Paola Mizrahi
CO-FOUNDER & DIRECTOR
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Paola holds a BA in Psychology from the Catholic University Andrés Bello, Caracas, Venezuela, and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Washington. She has more than 20 years’ experience working with families and children in different positions.
She was Family and Community Engagement Supervisor at Seattle Public Schools, Spanish Preschool Teacher at Hutch Kids Childcare Center in Seattle, and has been leading groups and camps for children since she was 16 years old.
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She was born and raised in Venezuela, where she learned not only the rich Spanish Language but also the lively Latin-American culture, based on community values, festive spirit, curiosity and creativity.
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She strongly believes that children thrive when they are engaged, motivated, and challenged in a safe environment. Her philosophy for Jump on Languages is based on positive relationships, interactive learning, and celebration of growth.
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Meet Our Admin Team
EDDY REIF
CO-FOUNDER & CEO
Eddy has always been passionate about working with kids, from being counselor for youth programs in his home country of Venezuela to serving on the board of Hutch Kids (the day-care affiliated with the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, SCCA and UW) for six years. Eddy is the co-founder of Jump On Languages and runs the business and administrative side of the program. He was born and raised in Venezuela, and he holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Simon Bolivar University, as well as an MBA from UC Berkeley. His professional career includes experience in brand management at Procter & Gamble, marketing for Venezuela’s largest newspaper, management consulting, and 15 years at Amazon leading product and engineering teams. In January 2021, Eddy decided to dedicate himself full time to the community and to running Jump On Languages. He loves using his business and project management experience to make an impact. He also spends time supporting Seattle Public Schools' COVID protocols at John Stanford International School and teaching project management courses at UW.
nora kaplan
ENGLISH ACADEMIC DIRECTOR, HUMAN RESOURCES
Nora holds a PhD in Discourse Studies, a Masters in TEFL and a BA in English Philology from the University of Salamanca. She has wide experience as a teacher of English and teacher trainer in South America and Spain, where she has been involved in bilingual education and CLIL. She is the founder and academic director of Nora Kaplan Language Centre and is also a researcher at the University of Salamanca.
lorena del pino
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Lorena was born and raised in Mexico City, where she studied communications and filmmaking at Anáhuac University Mexico. After college she moved to New York to pursue a career in the arts, where she studied Musical Theatre and Acting for Film at the New York Film Academy. She has been working with kids as a teaching artist for more than ten years. She is very passionate about early childhood education, and is thrilled to be a part of the team at JOL to share her love for culture and the arts. In her view, there is nothing more fulfilling than being part of a child’s life, to positively inspire them and to see all the wonderful things they are capable of doing when you show you believe in them.
Meet Our Seattle-based Teachers
MARíA ELENA hoveskeland
LEAD SPANISH TEACHER, PRESCHOOL & AFTER SCHOOL
Maria Elena Hoveskeland is a native Spanish speaker from Mexico with experience teaching Spanish as a second language in different Spanish Immersion schools in the Seattle area. She has been working in early childhood education for over 15 years, specializing in the Montessori Philosophy for over 3 years before joining Jump on Languages. Her teaching philosophy is aligned with play-based learning and a mixture of other well recognized approaches that foster independence, self-confidence and the joy of learning while developing critical skills needed for life. She is thankful to be a part of each child's successful educational journey.
noelia arzán vázquez
SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL COORDINATOR
Originally from Puerto Rico, Noelia holds a BA in Modern Languages (French, Italian and Portuguese) as well as a Juris Doctor from the University of Puerto Rico. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Noelia moved to Seattle in 2007. Here in Seattle she completed credits in Montessori early education and got certified as a children’s yoga teacher (ages 2-7) with Next Generation Yoga. She has worked as a Spanish teacher for children (ages 0-7) and as a Montessori teacher in different schools around the Seattle area. Noelia is passionate about teaching young children and learning from them. She believes in creating a fun and diverse classroom that encourages every child’s creativity, curiosity and global awareness. In her free time, Noelia loves spending time with her family, traveling, reading, doing yoga and going to be beach.
nathaly alcantara
SPANISH TEACHER, PRESCHOOL & AFTERSCHOOL
Nathaly is from Venezuela. She is trained as a professional administrator, but is an educator at heart. Her father and uncles were teachers in Venezuela, so she's passionate about and educating children. She has experience in the field of planning and coordination , and she considers herself a dynamic and responsible person who values ​​teamwork and commitment to colleagues, families and students. She also values language teaching and the use of new information technologies and methodologies to facilitate learning. She has taken several childcare courses with Washington State. She loves teaching children and learning from them daily. Before joining JOL, she worked in a bilingual day school, which made her fall more in love with this beautiful career.
