When families enroll at Arco Iris Spanish Immersion School, they're thinking about kindergarten. Colors and counting in Spanish. Making friends. What they don't picture yet is where that foundation leads: a high school class where their child helps classmates conjugate verbs, a trip to Barcelona where a real conversation happens in a local café, a healthcare career where speaking Spanish means giving a patient the dignity of being understood.
We asked some of our alumni what their bilingual education actually meant once they left our hallways.
Keira: Eight Years, a Lifetime of Connections
Keira spent eight years at Arco Iris, from first grade straight through eighth grade and beyond. By the time she landed in high school Spanish class, she wasn't just keeping up. She was helping her classmates.
"Going from Arco Iris to regular Spanish classes in high school, I felt very well prepared," she says. "I was able to help other classmates who had less experience with the Spanish language."
That kind of confidence doesn't appear out of thin air. It builds over years of instruction in a language-rich environment, with teachers who take the time to know their students. For Keira, those teachers left a lasting mark.
"I think about many of the teachers I had at Arco Iris regularly," she says. "They were always understanding of my specific situation and made the learning environment one suited to me without compromising the value of the educational material."
Keira is now preparing to apply to universities, and she's clear-eyed about what her bilingual education brings to the table. Arco Iris alumni who came before her have landed college scholarships tied directly to their bilingualism. Others have used their Spanish skills to stand out in a competitive job market, whether in a first part-time job or the beginning of a career.
"Being bilingual is a critical skill in the competitive job market that will set your child up for success," she says. "Whether the student is looking for a summer job or is entering a career in the future, the skills they will learn at Arco Iris are going to be integral."
She has one message for families sitting on the fence about enrollment: "Enroll your child. Arco Iris is one of those things in life that feels like a unique, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Arco Iris shaped who I am today for the better. If you're looking for a strong community and academics, you will find it here."
Zachary Jarvis: Engineering a Bilingual Future
Zachary Jarvis graduated from Arco Iris with a head full of Spanish songs and a perspective on the world that the typical K-5 education doesn't usually deliver. He still remembers singing "Vivir Mi Vida" in class, celebrating Día de los Muertos, and learning about Puerto Rico through the lens of a teacher who brought her culture into the room alongside the curriculum.
"Arco Iris has helped me to learn about different cultures and their values," he says. "This has changed my perspective by seeing how others may look at and tackle problems."
Zach went on to study mechanical engineering at Oregon State University. He's heading into the automotive industry, a field where precision and problem-solving drive everything; and his Spanish travels right alongside him.
"Spanish has helped me interact with the Hispanic demographic where I live," he says. "I am able to have conversations with those who do not speak English." That ability to connect across language, background, and experience, is one of the most lasting things an Arco Iris education builds.
Kaia McKenna: From Celebrations to Careers
Kaia McKenna attended Arco Iris from 1st grade through 8th grade, and she'll tell you the bilingual classroom changed the way she sees people.
"I met some great people from other cultures, and it made me able to connect with a lot of different people," she says.
She carries the cultural celebrations she experienced at Arco Iris close to her heart. Día de los Muertos, the traditions woven into the school calendar, the sense that the world was bigger and richer than what she might have otherwise known; these were formative. They shaped her understanding of her neighbors, her community, and eventually her patients.Because Kaia is headed into healthcare.
She plans to pursue a career in the sciences, and she already knows her Spanish will travel with her into every exam room and every patient conversation. "Arco Iris has helped me by being able to speak in Spanish to future patients," she says.
Her superpower moment? Traveling to a Spanish-speaking country and holding a real, casual conversation in the language she learned as a child. Not a textbook exchange. A kind that truly connects with others.
About Arco Iris:
Arco Iris Spanish Immersion is a small tuition-free public charter school providing a rich, immersive Spanish language experience and robust academics in a true multicultural setting. Centrally located off 217, between SW Portland and Tigard, we serve K-5 students in the greater Beaverton area to become bilingual and biliterate leaders of the future. Get to know us on Instagram @arcoiris_spanishimmersion and on the web at www.arcoirisschool.org. We’re enrolling for Fall 2026-27.