Diana Cristina Williams, President Mrs. Diana Cristina Williams is a Spanish Teacher at Waipahu High School, where she has been teaching since 2012. Mrs. Williams is passionate about the power of reading in second language acquisition and her style of teaching is based on a comprehensible input approach. She was born and raised in México.

 

 

Rosa Bell, Past President Originally from Panamá, Rosa Bell is a Spanish Language instructor at James Campbell High School. Rosa is also a Sponsor of the Hispanic Honor Society Capítulo Infusión Latina de Campbell, a member of The American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP), and a member of The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).

 

 

Kevin Sledge, President-elect   Kevin M. Sledge (he/they), originally from North Carolina, is a Spanish teacher at Waipahu High School.  He is currently the advisor to the school’s Spanish Club and Black Cultural Club.  Kevin enjoys dancing typical Portuguese dances with The Camões Players (a Hawaiʻi-based Portuguese cultural group) and Panamanian dances with the Conjunto Cultura y Folklor Aloha Panamá (a Hawaiʻi-based Panamanian cultural group).  Kevin hopes to inspire students to embrace lifelong language learning and global citizenship.

 

 

 

 JT Su, Communications Coordinator Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Mr. JT Su is now the  Spanish language instructor at Ewa Makai Middle School in Ewa Beach.

 

 

Melisange Oullet Beaucaire, Secretary  I teach World Languages at the largest High School in our state, J. Campbell High School. I teach French, Spanish and am in the process of starting a Portuguese language program.  I have always imagined myself working in education and helping to improve our education system. I grew up in Kihei on the island of Maui and moved to Oahu to pursue teaching. I am very passionate about languages, teaching empathy for others, and exploring different cultures. I embed weekly social dance classes in my curriculum to engage my students in a rich personal and cultural experience. I am a polyglot and when I’m not working I am either spending time with my family or surfing the next swell.

 

Nancy Wysard,  Poster Contest Coordinator Nancy Wysard is  from Puerto Rico and is a Spanish 2,3,4/IB instructor at ‘Iolani School in Honolulu.

 

 

Jami Higashi-Lee, National Spanish Exam Coordinator

 

Jami Higashi-Lee is a Spanish instructor at Pearl City High School on ‘Oahu.

 

Guía Melo, Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica State Director

Guía Melo is the Head of the World Language Department and  has been a Spanish instructor at ‘Iolani School for 26 years. With over 30 years of teaching experience, she holds a B.A. in Spanish,  an M.A. in Spanish Language & Literature and an M.Ed. in Educational Foundations. Guía also serves as a College Board Advanced Placement Reader, an ACTFL-HALT State Advocacy Team Member  and as an Advocacy & Leadership Co-Leader for the Hawai‘i Language Roadmap Initiative. She has worked tirelessly for the Hawai‘i AATSP Chapter over the years and has served several terms as President and as National Spanish Exam Coordinator. Additionally, she was named the AATSP  Outstanding Secondary  School Teacher of the Year in 2011 and was honored with the Hawai‘i Association of Language Teachers Excellence in Teaching Award in 2014.

 

Rachel Mamiya Hernandez,  Webmaster

Rachel Mamiya Hernandez is an instructor of Portuguese, Spanish, & Latin American and Iberian Studies in the Department of Languages and Literatures of Europe and the Americas (LLEA) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Currently she is serving on the AATSP Board of Directors as Portuguese Representative