Meet Our Team
Teacher Qualifications
- Teachers must be native Spanish speakers.
- Teachers must have a Bachelor’s degree at a minimum.
- Teachers must be CPR certified every two years and have background checks performed.
- Teachers are required to have 20 hours of continuing education per year in addition to yearly immersion training, Zoo Phonics training and Handwriting without Tears training.
Meet Our Directors
Señora DeShea is the Program Director and Founder of The Spanish Academy. DeShea began The Spanish Academy in September of 2001. She is a graduate of The University of Georgia with a degree in International Business. She lived in Seville, Spain in 1997. She is married and has three children. Her goal is to create a total immersion environment in which children look forward to coming to school each day while developing a lifelong love of learning and a proficiency in Spanish. She has always had a passion for children and language and loves her job!
Señora Maribel is the Director of The Spanish Academy in Buckhead. She is a native of Mexico and studied at the University of Texas in San Antonio with a major in Communications. She later pursued a Master in International Business and a Master in Business Administration in Madrid, Spain, where she lived for 6 years. She moved back to the USA in 2007 and came to Atlanta with her husband and girls in 2011. She is a strong believer of bilingual immersion and has witnessed first hand through her life experience and through her daughters the many benefits it has to offer. Her middle child is an alumni of The Spanish Academy and her youngest daughter is a current student at the TSA family.
Señora Jocy is from Peru. She has a degree in Early Childhood Education from University of the Sacred Heart in Lima, Peru. She moved to Georgia in 2017 with her husband and two children, however she left her native country more than 10 years ago, to expand her experience in teaching young children in Europe, America and the Middle East. She has a strong passion for teaching and she believes that love and hands-on experience are the best tools for little children to learn.
Señora Verónica the Director of the Suwanee campus & Director of Curriculum. Verónica has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2006. She began as a teacher’s assistant and quickly became a lead teacher where she taught students of all ages (toddlers – adults) throughout years and later became our Director of Curriculum. In 2018, she became the Director of the Suwanee campus.
She from Oaxaca,Mexico and has been living in Atlanta since 1995. She has a degree in Business from Universidad Unico de Guadalajara. She feels teaching young children is the most gratifying and fun experience. She has two grown children of her own and lives in Alpharetta.
Señora Ara is from Guadalajara, Mexico and has a degree in Communications. She also holds her Child Development Associate (CDA) Degree certified by the Councilor Professional Recognition from Washington D.C. She has been teaching for 17 years in International Schools. Originally, she was an Early Childhood Educator in her native country for 4 years and later moved to Georgia in 2003 and expanded her experience teaching young children in bilingual programs.
She currently lives in Sandy Springs with her husband and 2 daughters (and a teacup Chihuahua). She truly enjoys working with children and is a strong believer of bilingual immersion and the many benefits it has to offer. Sra. Ara enjoys cooking, arts and crafts, and traveling. She considers herself a happy person, organized and especially loving with children.
A school is only as great as its teachers, and we have the best!
Meet Our Teachers
Sra. Adriana is from Mexico City. She studied Communications with a Master’s in TV Production at Universidad Anáhuac del Norte in México City. She has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2016. Sra. Adriana enjoys learning from her students, they remind her to stay true to what we feel and think. She enjoys teaching Spanish because it’s a part of her, she shares the beauty of her language, her country, her traditions, and her culture. In her free time, she enjoys singing, ballroom dancing, watching movies, and being with her daughters.
Sra. Bere is from Yucatan Merida, Mexico. She studied Business and Merchandising at Tec de Yucatan, and she has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2018. She loves to cook, bake, and enjoys trying new recipes. Sra. Bere loves to explore nature and is very adventurous when spending time with her family. One of her favorite things to do is skiing and camping in national parks all over the country. She loves to learn from the students at the school, because they feels fill her with so much love and energy! She believes learning a second language will open a lot of opportunities in life.
Señora Dany is from Venezuela and she has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2018 and living in Atlanta since 2004. She has a degree in Human Resources from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas, Venezuela. She is married and love spending time with her husband and two daughters. She worked as a teacher for 10 years when she lived in Venezuela and she is very excited to be in a classroom teaching children again, which is her true passion.
Sra. Patty is from Mexico City. She studied Business in the City of Puebla, and she has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2019. She likes to go to the gym and spend time with her kids and dogs. As a personal challenge, she has done 4 marathons. Sra. Patty likes to work with children because they have the best energy and to them, all is happiness.
Señora Gaby is from Mexico, she studied Business Administration at the Universidad de las Americas in Puebla. She moved with her husband and 2 kids to Atlanta in 2011. She is a strong believer that being bilingual is a huge advantage not only to get a good job, but also give the opportunity to know other people and their cultures.
