Esta Jesch

Middle School & High School Spanish Teacher

We are excited to welcome back Esta Jesch, our middle school and high school Spanish teacher!

Esta previously taught at Heritage from 1999-2012, and started the Spanish program in our middle school! After 13 years of teaching, Esta and her family left to be missionaries in Latin America. They spent seven years serving in Colombia and Mexico.

In 2019, Esta and her family returned to the United States, planning to only stay for a year. Despite the pandemic changing their plans, and not allowing them to return to Mexico, Esta stayed confident in God’s plan for them. Phil Nikirk, our high school principal, contacted Esta about teaching Spanish again. After prayer and counsel, it was clear that the Lord was calling her back to Heritage.

“I always told my husband that if I were to ever teach again, I only want to teach Spanish and I only want to teach at Heritage,” Esta said. “Returning to Heritage was like coming home for me. Heritage is a special place, filled with the best, most encouraging people to work with.”

Along with teaching Spanish culture and language, Esta also has a passion for discipleship. “I start just by getting to know the students. What are their likes? Dislikes? What are their struggles? What are their strengths? Do they have goals? Then I build from there,” Esta said.  “I express genuine interest in their lives and follow up. I pray for them and with them. I make myself available to them and make sure they know that. You come to Heritage to go to school but you leave having inherited a whole family.”

When she's not teaching, Esta loves doing Crossfit and spending time with family and friends. She also enjoys grabbing a great cup of coffee and diving into a good book.