A unique opportunity arose this year as Pella Christian Schools celebrate their first graduating class from the Spanish Immersion program first implemented a decade ago. Three members of the Class of 2024 are also representatives on the Tulip Time Royal Court — including Queen Mia Andringa, Ellison Ritzert, and Claire Braafhart. Given Andringa’s connections to Vermeer–her father, Jason, is its CEO, those two paths came together Wednesday at an event that brought Spanish-speaking employees to learn more about Pella’s heritage festival.

For nearly 30 minutes, the Tulip Court showcased their bilingual abilities and answered questions in both English and Spanish. Carlos Cervantes is the Outreach Program Specialist at Vermeer, and organized the event with the intent of welcoming their own team into the broader community and to invite them to celebrate during the Tulip Time festival.

“As we continue to strengthen our organizational culture, we are equally dedicated to connecting our Hispanic-Latino team members to both Vermeer and our local community.”

Queen Mia Andringa was grateful for the opportunity to use her skills to make the invitation and help welcome those people to the celebration.

Full audio from the event: