Meet Our Staff

The teachers and staff at Speak Our Language have an unbridled passion for language and culture. Our energy, enthusiasm, encouragement, and sense of humor foster a learning environment where you not only enjoy being there, but you actually speak the language in the very first minutes of your very first class experience! 

Taught by licensed teachers, SOL classes provide language instruction in grammatically correct global languages that go beyond basic phrases and vocabulary, providing you with the know-how to converse in unscripted situations. The benefit of having a trained teacher working with you face-to-face ensures that you're able to learn from your mistakes and grow your abilities with the guiding hand of a qualified, experienced, and patient linguist.

Marvella (pronounced Mar-bay-yah)

We are thrilled to have Marvella join us as our first, and much needed, project manager.  Marvella is a native of Venezuela and not only has worked as a project manager, but holds a Master's Degree in Project Management and has also earned her PMP certification!  When not tracking projects for SOL, Marvella loves making jewelry in her own business.  Her engaging smile, zest for life and warm personality have made her friends from all walks of life around the globe and she cherishes her diverse friendships and considers everyone her family.

Raised in Venezuela, one might never expect that she loves the cold weather, especially the snow! She previously held a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Relations/Human Resources from Caracas and was working for Xerox before she made her big decision to venture on her own to the US. Past careers have been at Nationwide and JP Morgan Chase, and currently she is enjoying being part of Speak Our Language.

Marvella has given back to the community as a Big Sister for the Big Brothers Big Sister’s Program, has been Vice-President for the Nationwide Raising Interest in Spanish Awareness (RISA) associate resource group, served as a founding board member for GenNext, a United Way professional group and volunteered for years at the Lutheran Village Nursing Home helping lonely seniors citizens in need.

Sandra

Sandra is always willing to say sí to any of our programs that involves teaching children Spanish, working with teachers who need to role play situations with Spanish-speaking parents, or educating business professionals in our community on the Mexican culture and language. "I love to work with Speak Our Language because I have the opportunity to return to teaching and because it is a flexible program that helps you to learn in a fun and easy way. I feel satisfied when someone learns something new and achieves what he or she sets out to."

Sandra's specialty in education comes from having translated her love of working with children into a career as a kindergarten teacher in Mexico for several years before relocating with her family to Central Ohio. Her advice to students beginning to learn another language is to have "a lot of patience and practice every moment you can."

Sandra would like to learn to say sí in another language too: Italian. She hopes someday to travel to Italy because she has always wanted to experience the language and the culture.

We are thrilled to have such an experienced and passionate elementary instructor for our After School Español (ASE) program and look forward to Sandra taking on more teaching assignments as our ASE program continues to grow.

Lindsay

Don't mistake her for Sammi from the Jersey Shore reality show cast, as many of her students do; Lindsay is one class act, full of energy and passion for teaching Spanish. She is the newest addition to the Speak Our Language crew and was drawn to our company because of the immersion methodology we use, which she says "is the best way to learn."

"I like making a difference and seeing my students have fun while learning an essential language. I always learn something new too." She advises students studying a foreign language to not give up because we all make mistakes and don't know all the words in the English vocabulary either, even if you are a native-English speaker.

When not teaching adult Spanish classes for Speak Our Language, or for a local high school where she works full time, you will find this upbeat and enthusiastic young woman coaching cheerleading or sashaying to the beat of Zumba, which she also instructs.

Don't let her sunny personality fool you, Lindsay is one tough cookie. Many people would be surprised to know that she was a power lifter in high school and perhaps this is why she loves the word largatijas in Spanish. "I jokingly threaten my students with lagatijas in school!"

Packed with ambition, she is completing her M.A. in Spanish Literature by participating in a unique program that takes her every summer to countries such as Perú, Spain, and Guatemala, which also adds to her global knowledge of the diverse Spanish language and culture. This benefits her students in gaining a multi-cultural view of Spanish-speaking America and Europe.

Cori

Cori is our most tenured teacher with Speak Our Language, having started with SOL in 2005 when the company was just two years old and she was only two years into her high school teaching career at a local suburban district. Her enthusiasm, passion for teaching Spanish and her knowledge about SOL programs have only increased; other than owner Tonya Tiggett, Cori has taught the most number of years for SOL, the most number of programs and the most number of classes. ¡Óle!

Cori first learned Spanish when she traveled with her high school to Costa Rica and then later returned on a study abroad program through Ohio University. One of our most popular teachers, Cori is always adept at making her students laugh and feel at ease when learning Spanish, and that it is ok to make mistakes when learning to use it. Case in point: On her high school exchange program to Costa Rica she once told someone that she was embarazada, intending to say she was embarrassed, but instead saying she was pregnant!

She loves teaching her adult students with Speak Our Language and says they are "fun and the best to teach!" Her teaching mantra is to "be positive and keep trying," which we are glad that she does each and every time she leads a class for SOL.

Her wanderlust for travel makes her our most well-rounded Spanish teacher who has managed to jump across the pond to Spain and also trek to nine other Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean, Central and South America. Her goal is to visit even more and we look forward to her accomplishing this. ¡Ándale Cori! Go for it!

Annie

Annie loves "interacting with her adult learners at Speak Our Language."  She joined SOL in the fall of 2012 and works with our Beginner and Intermediate level courses.  Annie's interest in Spanish began in high school and led her to venture to Seville, Spain where she studied abroad.  The wanderlust for the language and cultural immersion next took her to Nicaragua for over two years where she worked as a Peace Corp volunteer.

When not teaching Annie runs and is setting a goal of completing a marathon. This does not mean that she does not indulge occasionally in her favorite:  red velvet cupcakes! Annie's advice for Spanish learners is, "Stick with it! The more you practice, the more you learn.  Also do not worry about speaking perfectly, but do speak a lot!"

Jennifer

Jennifer teaches our Beginner level.  She is energetic and loves to laugh, which means her students are always entertained! After teaching high school during the day, Jennifer really likes transitioning to her adult students in the evening with SOL because, "Adults see the benefit in the language usually, whereas I am still teaching those benefits to my younger students."  Jennifer has a passion for teaching Spanish becuase she has the ability to teach new and literally, foreign, ideas to her students.  "It is a fun and exciting adventure."

Jennifer's interest in Spanish goes back to high school where she enjoyed her classes and felt that she identified with the culture.  She would like to pursue her Master's Degree in Spanish Linguistics or Literature and hopes to add a few more Spanish country adventures, such as Puerto Rico and Argentina, to her repetoire. 

Jennifer and Annie must be on the same wavelength with their advice and favorite words in Spanish. Jennifer likes the sound of cuchichear, to whisper, and can use that when spilling some chisme (gossip) to Annie.  Like Annie's advice, Jennifer also suggests "Don't give up!" She also encourages her learners to "keep on trying and make mistakes!" 

Lauren

When you talk about someone passionate about language, you must be thinking of our very own Lauren who first learned Spanish in high school and then ventured to live and work in Spain as a nanny so that she could live the language and culture. "I like to teach others the thing I love and have devoted my life to."

When Lauren in not leading the elementary Spanish programs for Dublin City Schools, she travels as much as possible and hopes someday to make it to Scandinavia. Exercise and spending time with friends and family also keep this former gymnast grounded (but watch out because she can do a back-flip) for the most part.

Lauren enjoys teaching for SOL because she likes "interacting with the adults who are lifelong learners."

Patty

Patty teaches our Advance Level and loves cooking!  Patty's information will be updated muy pronto!

If you are interested in joining our SOL teaching staff, click here for more information!