Our all-star team of highly skilled and passionate Spanish language teachers are here to ensure you thrive. Each teacher brings something totally unique to the classroom so be sure to read more below to find your ideal fit.
CARLOS MAYERSTEIN
Carlos is a Spanish teacher passionate about Latin American history, literature and cuisine. Born and raised in Mexico City, he moved to Cholula, Puebla to complete his B.A. in International Relations. During his undergraduate studies, he spent time abroad in Rio de Janeiro where he learned Portuguese and took courses in Political Science. He also traveled to the South of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.
Recently, he completed his Masters in Spanish Literature from California State University, Long Beach. During this time, he collaborated with the Spanish Club organizing culturally and historically relevant, student-centered projects that encourage Spanish production in a cooperative learning environment.
In addition to his experience as a lecturer of undergraduate online and face-to-face Spanish courses at CSULB, he also worked as a one-on-one tutor on campus. He combines communicative and task-based pedagogical approaches to enhance his students' linguistic skills while cultivating their knowledge about diverse Spanish–speaking cultures. He has also worked as a translator.
Now settled in Sonoma County, when he is not reading literature and news, he is listening to music, cooking, or running.
Meylin Orellana
Meylin was born and raised in San Salvador, El Salvador. She moved to California at age 14. While in high school, she gravitated toward volunteering opportunities serving her mainly Spanish-speaking community. These included serving in soup kitchens, acting as an aide for computer literacy classes, and as an improvised interpreter at times.
She went on to the University of California in Riverside, where she received a BA in Spanish and a BA in Filming and Visual Culture. She later earned a Master's degree in Linguistics from California State University, Fullerton.
Meylin began her career as a Spanish teacher for adult learners because she is passionate about continuing to cultivate a personal connection to her culture through guiding others to discover the beauty of the Spanish language and cultures. She taught Spanish in the Northern Orange County Community College District, Placentia/Yorba Linda Unified School District, and Retention Education: teaching language for a specific purpose, such as construction, food service, etc.
Meylin also worked for seven years as a consecutive interpreter in the fields of medicine, finance and education, and as a translator for criminal investigations. She became a new mother in 2017 and chose to take a break to focus on her family; during that time she grew interested in the world of personal development, which led her to the teaching of mindful awareness and to become a Chopra Global Certified Meditation Instructor in 2021. Combining her Spanish teaching expertise with this new knowledge, Meylin likes to approach language learning from a perspective of intention and desire. Her students benefit from her guidance to always center their goals on the language journey, which maximizes the practicality of their lessons and keeps motivation high.
Meylin lives in Pico Rivera, California with her husband, five-year-old daughter, and their 13-year-old dog, Lesto.
marian price
Marian is a highly experienced Spanish teacher who recently retired from a 24 year high school teaching career. She taught all levels of Spanish and was the department chair for twelve years, during which time 100% of her AP students passed the AP exam. She is also a grader of AP Spanish exams for College Board.
Born in Sevilla, Spain, Marian holds a BA in History of Art and English from the University of Sevilla and a Masters in Spanish as a Second Language from the University of Barcelona.
Testimonies from former students beautifully capture what an exceptional teacher Marian is. Ruth says, “There are few teachers that have the ability to forever change the lives of their students, but I can say without a doubt that [Marian] changed mine. She challenged me personally to deepen my passions and understand even more of the language and culture. She also challenged me to be a lifelong learner, and that is a lesson I will keep forever. She truly showed a commitment to her students that went beyond the classroom and extended into every aspect of our lives.” And another student, Alon, adds, “[Marian] is the best teacher I have ever had. I have taken university Spanish classes and lived in Argentina, but my accent and fluency came from [Marian’s] high school classes.”
Marian believes in the value of learning a language through immersion in its culture. She uses her strong connection to her roots in the Spanish culture to enrich her classes, exposing her students to Spanish in the real world.
In retirement, Marian is excited to share her experience and passion with students who truly want to learn the language and culture. She believes that everyone has the ability to learn a language if they apply themselves.
Marian lives in Los Angeles with her husband, David, and enjoys visiting her bilingual daughter, Sarah, who is a UC Davis graduate currently living in San Francisco.
daphne riley
Daphne is a natural teacher whose love for teaching Spanish has only grown with her decade-long experience teaching high school, middle school and one-on-one Spanish classes.
Spanish language study changed Daphne's life. After spending a high school summer in Costa Rica studying Spanish, Daphne was hooked on the Spanish language and the life-enhancing opportunities that it could offer.
She holds a BA in Spanish from Lawrence University where she spent a year abroad attending the University of Granada in Spain and graduated with honors. She went on to earn her Masters in Spanish Language and Literature and graduated with honors from Lehman College.
Daphne started her career in education as a New York City Teaching Fellow, teaching middle school Spanish in the Bronx. She taught high school Spanish and yoga for six years at the Young Women’s Leadership School of Astoria, where she co-founded the Junior Year Study Abroad program, leading students annually on trips abroad. Daphne’s passion for Spanish and Latin American culture led naturally to her own travel study of the ancient cultures of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Mexico, as well as indigenous people and their contributions, both past and present, in Panama and Chile.
Her adventures in Central and South America include: connecting with Venezuelan refugees in Chile, teaching English to value aligned students in Chile, cycle touring through Ecuador and Peru, volunteering as a violin/viola teacher and guest youth orchestra conductor in Moyobamba, Peru, working as a yoga/meditation teacher and translator at a holistic retreat center in the Peruvian Amazon, and becoming a certified Spanish language Yoga Teacher in Costa Rica.
Daphne is delighted to be back in the United States where she can share the gift of speaking a second (or third, or fourth...) language with others. She recently completed a certificate course in Instructional Design and is looking forward to moving into the world of instructional technology.
Daphne is delighted to be in Sonoma County where she enjoys hiking, biking, volunteering as an interpreter with the Botanical Bus, and empowering the students of California Bilingüe to connect with the vibrant local Latino community.
Sarah Torres
Raised in Humboldt County, California, Sarah found a passion for Spanish and language learning during her high school exchange year in Zaragoza, Spain. With a love for travel and the Spanish language, she returned to Spain as a young adult where she spent two years studying Spanish and living in Valencia. Upon returning to California, Sarah completed her degree in Political Science at California State University Long Beach where she graduated with honors and then went on to study her master’s degree in Teaching World Languages at Humboldt State University.
Sarah taught Spanish for junior high and high school Spanish until a political shift brought her to work in reproductive health and Spanish interpretation where she has been working as a health educator, doula, and lactation counselor serving clients in both English and Spanish.
Sarah is excited to be back in the world of Spanish language teaching and is especially passionate about helping students make connections and broaden their perspectives and open doors for communication by facilitating learning opportunities with California Bilingüe.
Sarah currently resides in Humboldt County, California but is looking forward to moving to Sonoma County in the summer of 2023.