MEET OUR STAFF AND INSTRUCTORS
 Dawn Schmid, Directordschmid@csusm.edu Dawn obtained her M.A. in Linguistics at San Diego State University and a California teaching credential at California State University San Marcos. She has worked in English, ESL, teacher training, and test preparation programs for over 20 years and has been at the ALCI since 1994. She enjoys traveling and has visited several countries, as well as other states in the United States. Dawn's interest in languages led her to study Spanish, German, and French, and to pick up a few words in other languages. Her personal interests include reading, caring for and riding horses, gardening, and playing Scrabble (she generally has an ongoing e-mail game with a friend in another city). |
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Lety has been at the ALCI since 2000, but also has more than 10 years of experience teaching Academic English, Workplace English, and Spanish in the San Francisco Bay and San Diego areas. She has a B.A. in Translation/Interpretation with a specialization in the medical field and has taught Spanish for Nurses and Medical Interpretation courses at CSUSM and hospitals. Her M.A. in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) has allowed her to work with students from all over the world, and she loves to teach. In addition, her students have motivated her to study “other languages”—Tzotzil, German, Portuguese, and Japanese, specifically. In her new position as Assistant Director, she also coordinates special short-term programs, works with the other instructors, and helps with marketing. She has served as a board member of Hands-on English magazine, an editor for the CATESOL newsletter, and a workplace English trainer for the manufacturing and hospitality fields. An avid reader of Jane Austen’s novels, she belongs to the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) and enjoys being a Janeite! Her other interests include yoga, hiking, and traveling. |
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Maaren received her B.A. in Spanish and Television Production from Pepperdine University. While pursuing a degree in Spanish, she studied in both Spain and Argentina. In addition, Maaren has traveled to Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, and through western Europe. She enjoys distance running, painting, dancing, baking, and spending time at the beach. A native San Diegan, Maaren currently resides in north county with her husband. |
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Maria grew up in
Portugal and speaks Portuguese, English, French, and Spanish. She
was an ESL student in Scotland where she graduated with a B.S.
in Horticulture. She taught English and Portuguese at Berlitz
Language Schools, and Portuguese at the American Graduate School
of International Management (Thunderbird) in Arizona while
pursuing a career in horticulture. Maria’s passion for
the study of language ultimately motivated her to obtain a Master’s degree
in TESL from San Diego State University. Maria feels very
fortunate to be teaching in ALCI’s culturally rich environment
and enjoys learning from her students’ experiences. When she is
not teaching at local universities and community colleges, Maria
enjoys spending time with her family, reading, hiking, and
biking. |
Paula Goodfellow,
Instructor Paula Goodfellow earned an BA degree in English, from Utah State University, and an MA degree in Linguistics with an emphasis in TESOL from the University of Michigan. She has taught ESL at Utah State University, the University of Michigan, and Bucks County Community College. She was an exchange student in Japan when she was in high school. As a mother of two college-age boys, Paula enjoys giving advice on selecting colleges to ALCI students. Her hobbies include reading, travel, and Improv comedy. |
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Sharon holds an M.A. in TESOL from CSULA and recently completed her MBA coursework at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. She loves teaching ESL and particularly enjoys using technology to enhance learning. She has taught at several universities and community colleges in California as well as at the University of Guadalajara in Mexico. Although her mother is Portuguese, Sharon studied French, Japanese, and Spanish. A native Californian born in Long Beach, she lives at the ocean and still loves to body surf. She is also a student of yoga and flamenco dance. Her biggest accomplishment is being a grandmother of nine! |
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Amy Lee is originally from Northern California. She has been teaching ESL and English since 1998, and she received her Master’s degree in English Language in 2000. Amy loves to get to know people from different countries and watch their language skills develop. She loves to travel and has been to many different countries, such as Korea, Colombia, Mexico, and Haiti. She also loves music and reading both literature and current events. She is married and has two little girls, who keep her busy when she is not teaching. |
 Jan
McTyrejmctyre@csusm.edu Jan holds an MA in Applied Linguistics from San Diego State University and her teaching experience includes English as a Second Language, English as a Foreign Language, and English for Specific Purposes. She also has experience in curriculum design, materials development, program and student assessment, and computer-assisted language learning. Before coming to the American Language and Culture Institute in August, 2008, Jan taught in the English Language Department of the School of Teacher Education at Universidad Andres Bello in Santiago, Chile. From 2005 through 2006, she was the Senior English Language Fellow in Venezuela, where she was responsible for establishing Fellows at several universities. Jan is especially interested in lexicon for academic purposes; she calls San Diego County home and enjoys outdoor activities in our wonderful climate. |
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Grace has been teaching English/ESL for over 10 years. She received her undergraduate degree in International Relations and her graduate degree in TESOL. She likes interacting with people from different parts of the world and enjoys learning from them. Her hobbies are reading, knitting, and studying other languages.
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Tami Richey has been teaching ESL for over 15 years. She holds a B.A. from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and an M.A. in Multicultural Education from Northern Arizona University. Her teaching experience includes stints as an English instructor in Osaka, Japan, and an ESL instructor in Arizona and California high schools, colleges, and universities. Tami believes that learning a language without an understanding of the culture is like creating a beautiful portrait without any color. Tami's classes include music, film, and a variety of literature to encourage students to develop English skills across the curriculum. Tami loves spending time with her family, working in her garden, and discussing the values of Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings with other Sci-Fi fans.
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Catherine Tapia is a native Californian who began teaching English in Italy. She has extensive experience as an academic ESL instructor for university programs in the San Diego and Los Angeles areas. Catherine received her M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of California, Los Angeles. Since 1999, her work as a professional writer/editor has been published in numerous local newspapers and magazines. In addition to teaching, Catherine loves music, traveling, and pets. |
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Maaren Powers, Student Services
Coordinator
Sharon
Hightower,
Instructor
Amy
Lee
Tami
Richey, Instructor
Catherine
Tapia, Instructor