BRIGHT LORITOS - Key Persons
¡Hola! Mi nombre es Alejandra Hernandez, and I am from Puebla, Mexico. In Mexico, I studied communications at Iberoamericana University. I worked in the radio industry and managed a family business in Puebla. I have a Michigan CDA certification, and I have been teaching preschoolers for many years. I enjoy interacting with my students and teaching them about my language and culture. In my spare time, I enjoy running and spending time with my husband and two children.
Job Titles:
- CO - FOUNDER, CURRICULUM SPECIALIST
¡Hola! Mi nombre es Alonso. I am one of the founders of Bright Loritos. I hold a MATSE Master of Arts in Teaching in Education, a State of Michigan Teacher Certificate in Spanish (F.F.) K-12, an M.Ed. Master of Education in Early Childhood and a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature from Oakland University. What I value the most about being a world language educator is the opportunity to encourage students to open their minds and explore, respect, and appreciate new cultures.
My greatest challenge inspired the idea for Bright Loritos. As my journey began when, not knowing any English, I had difficulty navigating through a new culture after moving to the U.S. from Lima, Peru. I wished my parents would have exposed me to English early on, as learning a language becomes more complicated with age. Between my journey and professional observations, I saw firsthand the need for children's second language programs in the area. Thus, Bright Loritos was born. My most outstanding achievement is that I turned the love and passion for teaching language and culture into a thriving, reputable program that gives other children the same opportunity when they are ready and willing to learn.
¡Hola! Mi nombre es Andrea. I am one of the founders of Bright Loritos. I hold a B.A. in Psychology from George Mason University and an M.A. in Counseling with a specialization in Children and Adolescent Mental Health from Oakland University. Before I co-founded Bright Loritos, I worked at the University of Michigan as a research assistant and therapist for children diagnosed with ASD. I have volunteered as a teacher in alphabetization programs for adult Hispanics, as a therapist for Hispanic children with Autism, as a mentor for children at risk, and as a case assistant for missing children.
I am passionate about helping children discover their love for learning and appreciation for other cultures worldwide. Seeing our students coming out of class communicating in different languages and watching my daughter acquiring four different languages reinforces my belief that our Loritos method is the best way to teach world languages to children.
¡Hola! Mi nombre es Arley. I am from Venezuela. I studied at the University of Los Andes in the touristic city of Merida. I obtained my Bachelor of Laws and Master of Land Development Laws. In my country, I also worked as a preschool substitute teacher. I moved to Michigan in 2014 with my family. I discovered my passion for teaching my native language when I started to teach it to my children. I am convinced that bilingual people have more opportunities to succeed. I am currently pursuing a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. I am happy and proud to work at Bright Loritos as a Spanish teacher.
Bonjour! Je m'appelle Aurore! I was born in France, in a small town named Corbenay, near the German border. I have a master's degree in Modern French literature from the University of Besancon. I lived for a couple of years in Versailles and then moved to the United States in 2006. In 2010, I moved to Montreal, Canada, where I worked with young children. That is when I discovered the joy of interacting with people coming from different countries. I realized how important it was to speak other languages to interact, share, and laugh with a multicultural community.
I started working with the Bright Loritos Family in 2014 but moved to South Carolina in 2016. I obtained my Montessori certification through the North American Montessori Center (NAMC) in 2017 and taught in a Montessori school for over a year.
I have a daughter who is bilingual and is currently learning a third language at Bright Loritos. I am amazed at her ability to learn so quickly and at her enthusiasm to come to class every week! The teachers make learning so fun, easy, and engaging. My daughter gained so much confidence knowing she can understand and speak yet another language! What Bright Loritos offers is more than just a language. It is a way of seeing the world-a way to understand other cultures and an excellent opportunity to learn to be a citizen of the world!