Sra. Gaby is from Mexico City. She studied Accounting in Escuela Bancaría y Comercial, Mexico City, and she has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2013. She loves photography, movies, outdoor activities, and spending time with her family and friends. Sra. Gaby believes working with children is her pride and joy, they light up her days. She enjoys teaching Spanish because it is her first language and she is sure that it is a big asset in our student’s life.
Sra. Janet is from Colima, Mexico where she studied Social Communication/Mass Media at the University of Colima. She has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2018. For Sra. Janet working with children is very fun, she knows that her job is to help kids achieve their full potential, to help them feel happier and better about themselves. Achieving this brings a huge smile to her face and makes her proud of it! She loves their endless energy, creativity and honesty. Sra. Janet knows that when children learn a second language, such as Spanish, they learn about a different culture, it doesn’t just boost their linguistic, cognitive, and social development, it sets them up for success in the future. In her free time, she loves yoga, photography, hiking, and outdoor activities.
Sra. Karin is from Guatemala. She studied business in her home country, and she has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2011. She enjoys crafting, walking, and writing. Sra. Karin enjoys seeing children experience new things that help them learn and grow. She loves sharing her culture and language with her students, it makes her feel at home. She also enjoys writing, learning history and genealogy. Sra. Karin enjoys taking walks in nature and discovering new special places.
Señora Karina is from Caracas-Venezuela and has been living in United States since 2003. She moved to Atlanta in 2006 with a Degree in Human Resources from I.U.T “Antonio Jose de Sucre” in Venezuela. She has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2011 in Buckhead as Assistant Teacher. She Lives in Midtown, with her husband and her 8 years old son and enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Señora Lucia is from Logroño, a small city in the North of Spain. She has been living in US since 2015. She has a Bachelor degree in Education from La Universidad de Valladolid.
Her decision to become a teacher was influence by her father, who was an amazing educator. This admiration for him made her follow his steps.
After finishing her college degree in Spain, She moved to the United States to teach Spanish to an American family. That was a big opportunity for her since She could improve her teaching skills and English at the same time.
Working with children of different ages helped her develop different teaching methods and strategies. Her creativity is really useful to design fun and entertaining activities for young children. It is very pleasing to see them enjoying and learning simultaneously.
“It is my goal to combine my experience and knowledge with my ability to learn new things to improve as a professional educator. Teaching is not only a career, it is my passion.”
Her decision to become a teacher was influence by her father, who was an amazing educator. This admiration for him made her follow his steps.
After finishing her college degree in Spain, She moved to the United States to teach Spanish to an American family. That was a big opportunity for her since She could improve her teaching skills and English at the same time.
Working with children of different ages helped her develop different teaching methods and strategies. Her creativity is really useful to design fun and entertaining activities for young children. It is very pleasing to see them enjoying and learning simultaneously.
“It is my goal to combine my experience and knowledge with my ability to learn new things to improve as a professional educator. Teaching is not only a career, it is my passion.”
Sra. Ludy is from Venezuela. She studied Early Childhood Education in Venezuela, and she has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2017. She likes to spend time with her family. Sra. Ludy finds working with children beautiful and rewarding because, in addition to teaching them, she enjoys learning from them. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world and if it is within her reach to teach it, she would do it a thousand times. Knowing Spanish will open many doors for the children’s future.
Señora Maria was born and raised in Venezuela; she got married and moved to the USA in 1992. She has four daughters. Even though, she got her degree in Human Resources she has always been involved in education. In 2002, she got her CDA certification and founded an Early Stimulation Center in FL. In 2010, she moved to GA with her family and has been working in different projects. Señora Maria came back to education because she believes children are precious stones waiting to be discovered.
Señora Pia is from Venezuela and moved to Atlanta in 2004. She earned a degree in Preschool Education in Venezuela and upon graduating worked as a Teacher’s Assistant for two years. She has enjoyed the pleasure of working with an American family as a Nanny and Spanish tutor for eight years after coming to the US. Pia is going into her forth year at the Spanish Academy and loves being a preschool teacher! She strongly believes that the preschool age is the perfect age to impact a child’s life in a very positive way!
Sra. Violet is from Venezuela. She studied law in her home country, and she has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2017. She likes to spend time with her family, and she loves to read and dance. Sra. Violet likes to teach little children the importance of using their voices to be heard. She enjoys teaching them how to read, write, learn to share, and respect each other. She likes helping her students to develop basic life skills, both academically and emotionally. She
teaches Spanish, because it is the second most spoken language in the world and the fourth most used to communicate internationally.
teaches Spanish, because it is the second most spoken language in the world and the fourth most used to communicate internationally.
Sra. Krizia is from Puerto Rico . She holds a bachelor degree in Elementary Education, she been working at The Spanish Academy since 2022. She likes to spend time with her family, reading and do art crafts. Sra Krizia likes how much she can learn from her students, she enjoys all the love that they share with her. Teaching in Spanish is her passion, she is delighted to share her first language with all her students.