eddie zinger corona
SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL
Eddie is from Mexico where she spent more than 15 years working in childcare and as an art teacher. She is passionate about cultural diversity and truly believes that art is one of the best mediums for children to explore and learn. She loves working with children and admires their openness and ability to adapt. She thinks learning a second (or as many as possible!) language at a young age changes the mind in such positive and wonderful ways and is excited to be part of this team helping people on this beautiful journey. When not doing art, she likes to spend her time in nature, reading and cooking. She's an avid language learner herself and is currently studying Italian and ASL. One of her goals for the future is to become an ASL interpreter to help her community not only to be diverse but also inclusive.
javier de mabel
SPANISH & MUSIC TEACHER, PRESCHOOL
Javier is a graduate of the Conservatorio Superior de Música in the specialty of "Canto Jazz" in Navarra, Spain and has more than 20 years of experience as a musician working with different artists in Spanish popular music. For 10 years he has been giving private singing lessons. He was born and raised in Spain, where he learned not only the rich Spanish language but a whole culture, based on community values, festive spirit, curiosity, education, respect and creativity. He firmly believes that children are the future and that music is "the education of the soul” and that music plays and important role in the development of sensitivity and expression in children.
iara cardoso
SPANISH TEACHER, PRESCHOOL & AFTERSCHOOL
Iara holds a bachelors degree in Spanish from Arizona State University. She recently moved from Arizona to pursue her career in teaching Spanish to young children. Before moving to Seattle, Iara worked with young children and was excited when she was presented with the opportunity to work with JOL and put her Spanish degree to work. Iara believes that learning a second language is very important and opens up a world of possibilities. She hopes to continue teaching for a long time and inspire future generations.
carlos oropeza
SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL
Carlos Oropeza holds a degree in Philosophy from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Raised in Mexico, Carlos brings with him not only fluency in Spanish but also a deep understanding of Latin American culture, characterized by community values, creativity, and a vibrant spirit. His commitment to social causes is evident in his years of volunteer work in communities, where he provided assistance. Carlos believes in the transformative power of education and emphasizes the importance of positive relationships, interactive learning, and the celebration of growth. His philosophy is that individuals thrive when they are actively engaged, motivated, and challenged within a supportive environment.
Lupe Galarza
SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL, IN-PERSON TUTORING
Lupe Galarza is a native Spanish speaker from the city of Lima, Perú. She holds a Bachelors degree in Audiovisual Communications from the Instituto Peruano de Publicidad.
After working in a play and an independent film while also being an AuPair, she realized she enjoyed working with children and sharing with them her passion for the arts, and combining those skills with teaching was a good combo. After working in an after-school program in Waban, MA, she worked in a child care center in Seattle and later became a Spanish Teacher. She worked at a private school for 18 years where she taught pre-schoolers and K-5 students, and also ran summer camps and after-school clubs. Looking for a change she found JOL, where she is happy to continue teaching Spanish to children of different ages and also adults. In her free time, Lupe enjoys dancing, helping friends with video projects, watching foreign films, writing, walking, and spending time with friends and her kids.
Lupe believes that every day is a learning experience, there’s a lot we can learn from children and it is our responsibility to provide them with lots of opportunities for growth, challenge and fun.
genevieve espinoza
SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL
I am a very innovative, popular, creative, and artistic teacher. I have been a teacher in
early education at the Escuelita Bilingual School in Seattle Washington for a little over 10 years. My responsibilities are: to use the Teacher-Base model for organizing language usage in our classroom. I love to communicate in English and in Spanish. I love singing songs, having story time, classroom labeling and to greet the children in their native language used at home. I was born in Sunnyside, Washington, and lived there till I was 11 years of age. We moved to Uruapan, Michoacán and then I lived in a city in Spain called Daimiel. When I was 21, my family came back to the U.S. I’ve had many different jobs, but being a teacher is what I love with passion. I am a mother of two boys. My eldest is 21 and my youngest 12. I am a proud mother and happy to be a part of Jump On Languages family. I also have my ECE form Antioch University Seattle, BA from Goddard Community College, and I’m currently working towards my MA.
Malik Caldwell
SPANISH TEACHER, PRESCHOOL & AFTERSCHOOL
As long as Malik can remember he has been passionate about languages and culture. Thus, as soon as the opportunity was afforded to him he began taking classes as a Freshman in high-school at Curtis Senior High to learn the Spanish language. Malik developed his understanding of the Spanish language not only in the classroom but even more so by spending time with his best friends and their family who were born and raised in Mexico. As a Senior in high-school, Malik was selected to take part in a Foreign-Exchange Program where he hosted a student from Guatemala for 3 months. Graduating from high-school, Malik continued to learn and develop his understanding of the Spanish language at the University of Washington where he took upper level Spanish courses in addition to beginning to learn the foundations of Mandarin Chinese. As a Freshman in college, Malik began to tutor students and was able to communicate with students and families in both English and Spanish. Through a variety of positions as a tutor and a teacher, Malik has learned how to capture students' attention and teach in a way that is intriguing and insightful based on their interests and skill level. Malik is excited to be a part of the Jump On Languages family and looks forward to further getting to know students and their families.
