|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
About Us |
Meet our Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
The Spanish Horizons, Inc. team is comprised of professionals dedicated to Spanish language and cultural training. To learn more about the diverse backgrounds of the staff, click on a name to check out their bio below. Founder and Director
Founding Spanish Horizons, Inc., was a natural progression for Liliana Cortez, who views her life's work as fulfilling a growing need for Spanish language and cultural education. Liliana's core philosophy and the school's service mark - "Expande tus horizontes," expresses the essence of the school's purpose, which is to help expand student's horizons by opening up their world through a greater understanding of Latin language and culture. A native of Lima, Perú, Liliana and her family, native Spanish-speakers, lived in several different Central and South American countries, including Panama and Ecuador. She attended American schools (grades K-12) as a child, where she became fluent in English, and she started translating documents for her father - a journalist - at the age of 12. This thorough training in English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English translation, interpretation, and conversation enabled Liliana to pass her college-level Spanish competency exam while still just in high school. Liliana won a full scholarship to Clark University, in Worcester, Massachusetts, where she formally began her teaching career by working as a teaching assistant for Spanish Literature and Language courses throughout college, where she studied French and conversational Japanese. She also spent a year abroad at the London School of Economics. She was a Minority Liaison and President of the Latin American Student Organization (LASO), a collegiate organization with the mission to promote Latin culture. In her adopted home of Chicago, Liliana not only seeks to contribute to greater International understanding, but also local understanding here in Chicago, with its large native Spanish-speaking population. Liliana sees it as her mission to teach Spanish to students of every age and to contribute to cross-cultural communications through translation and interpretation work. Another natural fit for the school - teaching English to native Spanish speakers. Initially, Spanish Horizons, Inc., opened as the Spanish Center in 1996, and the name was changed when the school was incorporated in August of 2001. Liliana has hands-on experience in education working as a bilingual teacher and curriculum coordinator during the past six year for the Chicago Public Schools. She firmly believes - every student can learn!
Arturo is a full-time Instructor at Spanish Horizons, Inc. Once he began teaching as part-time instructor while still studying for his B.A., he knew that teaching was a natural fit. His goal as a teacher is to help students practice and master the essential skills needed to communicate in Spanish or English, so that students can begin to actually think in the targeted language. His instructional focus is on creating an enjoyable learning environment that encourages learning through interaction. He also includes culture, tradition, and current events to enrich the learning process. He also contributes in the area of legal and medical interpreting and translation, especially in the area of Spanish literature, recently completing Spanish to English translation related to work by Jorge Luis Borges. Arturo was born in Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, and moved to Miami, Florida when he was three years old. He received his degree in Drama at Miami Community College and in Continental Philosophy at Florida International University. He moved to Chicago in 1991, after he fell in love with the city during a visit, and has been teaching Spanish in the Chicago area for nearly four years, with ten years of teaching experience overall. He also performs locally as a musician, especially in the Afro-Cuban folk music genre and works as a Medical Interpreter for hospitals.
Fully multicultural and trilingual in German, Spanish, and English, Germán specializes in interpretation and translation, and teaches as well, with nearly 10 years of professional experience. He has extensive translation experience, which is a great fit with his passion for books – he can usually be found with a book in hand. Originally from Mexico, Germán also lived and worked in Innsbruck, Austria. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Anthropology from the National School of Anthropology and History in Mexico City, where he also worked as a University Teaching Assistant.
Noelia's background in languages in nothing short of impressive - she is fluent in read, written and spoken English, German, French, Italian, and Portuguese - and she is a native Spanish speaker who grew up in Spain. After spending some time working with the European Commission and Aragonese Institute for Development in Zaragoza, Spain, she started teaching languages in 1998 at the Maucal Language School in the same city. She started teaching in the US in 1999, spending four years in North Carolina before moving to Chicago in 2002. She is currently studying for her Master's Degree in Germanic Studies at the University of Chicago on fellowship, and holds several Certificates and Diplomas (French, German, and Italian), plus she holds her Bachelor's Degree in Law from the University of Zaragoza, Spain, and her Master's Degree in Law from the University of Saarland, Germany. Noelia is also creative and loves to design furniture, plus she loves to travel. At Spanish Horizons, Inc., Noelia teaches and provides interpretation and translation services to clients.
As a charismatic language teacher and corporate trainer, Anna is an asset to Spanish Horizons, Inc. She speaks Spanish, Polish, and English fluently and brings an international perspective to the table for Clients as a highly successful corporate language trainer, plus translator and interpreter. In addition, she also enjoys teaching children and currently teaches with Spanish Horizons' Evanston and Lincoln Park School Program for Children. Originally from Spain, she holds a Bachelors Degree in Spanish Language from the University of Wroclaw in Poland, where she lived and also worked for several years as both a Corporate Spanish Trainer and as a Graphic Designer. She continues to work in graphic design and other interests include dancing and photography.
