live, think, and celebrate has always been incredibly fascinating and eye-opening.
That early curiosity found its true direction when I was 19, working at a restaurant in Dallas. Wanting to communicate with the kitchen staff, I started asking questions, and they generously taught me my very first Spanish words and phrases. That experience completely opened my eyes to just how vibrant the Spanish-speaking community was right in my own backyard, and it sparked an unstoppable desire to learn more.
I officially enrolled in Spanish I at Eastfield Community College, a step that altered the course of my life in more ways than one. Not only did it launch my academic journey, but it’s also where I met my husband, Omar Medina. Being able to speak Spanish with his family from Mexico deepened our relationship tremendously. Today, we share a mutual love for teaching languages and traveling; whenever we visit a new country, we make it a priority to learn some of the local language—like the French and Italian we’ve studied for past trips—so we can fully immerse ourselves in the local culture.
Driven by this passion, I turned my love for language into my career. I went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Southern Methodist University. During my time at SMU, I had the incredible opportunity to study abroad in Costa Rica and Spain, living with host families for six weeks each during two different summers. Those immersive experiences showed me firsthand how language can transform travel, bridge cultures, and build lasting friendships. I later completed my master’s degree in Spanish and Second Language Instruction from Texas A&M University–Commerce in 2020.
Over the last decade as a certified teacher, I’ve had the privilege of teaching Spanish and ESL to students of all ages—from K–12 to adults—and at every level, from introductory courses to AP Spanish Language and Culture. Teaching ESL and Citizenship Preparation right here in Dallas constantly reminded me that bilingualism doesn’t just create opportunities abroad; it strengthens the bonds of our local community.
Learning Spanish opened an entirely new world for me—one full of connection, belonging, and cultural understanding. Wanting to share that gift with others is why I launched Bilingual With Us in 2025, initially offering solely virtual Spanish classes for adults. Our transition into the physical community happened beautifully and organically. Through my promotions on Facebook, Jonathan Najera, the owner of Zoe and Emma’s Café in Terrell, reached out to me about hosting in-person Spanish classes at their cafe. We teamed up and made it happen for a couple of months, which caught the attention of the Terrell Chamber of Commerce. Bitner Hayes, the Director of Membership at the Chamber, reached out and invited us to bring our Spanish classes to their offices. Today, I am a proud member of the Terrell Chamber of Commerce, and they generously allow us to use their conference room to teach both our Spanish and our brand-new English classes, which we just launched in April 2026. As a way to give back, we even offer a discounted rate to fellow Chamber members.
We are immensely grateful to both Zoe and Emma’s Café and the Terrell Chamber of Commerce. Their willingness to believe in our mission, and their ability to see the true beauty and potential of having adult language classes in our community, made all the difference in our journey.
Today, my husband and I run the business together: he serves as our main ESL teacher, while I teach the Spanish courses and step in to teach English classes whenever needed. Wherever someone is on their language journey—whether they are just starting out or already bilingual—they belong here. Together, we are expanding our worlds through language and meaningful connection.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth, effortless road, but every single struggle along the way has been entirely worth it.
My first and most personal challenge was the language learning process itself. Learning Spanish as an adult required an immense amount of dedication, and the phrase “if you don’t use it, you lose it” is incredibly real. I had to intentionally make Spanish a part of my daily life and push myself to improve every single day. To be honest, there were some very emotional, frustrating moments. I distinctly remember times when I desperately wanted to practice speaking, but people—even native speakers in my advanced college classes—would just respond to me in English. Whether it was a lack of patience or just convenience, it hurt. I’ve actually cried out of the sheer frustration of just wanting to be better at speaking Spanish. To reach true fluency, you have to want it a lot, develop thick skin, and keep pushing through the self-doubt.
Stepping out of my comfort zone to study abroad in Costa Rica and Spain for extended periods was another hurdle. Being completely immersed in a foreign country can be overwhelming and exhausting at times, though it ultimately proved to be more enriching than I could have ever imagined.
More recently, the challenges have shifted toward entrepreneurship and marketing. Building Bilingual With Us from the ground up meant tackling a completely new learning curve. Beyond the initial logistics of legalizing the business, tracking finances, and navigating tech platforms, finding the best way to promote and organize our Spanish classes has been a unique puzzle. While our English classes are booming due to the immediate necessity for students to thrive in their daily lives, growing our Spanish enrollment has been slower since it’s often viewed as a leisure activity or a hobby people have to fit into their limited free time. To overcome this, I am actively working to shift that mindset and promote the immense personal and professional benefits of learning Spanish—both for traveling abroad and right here in our Texas communities. We are currently looking at ways to expand by starting a Bilingual Club. The goal is to host Beginner Spanish Workshops and Bilingual Networking Exchange events that bring different communities together. I want to help people find dedicated speaking partners, build lasting connections, and feel a true, supportive sense of community on their language journeys.