Davied Espinosa
SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL
Davied is from Cuba and loves spending time with family and groups of friends, playing sports, playing Cuban minor percussion, the guitar, naturalistic sports excursions, and gastronomic tours to discover new flavors.
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Before becoming a Spanish teacher Davied was a professional in digital marketing and creating sports adventure experiences. He graduated in accounting and finance and specialized in the category - price and cost of projects. He was a salesman of craft items and in 2017 decided to explore-discover-travel. He came to the United States to transform his career once again in the service of others and decided to become a lifeguard and teacher of special activities like sports and dance.
Lara Arias
TUTORING COORDINATOR, SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL, IN-PERSON TUTORING
Lara holds a bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Santiago de Composela (Spain). Her native languages are both Spanish and Galician, and speaking two languages natively since birth was one of the main reasons she got interested in languages in general, minoring in French Language and Literature during her bachelors as well. After that, she did a master's degree in Multimedia Translation, in which she specialized in translating for dubbing, since translation is her other passion alongside literature. She came to the US on a GTAship at the University of Kansas (Lawrence), where she got her second master's degree in Spanish Language and Literature. Her previous work experiences include teaching both English and French in Spain, her home country, and Spanish at the University of Kansas
karla elvir carias
SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL, PRESCHOOL
Karla, has a Master of Science and a Bachelor's Degree in Art Pedagogy with a focus on performing arts for the training of higher, basic and pre-basic education. She graduated from the Francisco Morazán National Pedagogical University (UPNFM), in Honduras. She has been a preschool teacher at CAER Art Center & Word Kids Academy LLC (USA), Happy Faces Nursery and Preschool, Silver Spring School and the early stimulation center Arco iris (Honduras). She has also worked as a performing arts instructor for children and young people at social risk at Casa Alianza. She was a teacher at the Merceditas Agurcia Membreño Cultural Center, a dependency of the Honduran Institute for Children and the Family. For her research work, “Art and Its Effects on Education”, at that same institution, she was promoted by merit as manager of art and education. Later she ran and was the education advisor to the first lady of the nation of Honduras. At the end of the presidential term, she continued her work and passion for teaching at university and preschool. Recipient of several awards and mention as outstanding artist Rubén Darío Theater in Managua, Nicaragua, Organization of Ibero-American States OEI, special guest for the 10th Artisans Seminar in Trujillo, Extremadura (Spain). She has carried out research tours and fundraising for education and art in HIVOS, The Hague (Da Nang, Amsterdam), at the School of Arts in Brussels (Belgium). She is a member of the humanist network for LATAM and a fellow of the Konrad Adenauer. She faithfully believes in educating children through art and play so that they take firm steps and are confident and become leaders and better people for the world.
Marianny Duran Gonzalez
SPANISH TEACHER, PRESCHOOL & AFTERSCHOOL
Marianny is from Venezuela and her native language is Spanish. She has a degree in Elementary School Teacher from the Luis Beltrán Prieto Figueroa Experimental Pedagogical University in Venezuela. She has more than 10 years of experience working with children in the educational field. Her work included creating and planning lessons, doing correctional work, preparing students for quizzes, creating and adapting pedagogical resources as well as educational projects. She also worked as a lead teacher in Spanish immersion daycare and as a babysitter. She likes to connect with students through positive emotions as well as promoting play as a pedagogical tool in learning. Reading, traveling and spending time with family are her favorite hobbies.
Ida Henricksen
SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL, IN-PERSON TUTORING
Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Ida studied Computer Science at Cibertec Technical College. After she moved to the US, Ida discovered her passion for teaching by getting very involved at her kids’ school, assisting when possible and becoming a regular and active volunteer. This became her most precious activity as she fell in love with teaching Spanish to kids. Ida has also taught Spanish at a Community Center in the Seattle area. For the last 3 years, she has worked as a teacher’s assistant at a Catholic school aftercare program. Her favorite way to connect with kids is through art, games, singing, acting, story telling, and dancing, being her motto “teach them while they are having fun”
Ida is also an entrepreneur, as she has owned a Zumba business at Greenwood for about 10 years. She enjoys teaching Zumba to all ages. Moreover, she is pursuing a degree in Fine Arts at North Seattle College.
“Teaching Spanish is a very rewarding career, as I get to see how students learn quickly by having the opportunity to interact with a native Spanish speaker teacher.”
ximena arteaga
SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL
Ximena Arteaga was born and raised in Mexico, where she developed a deep connection to the Spanish language and her vibrant culture. She recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Spanish from the University of Oklahoma in 2024. Throughout her academic journey, Ximena volunteered in several childcare centers, where she discovered her passion for teaching young children.