Job Titles:
- CO - FOUNDER, SPANISH INSTRUCTOR
¡Hola! Mi nombre es Señor Carlos, and I am originally from Lima-Peru. I am one of the co-founders of the company, and I also teach Spanish. I have a B.A. in Performing Arts with a concentration in teaching from the University of Arts in Havana, Cuba. I have over 15 years of experience teaching students K-12 in private and public schools in Peru, where I taught mainly Language Arts and Drama. I enjoy teaching children through music, dance, movement, stories, and art. I enjoy being part of the Bright Loritos Family and bringing art and creativity to our curriculum.
Bonjour! Je m'appelle Courtney. I am the Curriculum Supervisor for Bright Loritos. I work with Alonso on curriculum and with the Bright Loritos teachers giving them feedback on their lessons. I have taught grades K-12 French for 8 years in the United States and in Paris, France. I worked with Mr. Chavez for 2 years as the French teacher and he, the Spanish teacher at a school. I'm excited to be working with him again at Bright Loritos! I currently teach French to grades 8-12 at a private school. I also teach ESL part-time online to students ages 3-14 in China. I enjoy sharing knowledge and ideas with the second language teaching community by speaking at various Michigan World Language conferences. I speak on ways to use technology when teaching a second language. I use Comprehensible Input when planning curriculum and teaching a second language. Comprehensible Input helps the student acquire the language and feel empowered to understand what is spoken and respond accordingly. I have a passion for helping children to become better communicators in all languages they speak.
¡Hola! Mi nombre es Jacqueline Pflucker, and I am from Lima-Perú. I have a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education, and have been working with children for the past 20 years, ranging from one to ten years old. I enjoy teaching children and giving them the best learning experience. I am passionate about every moment that I am teaching them. I have over 12 years of experience teaching in a Montessori classroom. I am very loving, caring, and social. In my classroom, children are my priority. I am thrilled to be a part of the Bright Loritos team!
¡Hola! Soy Karen. I am an engaging teacher from Peru who loves what she does. I decided to become a teacher because of the influence of the best teacher I know-my older sister, who is also a language teacher. I have been teaching children and teens in private and public schools in Peru for eight years. I studied English language education at UNFV. I enjoy being part of my students' learning process and having fun with them every single class. I joined Bright Loritos' team in 2020, and I am glad to be part of such a fantastic community of world language learners. Applying language immersion is what I love most about this effective methodology that allows children to learn naturally.
¡Hola! Mi nombre es Karla, and I am originally from Monterrey, Mexico. Even though I have a bachelor's degree in Marketing from the University of Monterrey, I have been teaching religious studies and Spanish to children from Preschool to Elementary for over 15 years in Mexico and Michigan. Children at this young age have an excellent opportunity to learn a new language at Bright Loritos. I'm super excited to be part of their journey and inspire them to learn about different cultures and help them become multilingual in their future.
Marhaba! My name is Lubna Hana. I am from Iraq, Baghdad. I have a B.A. degree in Elementary education and 25 years of experience working as an elementary teacher. I am passionate about volunteering in churches teaching children and teenagers in need. My goal is to allow children to have a great learning experience in my classroom and always have fun while learning. Embracing this belief has a profound effect on what and how I teach. I am so lucky and happy to be part of the Bright Loritos team, which I consider my multilingual family.
¡Hola! Mi nombre es Melissa Osorio, and I am originally from Lima, Perú. I hold a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from San Marcos University. Since I was young, I volunteered in different programs for children and adolescents in my school's parish. Then, I had the opportunity to teach children and teenagers for three years until now that I am part of the Bright Loritos family. The best way to acquire a language is to introduce it naturally, just as they develop their mother tongue-working hand in hand with meaningful and everyday experiences related to their context.
¡Hola! Mi nombre es Patricia Barrientos! I am from Santiago, Chile, and I have lived in Michigan for more than 11 years. I have an Early Childhood certification from Stratford Career Institute. My passion for teaching comes from my father, who was a teacher back in Chile. I have many years of experience working with children, and I am proud to be part of this great team of bilingual educators at Bright Loritos. Learning new languages at an early age is the best time for children to acquire a new language. I enjoy working at Bright Loritos as a Spanish teacher, mostly because I can share the richness of my language and culture with my students.
