Current Teacher Candidates

Ava Abbott

I am a future educator from St. Charles, IL, and I am so excited to start my career as a Spanish Teacher. The path of education has inspired so many passions and developments for me, including my creativity, artistic growth, communication skills, perseverance, and drive. My journey through education from preschool through college has helped shape who I am, and for that reason I am a very driven and enthusiastic student and future educator. I am very ambitious and hopeful for my future as a World Language Teacher, because I know it will be an opportunity and space for me to not only express my own individual skills and passions, but to foster the development of the children I’ll teach. I hope to make an impact for my future students, the way my past teachers did for me. I want my students to walk out of my classroom feeling a stronger connection with Spanish and its culture, because to me, learning Spanish goes way beyond simply learning a language-- it's admiring cultural differences, gaining new perspectives, and growing in their communication skills, empathy, cultural understanding, resilience, and problem-solving skills. I am eager to dedicate myself to this career path and to shaping the next generation of global citizens, and I'm so thankful for the WLTE program for preparing me for this field. In my eyes, there is no better career path for me, and I can’t wait to step foot in a Spanish classroom as the teacher.

John Armenta

I hail from DeKalb, Illinois where I grew up in a predominantly Hispanic community. I discovered my passion for language learning in high school. However, there was little in the way of guidance for students like me whose parents are immigrants. As a future high school French teacher, I wish to help students leverage their immigrant backgrounds as an asset. I have done so in the past while teaching English to Parisian middle schoolers from North Africa. My vocation is to help students reach their goals, and I aim to do so in an engaging way. My pedagogy is informed by the following question: “If it’s not fun, why bother?”. I hope to make a positive impact on my community while having fun with my students.

Allene Hari

Saying where I’m from has always felt like a challenge. I grew up in Clarence, Illinois, but I’ve also lived in other states, in Mexico, and—at age twelve—in a Mennonite community in Belize where my peers didn’t speak English. Each place offered a new cultural immersion: new people, new languages, and new ways of understanding. What mattered most were the kind individuals who slowed down, repeated themselves, and made silly gestures just to help me understand. Their generosity sparked my love for language and showed me that communication goes far beyond the words we speak. Though I come from a long line of teachers, I never expected to become one myself. I entered the workforce, but I always found the most joy when I could use Spanish or German to connect with others—to speak to someone who didn’t expect to be understood. When my boss asked what I really wanted to do, he assumed I’d request a transfer to another department after an acquisition brought new opportunities. Instead, I chose to pursue university studies, determined to share with others the transformative experience that language provides. My studies have taken me to Austria and Germany, deepening my understanding of both language and culture. I’ve also had the privilege of using Spanish in my local community, volunteering in dual-language elementary classrooms and at Urbana Adult Education ESL programs. The students I’ve worked with—regardless of age—have taught me so much. While I’m especially excited about working with middle and high school students, I don’t think there’s an age group I wouldn’t want to teach. I’ve learned firsthand the difference between performance and proficiency—what you can do in a classroom isn’t always what you can do in the real world. That’s why I strive to bring the world into my classroom through authentic resources and meaningful communication. I want students to see language as a living tool, something they can use to connect with others beyond the school walls. I hope to hear my students ask, “Will someone understand me if I say this?” rather than “How do I say this for the test?” I believe every student—regardless of background—deserves to find joy in learning and feel empowered to connect across cultures. My goal is to foster curiosity, courage, and confidence, guiding students to set meaningful goals and discover the power of language to build bridges.

Emanual Hernandez

I was born in Texas and raised in Chicago. I aspire to become a Spanish language educator, where I can share both my experiences and the Spanish language as a heritage speaker with my future students. I also plan to add ESL to my credentials so that I can better support the growing population of Spanish-speaking migrants in Chicago.

Outside of teaching, I enjoy playing the guitar and spending time with my cat, Matute.

Lesly Perez Landa

I am from Woodstock, Illinois, it is a small Northwest suburb of Illinois. I would like to say that I hold a lot of pride in beginning my journey of becoming a Spanish teacher for my future students. I was late into figuring out my journey, but I had the opportunity to collaborate with my favorite middle school teacher in high school where I learned what it means to have an impact on young learners.