Well-credentialed in the field of education – she holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Cauca in Colombia, plus a Master’s Degree in Education Studies from the Technological University of Pereira, also in Colombia – Constanza provides a depth of Spanish language and cultural knowledge to her students. Her teaching style is highly interactive and immersive. She enjoys teaching a variety of students and at Spanish Horizons, Inc., including children, adults, and groups. She is well versed in the Latin American Socio-Political Economy. In fact, she is a recognized activist and community organizer in her native country of Colombia, where she has been recognized with several important awards such as: “Women Educator” from the State Secretary of Education Culture and Sports, “Best Educational Radio Program” from the Association of Reporters, and “Best Cultural Radio Journalist” from the Association of Journalists.” She continues her charitable work today through her participation in the Christian Children’s Foundation and the National Institution of the Blind and other institutions that support indigenous communities, human rights and justice-related causes.
Ignacio has over 25 years of experience working as a translator and language teacher. Now based in Chicago, he has previously resided in South Korea, Spain, France, Germany, and Japan. In France and Germany he attained proficiency in French and German, obtaining diplomas from Alliance Française and the Goethe Institut. In Japan, he was the Head Teacher of a conversation school, plus worked extensively with corporations on language training. He also carried out extensive interpreting and translation work, and obtained his Certificate of Japanese Language Proficiency. He has experience in specialized fields of translation, such as medicine, microelectronics, social sciences, and commerce. He speaks Spanish and English fluently (he was born in Puerto Rico, and grew up in the USA and Spain), plus French, Korean, Japanese, and German.
Originally from Barcelona, Spain , Roser's native languages
are Spanish and Catalan. She is proficient in English and has basic knowledge
of German. Roser completed her degree in English Philology & Didactics
at Universitat de Barcelona, and obtained a degree in Translation and
Informatics from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra. She has also taken English
courses through DePaul University. As part of Spanish Horizons' team,
she is a language instructor and translator.
María is a highly energetic person who loves working with children. Her hands-on approach to teaching makes learning fun. Parents appreciate her creative work with Spanish Horizons' Evanston and Lincoln Park Program for Children. Students recognize there is never a dull moment in her class where they find themselves engaged in learning by making maracas, singing, painting, and even breaking the traditional piñata. Originally from Argentina, María completed her degree in Education Science at Buenos Aires University. She also worked as a kindergarten and pre-school teacher in Argentina for more than six years before emigrating to the United States. She currently volunteers at Gan Shalom kindergarten in Evanston, Illinois.
Ana Karina is part of the Spanish Horizon's team at the Mount Carmel Children's Spanish Program, a special after school program for elementary school children. She excels at helping children acquire Spanish through the integration of hands-on activities and music in the classroom. She grew up in Venezuela , where she received her degree in Education and worked in the area of Special Education, before relocating to Chicago. She also currently studies at Truman College.
Ernesto Tapia has been teaching Spanish for more than fourteen years to students at all levels in the United States and Mexico. As a teacher in Mexico, he taught students from many different countries and career paths, including business executives, politicians, and college professors. In addition to six years of teaching experience at the high school level within the Chicago Public School system, he has worked with various language institutes in Chicago. He has great success as a teacher due to his ability to create an optimal atmosphere for learning success for students. This environment for success is the direct result of the eclectic teaching style he has developed based on the understanding that students have different learning styles. Ernesto sings, writes songs, and plays guitar, focusing on the genres of Latin American ballads and children's songs.
Janette is an essential part of Spanish Horizon's core marketing and customer service team. She contributes to marketing and strategic direction in terms of Spanish Horizons, Inc.'s service offerings, and is there to help ensure that each student has an enjoyable experience. Prior to joining Spanish Horizons, Inc., Janette worked at Televisa, the major television network in Mexico in Strategic Planning and Audience Analysis. She received her degree in Marketing from ITESM-CEM in Mexico City in 1998 and she is fully bi-lingual.
Nélida is an energetic teacher who enjoys working with children, integrating music and art with language and learning in the classroom, and has successfully taught Spanish to children in the U.S. since 1982. Nélida is also highly experienced in teaching adults. She has traveled throughout the U.S. teaching Spanish onsite at major medical organizations and now provides onsite training services for groups as a member of the Spanish Horizon's team. With her special knowledge of medicine (she obtained her degree in dentistry from the Universidad Nacional de Cordova in Argentina), she excels at teaching medical Spanish, and has extensive experience working with both large organizations, as well as private practice doctors. She also completed her degree in teaching from Clara J. Armstrong Institute for Teacher's Training in Argentina in 1961 and completed the Berlitz Teaching Methods course in 1998.
Héctor enjoys the friendly working environment at Spanish Horizons, Inc. His expertise in teaching expands beyond Spanish into Communications, Journalism, and Composition. Héctor has a rich work history in his native Colombia, where he worked as a journalist, a teacher, plus in public relations, TV, radio, and as a magazine editor. He has advanced degrees from both the Universidad de Manizales and the Universidad de Antioquia.
Christopher Howe has served as a Pastor and Teacher in Chicago since the early 1990s. He has broad and deep practical experience in the Hispanic community in Chicago, but has also studied abroad and worked and traveled in Spain and six Latin-American countries. He is a certified high school teacher of Spanish with twelve years of experience. He is also a published author.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