Sra. Carmen is from Lima Perú. She studied Business Administration in her home country and joined The Spanish Academy family in 2022. She likes to bake and decorate cakes. Sra. Carmen loves to see how her students are learning and maturing. She is always amazed how children at such an early age, how quickly they learn. She loves them! She thinks it is so important for a child to learn a second language from an early age, it is an early and positive impact on their future life.
Sra. Niurka is from Venezuela . She studied law and holds a Master degree in business administration, she been working at The Spanish Academy since 2021. She loves spending time with her son watching movies and reading books. Sra. Niurka loves to see how her students develop new skills. She enjoys helping them to achieve their goals and also learn new cultures. Back in her country, she worked every weekend in a Children Foundation. Her main work was organized activities, field trips and fun days to give them the opportunity to be children.
Sra. Yiselis is from Colombia. She studied Information Systems at Uníminuto and Early Childhood at the British Institute, in 2022, she joined The Spanish Academy. She likes cooking, listening to music, going to the movies and traveling. Sra. Yiselis loves to see her students grow and she likes to be able to contribute good values to their development. She loves to work with toddlers!
Sra. Aranzazu is from Mexico . She studied Pedagogy at Universidad Panamericana, she been working at The Spanish Academy since 2022. She enjoys spending time with her family. Sra. Aranzazu loves the fact that every day she learns something new from her students. They fill her up with love and energy. She when she teaches Spanish she feels like she is at home. Spanish is wonderful!
Sra. Mily is from Perú. She holds B.A. in Education from La Salle University Guadalajara, Mexico, and she has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2022. She enjoys reading a good book. Sra. Mily loves being with children, she loves their curiosity, energy, and how they are open to life. She feels honored to be a helper and facilitator of positive experiences in their student’s development. She teaches Spanish because it is a beautiful language, and she can help others to acquire a skill for life.
Sra. Esthela was born in Detroit and raised in Mexico. She studied Science Education at Universidad de Monterrey, NL Mexico, she been working at The Spanish Academy since 2020. She loves to run and read. Sra Esthela finds teaching children is a very rewarding job, because every day she learns something new from them. She believes that working small children gives you back the ability to put aside the complexity of life when you see it from their perspective, it makes you see that each one with their differences make the group a great team. There is not a day that her students don’t make her smile. Sra. Esthela loves to teach Spanish because of the cognitive and social benefits that learning two languages bring to children and because she have the opportunity to transmit the richness of our cultural diversity.
Sra. Cristina is from Córdoba, Veracruz, Mexico. She studied International Business at ITESM in Monterrey. She been working at The Spanish Academy since 2021. She likes to go on hikes with her family, she also enjoys watching movies and having family nights. Sra Cristina likes to be a witness of her students learning progress. It gives her great joy when she asks them a question, and they answer back in Spanish! She truly believe that knowing two or more languages opens many doors.
Sra. Gisela is from Argentina, but she was raised in Venezuela. She studied Business Administration-Logistics & Procedure and Methods at the Universidad Tecnológica del Centro and later pursued a Master of Management Technology from Mercer University, she joined The Spanish Academy in 2021. She enjoys being part of book clubs and riding bikes with her family. Sra. Gisela enjoys seeing her children using creativity to do free art projects and she loves to engage in their playtime. The first time she thought Spanish was as a volunteer teaching adults. It was a great experience because they wanted to learn not only the language but also the culture.
Sra. Alma is originally from Mexico. She studied Elementary Education at Georgia State University, she joined The Spanish Academy in 2022. She loves to spend time with her family, listening music, and work out. Sra. Alma loves being able to teach preschool children because they are like sponges. They are able to absorb any and all knowledge given to them. She feels proud of the opportunity to be able to guide them in their learning process and such a young age.
Sra. Victoria was born in Uruguay and raised in Venezuela, She studied Journalism, at Emerson College in Boston, and she has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2021. She likes to draw, paint, write, play the guitar, dance, and spend time with friends and family. Sra. Victoria loves to work with young children because she loves being able to see and be present in their daily development. The moments where that growth shines fill her with pride. She grew up multilingual and has seen through her own experiences what a great gift it is to have knowledge of more than one language. Being able to share her first language and work in a Spanish-speaking environment is something very special and important to her.
Sra. Astrid is from Colombia. She studied Philosophy and holds a Master’s degree in Political Science. She has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2021. She likes to spend time with her family, read, eat, dance, and work out. Sra. Astrid believes that education is a great tool to impact the world in a positive way, she loves the fact that everything is amazing for our students and that helps her to live and be present at the moment. She thinks that teaching Spanish is not only about teaching the language, is also about teaching culture, traditions, food, and family. We represent our country through the language. She feels passionate and proud about teaching her first language.
