Beyond courses that are strictly academic or major-based, Cuesta College offers an entirely different variety of classes through its community program, where students can explore more individual interests, hobbies or skills. Each option seeks to encourage hands-on learning and novel, enriching approaches beyond the classroom. Jennifer de Tréglodé, curator of the course “The Art of Tea,” especially looks forward to bringing this unique learning experience to her students.

A certified tea sommelier and former high school Spanish teacher, Tréglodé began offering her course in the summer of 2024. “I kind of married those two skillsets and professions that I really enjoy, which is both education and the tea world,” she said. “In the U.S., we don’t have a really big tea culture, so people are usually pretty fascinated to learn some of the things I’m sharing.”

Tréglodé attributes her husband for encouraging her to reach out to Cuesta to inquire about hosting a tea course, and explains how the idea was born when she considered her own interactions and rituals with the beverage. “It sounded like a good idea to put a whole course together to dispel the myths, kind of, and further the education on this plant that people are familiar with, but really don’t have a depth of knowledge around,” she said.

Since establishing “The Art of Tea,” Tréglodé has taught the course nearly every semester and summer session, meeting twice a year from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Having already run the class on February 28 and March 7, she will also be accepting sign-ups for a second block of time on April 10 and 17, both Fridays. 

Tréglodé describes her class and others offered through Cuesta’s community program, as an “enrichment of culture.” Rather than receiving a grade or meeting deadlines, she wants students to know the experience is more about having fun and enjoying the learning process. “It’s just six hours total, so each class is three hours. It’s very informative, and we get to taste a lot of tea,” she said.

“The Art of Tea” course covers a variety of different tea aspects, from its medicinal properties to the role it plays in spirituality. However, Tréglodé admits that one of her favorite topics to teach involves explaining where tea culture and sustainability intersect – not just in the natural world, but also where the health of society is concerned. “I really like to talk about the conscious consumption of tea, and working with sustainable and regenerative tea farms in Asia,” she said. “I also love getting into the psychospiritual benefits and how it’s been integrated into traditional Chinese medicine.”

Above all, Tréglodé hopes that all who take her course will walk away with a deeper reverence for tea, and a broader understanding of the various roles it plays in society and the world as a whole. “Tea is more than just this recreational beverage…it’s really this hallowed substance that has a profound ability for helping expand our awareness and becoming this bridge between humanity and the natural world,” she said.

So, how can one who lives, breathes and teaches about tea pick a favorite? Tréglodé admits it to be difficult: “like saying who your favorite child is.” However, one of her most enjoyed kinds is a fermented variety of tea known as pu’er. “It’s just a really beautiful tea for people who practice ceremonial tea,” she said. “It’s kind of our favorite because it is so good at helping facilitate a very contemplative state.”

While Tréglodé does not plan to offer “The Art of Tea” course this summer, she is looking forward to her April session and is returning in the fall to once more teach the unique history and culture of tea. Interested students can visit Cuesta’s community program page or Tréglodé’s website to sign up for current spring dates and view the registration fee.

“I mean, tea is such a fascinating plant in our history, and it really touches on so many different things from history, to politics, to agriculture, to art, spirituality, and so much more,” she said. “People are sometimes surprised to know it’s a full six-hour class… but honestly, we kind of just scratched the surface. It’s such a vast and deep subject matter.”