She is eager to further her education in early childhood learning and is committed to growing as an educator. Ximena is thrilled to join Jump on Languages, where she can share her love for the Spanish language and her cultural heritage with her students. She believes in creating a nurturing environment where children feel motivated to explore, learn, and grow.
marcus goobody
SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL
Marcus is a passionate language learner and teacher. He began taking Spanish classes in Preschool and in 7th grade, started studying Arabic on his own. His Arabic learning skills only improved his ability to speak Spanish and in junior year of high school, he began to focus exclusively on improving his Spanish speaking abilities through self teaching methods along with his high level high school Spanish courses. Marcus combined his Spanish knowledge with knowledge in history as he began to dive deeper into his language journey. As a senior in high school, he traveled to Nicaragua and spent time immersed in the culture as he participated in Nicaraguan elementary and high school learning and teaching. He then enrolled in the University of Washington bilingual and heritage speaker program where he earned a certificate for completion. Marcus is excited to help others along the path he was once on in teaching children the Spanish language. In his freetime, he enjoys running, listening to music, skiing, and traveling. Marcus is currently finishing his associates degree before he will be moving on to complete his bachelors.
ADRIANA thornley
SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL
Adriana was born and raised in Mexico City, where she studied Communications and Advertising. After so many years of being working in finances, Adriana found out her passion for taking care of children. Since then, she decided to help her friends taking care of their kids. In October 2024, she moved to Seattle to help her brother and sister in-law to take care of her 6 month-old nephew, which she helped raise and develop until 1 year and 3 months of age. Adriana is very dedicated to her work and cares for children, since since she was little her dream was to be a teacher.
joseph zetter
SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL
After graduating with double honors in French and Spanish at the University of Manchester (U.K) I gained my teaching certification from the University of East London.
My family roots are Spanish and French and this has fostered in me a passion for experiencing different cultures - through travel, languages, society (and food!). Because of this I have lived and worked in London, Paris, Santiago de Chile, Bilbao, Houston and now Seattle.
My goal was always to have a job where I could share language and cultures with others and watch that passion grow and spread.
As a result I have taught French and Spanish to languages learners in diverse range of schools (from the 4th largest school district in the USA - Houston ISD, to a variety of private schools - both International and quaker) from elementary to high school level.
Education has been my career for the past 14 years. My underlying philosophy as a teacher is to foster a safe and collaborative learning environment where students are not afraid to take chances and above all have fun.
Teaching and engaging children takes place both in and out of the classroom and I have put this into practice by striving to create opportunities for students to have ownership in their learning. This has taken many forms - leadership roles such as Head of House and Summer Camp Coordinator, or by taking the initiative to establish international language learning school trips (to the Dominican Republic), creating and running student exchange programs with a school in Spain and by setting up language program links with Arsenal Football Club.
Now, I welcome the opportunity to transition my strengths and skills to Jump On Languages and pass on my love of languages to a new community.
MANUEL alarcón hinojosa
SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL
Manuel studied Medicine at the Central University of Venezuela, was a member of the Theater Group at the Luis Razetti school, and participated in various university leadership and debate groups. He also had the opportunity to be part of the United Nations Model, traveling to the city of Buenos Aires, in Argentina, in a multicultural meeting with participants from various Spanish and English-speaking universities, where he also collaborated as a translator for English-speaking visitors. He has taken various workshops and courses on diction, group management, and writing. In addition, he lived a short period in Italy, learning the language and culture. He has experience as a teacher in personalized tutoring in Spanish, Mathematics and Science. He has worked with adults and children, giving conversation classes to improve the Spanish language skills, reading comprehension and pronunciation. He defines himself as an advocate for equality and respect for the rights of all people, proactive, enthusiastic, dynamic, creative, patient and educated.
maria alonso
SPANISH TEACHER, AFTERSCHOOL
Maria Alonso has extensive experience in the NGO space, where she has led impactful projects and worked on meaningful campaigns. She is now pursuing her master’s in education, combining her passion for social impact with a commitment to fostering learning and growth. Her unique background bridges the gap between advocacy and education, equipping her to make a lasting difference in both fields.
Roberto Reif
MATH FROM K TO 12th GRADE, HIGH SCHOOL PHYSICS, SAT AND ACT MATH AND PROFESSIONAL DATA SCIENCE
Roberto grew up in Caracas, Venezuela where he studied Electronic Engineering at the Universidad Simón Bolívar. After college, he moved to Boston and obtained a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Boston University. Roberto is the founder of ScholarU, a company that offers training in technology and data. Previously, he did his post-doctoral research at the University of Washington, he was Program Manager at Microsoft. He was also an instructor of Data Science, and later became head at Metis (owned by Kaplan).