Helen has worked with children and parents in various research and educational settings for over fifteen years.  She received her doctorate in Developmental Psychology from Stanford University in 1998 and has taught classes on early childhood development at UC Davis and San Francisco State University.  Helen spent the early part of her career in the technology and toy industries and conducted research with parents and children to help develop new products at Hasbro, Apple, Leapfrog, and Lego.  Helen grew up in a multi-lingual family with her mother speaking Spanish and Cantonese and her father speaking Fujian (dialect of Chinese), and hopes her two daughters will speak one or all of these languages.  Helen, her husband Dave, and their two daughters Ruby and Grace, live in Davis.

Carmen, originally from Oakland, California, left the lovely bay area in pursuit of her dream to become a child development specialist. She is the first person in her family to go to college, currently attending the University of California Davis - attempting to obtain her first degree in Psychology with a minor in both Human Development and Education. Raised in a traditional Mexican family, she received most of her education in Spanish. Through her high school years, Carmen interned at the East Oakland Youth Development Center, tutoring children ages 6-12. As a college student, Carmen has had the opportunity to experience working with children of various ages, which has helped with her decision in applying to the graduate program at UC Davis. Carmen enjoys painting, sightseeing, comedy, and teaching. She is very excited to be a part of the Lango family, and have the opportunity to teach children her native language.

Abby spent the summers for the first ten years of her life with her grandmother in Oaxaca, Mexico where she was fully immersed in the Spanish language and in the Oaxacan culture.  It was there that Abby discovered her passion for teaching and helping others. Abby is from San Diego California and moved to northern California to pursue a college career.  She is the oldest sibling in her family and is the first in her family to obtain a college degree.  Abby majored in Psychology and minored in Ethics, Religious Studies and Philosophy at California State University at Chico.  She recently moved to Davis to be with her husband who is a Ph.D. candidate in the history department at UC Davis.  In the near future Abby plans to pursue a teaching credential and teach kindergarten.

Kira was born and raised in the Bay Area. She is from a native Spanish speaking background of parents from South and Central America. Kira also attended a Spanish immersion program starting in elementary school and continuing through high school.  She is currently an undergraduate student at UC Davis studying Human Development and Spanish Literature, and is really happy and excited to be teaching children her native language.

Nancy was born in Mainland China. She is the only child in her family. Her family moved to the United States when she was in middle school. Now she is a student at UC Davis. She intends on double majoring in computer science and Chinese. She is a Chinese tutor and organizer for the “Chinese table” to help develop college students’ Chinese skills in UC Davis. She is fluent in Mandarin and English.

Wai-Mei is a dance artist and certified yoga teacher. She completed her traditional Chinese and modern dance training in Hong Kong and she holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Choreography from the United States. All her life she enjoys being multi-lingual which truly expands her horizon. In language teaching, she makes it fun and easy by integrating movement, gestures and facial expressions in learning.  Wai-Mei looks forward to meeting her Lango students to play and have fun!

Catrina, coming from a family that is part Mexican, had a desire to learn Spanish since she was very young. This led her to study the language formally since middle school and to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish with a minor in Economics at the University of California, Davis. Graduating last year, she has experienced tutoring high school students one-on-one in Spanish and the joy she finds in teaching this language has inspired her to help others become bilingual and more culturally knowledgeable. During and since college, Catrina volunteered overseas and in Oakland, California, teaching children English and Bible stories who were between the ages of 3 and 14. She enjoys singing, dancing and horseback riding. She is excited to be a part of the Lango family and to have the opportunity of teaching youth Spanish!
 

Ileana’s language instructor and tutor experience dates back to the mid 1990s in Mexico, her country of origin where Ileana taught English to children. In Mexico, Ileana obtained her first bachelor degree in Marketing and started working in an environmental department at her alma mater, Monterrey Tech. During her tenure there Ileana had the opportunity to teach elementary school children about ecology and environmental awareness.  Ileana moved to Davis with her family 11 years ago when her husband was pursuing a doctoral degree in water resources. It was then that she discovered her true vocation: working with children. Ileana worked for more than 7 years in a childcare center and also taught Spanish to children in small group classes.  She took a 3-year work break to focus on one of her passions: her children. During that time, Ileana pursued a bachelor degree in Child Development at Sacramento State.  She is very glad to be part of Lango and to share her bicultural background and language skills. But more over, Ileana is glad to have the opportunity to do what she loves the most.