Sra. Lia is from Lima- Perú. She studied industrial engineering and holds an MBA. She joined The Spanish Academy family in 2022. She spends her free time running and baking cakes.
Sra. Lia enjoys learning something new from her students every day. She finds their energy, love, and enthusiasm contagious! Living in a globalized world makes her believe, that learning an additional language is a complete plus, and children are eager to explore multiple cultures. By knowing Spanish, a person would be able to connect with 500 million more people around the world!
Sra. Lia enjoys learning something new from her students every day. She finds their energy, love, and enthusiasm contagious! Living in a globalized world makes her believe, that learning an additional language is a complete plus, and children are eager to explore multiple cultures. By knowing Spanish, a person would be able to connect with 500 million more people around the world!
Sra. Alejandra is from Venezuela where she studied Advertising. She joined The Spanish Academy in 2022. Sra. Alejandra enjoys working with children, because she is able to see first-hand how quickly they grasp new concepts and how noble and innocent they are. She is truly in love with their spontaneity. She enjoys being part of the growth of learning a new language for children.
Sra. Anais is from Venezuela. She holds a Bachelor’s degree Early Childhood Education from Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez, she joined The Spanish Academy in 2022. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Sra. Anais finds teaching rewarding, she loves to see her student’s daily progress. She is passionate and feels proud about teaching her native language.
Sra. Mayte is from Mexico City. She studied Graphic Design at Universidad Iberoamericana-Mexico and joined The Spanish Academy in 2022. She likes to walk her dogs, spend time with her family, watch movies and train in Jiujitsu. Sra. Mayte likes to work with children, because they have the biggest hearts and minds. It is extremely rewarding for her to see them learn new skills and get more confident in what they do. She likes to share her first language and culture with everybody Sra. Mayte is a big martial art fan; she truly believes it shows respect and discipline plus confidence. She is a black belt in Karate (trained for 7 yrs), and now she has been training in Jiujitsu for 8 yrs.
Sra. Claudia is from Medellín, Colombia. She studied Education and Pedagogy, certified in Early Childhood Education, and she has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2021. She enjoys taking walks with her family on nature trails, she loves to be in contact with nature. As a hobby, Sra. Claudia likes to design dresses and dance ballet. She loves teaching, because she has the opportunity to be able to see life from their students’ perspective, and there is no other way to connect with kids. Sra. Claudia likes to teach Spanish because recent research shows that bilingual children have better skills such as memory – attention and have more advantages in socio-emotional development.
Sra. Oriana is from Venezuela. She studied Psychology and holds a Master’s in Behavior and Development, and she has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2021. She likes everything related to graphic forms of art, like calligraphy and also photography. Sra. Oriana loves being a witness of the “WOW Moments”, and she enjoys it when her students discover or learn something new. She loves teaching in Spanish, it allows her to be herself. She has two daughters, and raising them to be bilingual has taught her the impact of an early approach to languages. Speaking Spanish and English has given her the best opportunities and friendships, as well as the best adventures.
Sra. Mariana is from Mexico. She studied Communication and holds a Master’s degree in Intelligence Psychology, she has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2021. Sra. Mariana loves when her students get amazed about something new, and she truly believes that their cuddles are the best. She likes to teach in Spanish because it is her first language and it helps her to stay connected with her culture. She likes to spend time with her children, dance, and continue to study new concepts she finds interest in.
Sra. María Elena is from Guadalajara, Mexico. She studied Administration with Marketing at ITESO in Guadalajara, Mexico. She has been working at The Spanish Academy since 2021. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her family and go to the movies. Sra. María finds working with kids is so amazing because they are authentic, spontaneous, happy, and they transmit a lot of energy. She likes to learn about different cultures, and she enjoys teaching Spanish because it is her first language.
Sra. Yesennia is from the Dominican Republic . She studied at Dewey University San Juan, Puerto Rico, and joined The Spanish Academy in 2022. She likes to dance, watch movies, and spend time with her children. Sra. Yesennia enjoys working with young children because it gives her the opportunity to help them grow and learn, besides that she finds it super fun! She likes to teach in Spanish because, through her native language, she can teach her students how diverse our culture is.
Sra. Alejandra is from Colombia. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Childhood Education from the Universidad Minuto de Dios in Bogota, Colombia, she also has an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education from Georgia State University-Perimeter. She joined The Spanish Academy in 2022. Sra. Aleja loves the capability and curiosity that children have. She enjoys how children are always curious and eager to learn. Every day is a new adventure for them and she loves to guide them and support their journey. She likes teaching Spanish because it is a beautiful language, and it opens the possibility to meet different and diverse cultures. She is thrilled that kids have this opportunity to learn a second language at an early age.