I am a US-born Mexican and come from a household in which I knew what it means to have the privilege of receiving an education. My mother always told me to ‘echarle ganas,’ meaning to always put my best foot forward. I want to be able to do the same for my students by giving them that confidence and support for them to take advantage of the opportunities that come their way. As a Spanish teacher, I want students to know the language that I hold so dear to my heart and the beautiful cultures that come with it.

I have had the opportunity to volunteer in various classrooms, which consist of schools back at home and in the Urbana-Champaign area. One experience that shaped me into the educator I want to be was when I had a student who had recently come from Guatemala. They had no knowledge of the English language and was put in a math classroom with no assistance. I consistently helped him throughout the week, in which they began considering me their teacher. To this day, I want to support students who are immigrants and do not have the same opportunities as others in their classroom. I’ve been in the same shoes of not fully knowing the English language and hope to make them feel comfortable within my classroom and outside of it. Overall, I would like to be a voice for my students and give them my best foot forward.

Jimena López

I am a proud Chicago native and a Chicago Public Schools (K-12) graduate. My journey to becoming an educator was not always clear, but one thing always was: the impact of my high school Spanish teacher, Mrs. Garcia. As a heritage speaker, I always carried my language with me, but she helped me embrace it more fully by showing how language connects to culture and identity. My goal is to create that same sense of pride and connection for Spanish speakers as well as for those eager to learn the language.

I grew up speaking Spanish and have always used it in meaningful ways. Since the fourth grade, and even when I return home from college, I have been my dad’s helper. I accompany him on his handyman jobs, carrying tools and lugging heavy equipment, but more importantly, serving as his personal interpreter. Whether it is explaining why Moen is the best brand for plumbing or making sure my dad gets paid for his labor, I step in to be his voice. In my college town, I volunteer as an interpreter for a nonprofit that provides legal and social services to immigrants in Central Illinois, a cause that is meaningful to me. Even in everyday situations, if I see someone struggling to communicate, I do not hesitate to help. These experiences have strengthened my language skills and deepened my commitment to using Spanish as a bridge to support others.

My teaching experience has taken different forms. In college, I lead my school’s Undergraduate Moot Court team, using a lecture based approach to break down U.S. Supreme Court cases and explain complex legal concepts in ways that are accessible to everyone. I also serve as a peer mentor, supporting first generation students as they transition to campus life. In high school, I mentored underclassmen and volunteered as a peer tutor in subjects like AP Calculus and Chemistry. More recently, I was invited to return as a mentor at my high school, an opportunity I am eager to begin. Through each of these roles, I have discovered how much I love making an impact on students’ lives and offering help in any way that I can. In the future, I hope to teach high school students, from Spanish I through AP Spanish Language and even Spanish Literature! I also have a minor in Anthropology and plan to pursue a history endorsement, as it is a subject I would love to teach. My experiences and background have given me the skills to connect with both students and colleagues. With that, I welcome my teaching career with excitement and open arms!

Charlie Mayschak

Hallo! I’m a future German teacher. I’m motivated by my experience in and passion for teaching, and philosophy on what it means to be an educator.

My teaching interest began while serving as a peer mentor for UIUC’s College of LAS and as a chess tutor. I applied this interest while teaching lessons and observing in German and ESL classrooms, and while participating in the Goethe Institute Summer Academy on Global Teaching and Learning in Cologne, Germany. It was very energizing to do these things while expanding my German language proficiency. As I continue this professional development, I will have a wealth of experience that will enrich my teaching – beginning on the first day of instruction.

But beyond my experience, I’m motivated by who language teachers are. They do so much more than help students acquire new linguistic systems. They play a necessary role in developing their students’ professional and communication skills, global-mindedness, and civic responsibility.

I view teaching German as a vocation, rather than simply as a job. This means grounding my work in purpose and investment. In teaching, the investment is in the students themselves, sparking a chain reaction of positive impact as they apply their experience to the world. My goal is to be the teacher students need: a person seeing students as individuals, not just projects; an instructor contributing both knowledge and compassion; and a guide enabling students to succeed. Teaching is my way of building a life worth living.

Meredyth Morin

I am from Mokena, a southwest suburb of Chicago. I am studying to be a German language educator in a middle school or high school. I decided to learn to teach German because a large portion of my family speaks German and I love to discuss how German culture compares to American culture. I grew up with plenty of wonderful examples of what a good teacher looks like--both in school and outside of it. I hope to follow in their footsteps and one day instill a love of learning and language in my own students.

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