¡Hola! Mi nombre es Patricia Stender. I am from Ecuador, and I was born in the city of Cuenca, one of the most beautiful cities in Latin America, famous for its baroque architecture and its four rivers. I graduated from college as a nurse and worked in a local hospital for a while. A few years later, I completed a master's degree for teachers in Spanish Linguistics. I am incredibly grateful to teach Spanish to children, youth, and adults here in the U.S. I am proud to work at Bright Loritos and be part of such a fantastic team of language educators. I will make every effort to contribute to an incredible journey of learning and growth for all of my Spanish students.
Job Titles:
- Program Director, Mandarin Instructor
Ni hao! Wo jiao Simona Xu (my name is Simona Xu). I am from Sichuan, China-the home of giant pandas and the spicy hotpot. I graduated from Neijiang Teachers' College. I earned a bachelor's degree in K-12 education and The People's Republic of China Teacher's Qualification Certificate in 2016. I have been helping students to learn Chinese since 2015. I have 5-years of experience working with kids. I am an enthusiastic, energetic teacher, and I love teaching kids. I spice my class with excitement and enjoyment; I spark students' curiosity and jumpstart their motivation to learn. I support Bright Loritos' teaching method, such as language acquisition through immersion and comprehensive input-based learning, communication, and play. I believe our meaningful language learning program will have a lifetime impact on your kids. I can't wait to share the Chinese language and culture with you!
Bonjour, je m'appelle Virginie. I was born in France, 30 minutes south of Paris. I came to Michigan 20 years ago as an au-pair exploring the world, doing the two things I loved most: interacting with children and traveling. Since then, I have graduated from Oakland University with a B.A. in journalism. I wrote for the Oakland Press as a freelance writer, worked in public relations, and held a personal chef business. I have also been volunteering in the classroom every week for the past eight years. I am married to an amazing man named Boris, originally from Latvia, and we have two wonderful daughters, Leah and Chloe. You can hear French, Russian, and English language at our house depending on the day or the hour. Being surrounded by multiple languages is simply a part of my life.
Children have an unbelievable curiosity about the world and an incredible capacity for learning languages. What better way to assimilate a new language than by being immersed in it through fun, exciting activities? Each week, I can't wait to see the expression of success on the students' faces as they understand and become better communicators.
¡Hola! Mi nombre es Vivianne. I was born and raised in a small town close to the Andes Mountains in Chile. I received my Child Development Association Certification from West Palm Beach Community College in Florida. I have also lived in Indiana, where I worked as a Head Start preschool teacher. Working with low-income children had a positive impact on my career as an educator. I also attended Ivy-Tech Community College, where I worked on an associate degree in Early Childhood Education and received an ESL teacher endorsement to become a bilingual preschool teacher. In 2008, I returned to my home country, Chile, where I taught preschool for over five years. In 2013, I moved back to Michigan and decided to teach Spanish. Now, I am fully committed to the Bright Loritos team, where I teach my native language and culture.
Nǐ hǎo My name is Yuan Li, a native Mandarin speaker from China, with a B.A. degree in Elementary Education and a Certification of Chinese teacher. I taught Chinese literature in a public school for three years in my hometown. Then, I worked at Maritime Vocation College as a Navigation teacher for seven years. My family moved to Chicago after I married in 2014. Since then, I have started my adventure of teaching Mandarin in the U.S.
As a world language educator, I want to help students become better communicators in an active communication environment. I want our students to develop a positive character, which is essential to create successful life-long learners. I believe every child is unique and deserves a caring, inspiring, and engaging atmosphere to grow intellectually and socially. This philosophy is also one of the core values in Bright Loritos and why I am proud to be a teacher here.