To this day, I still learn something new every single day. Language learning—and running a business—is an endless, beautiful process. Pushing through those vulnerable moments is exactly what inspired me to create a space where learners feel safe, supported, and patient with one another, no matter what stage of the journey they are on.
Finally, I could never talk about overcoming challenges without giving a massive, essential shoutout to my family. They have always been an integral part of my education and my career. From encouraging me to get good grades, to attending every single graduation, event, volleyball game, and celebration, they have been my rock. They helped me pay for college and wholeheartedly supported my decision to change my major from Biology to Spanish during my freshman year (I still don’t know what I was thinking!). From sending me extra money while I was studying abroad in Spain, to offering a great big hug after a hard day, to sharing every single promotional Facebook post I’ve ever made—they have done it all and so much more. Thank you. I love you.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Bilingual With Us?
Connecting Communities Through Language Learning.
Become bilingual to connect with your community and discover a new world.
We offer practical, conversational, and intensive Spanish and English courses for adults. To fit into your busy schedule, our group classes are offered virtually as well as in person in Terrell and Forney.
Why Us?
A Decade of Proven Expertise: Our courses at Bilingual With Us are created and taught by a husband-and-wife team of passionate, degree-holding language educators who each bring over 12 years of professional teaching experience to the table.
Dedicated Language Specialists: We don’t just teach vocabulary; we provide intensive, conversational instruction tailored for real-world use.
Jaime Sisson is a certified Spanish educator who holds a Bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University and a Master’s in Spanish and Second Language Instruction from Texas A&M University–Commerce. She created Bilingual With Us to help learners bridge cultural gaps and heads our Spanish program.
Omar Medina is a bilingual professional who holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Business Administration with a focus in Spanish from the University of Texas at Arlington. He serves as our main ESL instructor, ensuring students confidently learn to comprehend, speak, read, and write.
Community-First Learning: Based in the heart of Texas, we specialize in bridging the gap between neighbors through language.
What We Are Most Proud Of Brand-wise, we are incredibly proud of how quickly our mission has resonated locally. In a short time, we have grown from a virtual platform into a true community staple—forming incredible, trusted partnerships with local landmarks like Zoe and Emma’s Café and the Terrell Chamber of Commerce to bring people together face-to-face.
Our Invitation to You
Language is more than words—it’s the bridge that connects us. At Bilingual With Us, we help you cross that bridge. Whether you are learning Spanish to connect with clients or English to thrive in your local community, we provide the tools to turn strangers into neighbors.
Ready to get started? Please reach out to 214-744-3443 or info@bilingualwithus.com to book your Spanish or English class or to get more information!
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I would classify myself as a mild risk-taker. I’ve never been someone to leap blindly into the unknown without a plan, but I firmly believe that some level of risk is required if you want to grow.
Looking back, I don’t feel like I’ve taken massive, jaw-dropping risks. Instead, my journey has been defined by smaller, calculated risks rooted in self-belief. Putting myself out there to launch Bilingual With Us, investing my time and energy into promoting it on social media, and stepping into the local community to build in-person classes were all moments where I had to embrace vulnerability.
To me, the biggest risk was simply betting on myself—trusting that my experience was valuable, that our mission would resonate with people, and believing that it would all work out if I kept pushing forward. I think about risk not as a reckless gamble, but as a series of necessary, courageous steps. If you never take the small risk to put your ideas into the world, you’ll never give the community the chance to embrace them.
Pricing:
- In-person, English Classes $150/month (Meet twice a week for 60 mins, 4 weeks in total. This pricing also includes the course materials.)
- In-person, Spanish Classes $125/month (Meet once a week for 60 mins, 4 weeks in total. This pricing also includes the course materials.)
- Virtual English Classes $80/month (Meet once a week for 60 mins, 4 weeks in total. This pricing also includes the course materials.)
- Virtual Spanish Classes $100/month (Meet once a week for 90 mins, 4 weeks in total. This pricing also includes the course materials.)
- Virtual Private Classes $160/month (Meet once a week for 60 mins, 4 weeks in total. This pricing also includes the course materials.)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.bilingualwithus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bilingualwithus/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581698946979
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaime-sisson-6b016964/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bilingualwithus
