For Spanish classes in Oregon and Southern Washington: Anna Niswanger

Anna’s interest in languages and cultures led her to pursue a degree in Anthropology, where she specialized in Latin American languages and cultures. During college, Anna lived with a host family in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, while taking Spanish classes at a local language school. Inspired by this immersion experience, Anna decided to become a Spanish teacher. She taught for two years at a high school in Medford, Oregon, until she was given the opportunity to give classes in Spanish and Anthropology at sea! Aboard the S/V Concordia, Anna learned to sail and traveled to ports in more than 15 countries, including Spain, Argentina, and the Dominican Republic. Anna is looking forward to sharing her passion for languages and cultures with your students!

For French classes in Oregon and Southern Washington: Marie Valdrighi

Marie was born and raised in Corsica. She started learning English when she was ten years old and immediately fell in love with the language. As a freshman in high school, Marie took her first trip to the U.S. and stayed in California for three weeks. It was such a wonderful experience for her that she made a decision that truly changed her life: after graduating from high school, she left France for a full year to live with an American host family in Phoenix, Arizona. Her language skills skyrocketed, and she developed life-long friendships with her host family. Further following her passion for language learning, Marie majored in English, Spanish, and Italian in college. She is excited to share her insights into French culture and encourage your students to take their language skills into the “real world”!

For Japanese classes: Masumi Lint

Masumi grew up in Shizuoka, Japan. She had her first homestay adventure at 15 when she stayed with a host family in Yorkshire, England. At that time she spoke very little English and her experience motivated her to study the language to communicate with people around the world. While pursuing an M.A. at the University of Idaho, Masumi taught Japanese to American students as a TA. She would love to share her culture and her passion for language learning with your students!

For Spanish classes in Washington: Sarah Lam

Sarah is at home in many countries and has actually spent most of her life outside the USA. She was born in Cuba and lived in Minnesota, Spain, and California before moving to a small town in Japan at the age of eleven. She went to school and worked in Japan until she was 21, when she again moved - this time to Pennsylvania to go to college. During her studies, she went back to Spain for a semester. This year, Sarah has even become part of a big Peruvian family. She is excited to share her experiences with languages, cultures, and the all-around fun of trying new things! Sarah is also available for visits to Japanese classes. 

For French classes in Washington: Lauren Costley

Lauren’s discovery of foreign languages and cultures began when she went to France at the age of eight and then attended a French bilingual grade school. Her language skills later enabled her to participate in a study abroad program in Dakar. For six months, Lauren lived with a Senegalese host family, took classes in the regional language Wolof, and improved her French on a daily basis. She is looking forward to sharing her insights into West African culture and to encourage your students to continue their language studies!