About us
We are emergent bilinguals/multilinguals, school administrators, teachers, interpreters, translators, parents, caregivers, and language justice advocates.
Our Board
Ana Soler
Chairperson
Ana has been a curriculum developer, interpreter, translator, and trainer for over 25 years. She has authored curricula nationally including the Intercultural Parent and Youth Leadership Program, the Interpretation Academy for Bilingual High School Students, the Arkansas Interpreter Credential in Education course, a 40-hour certification preparation course for medical interpreters, and various online courses for the University of Georgia, including the Professional Interpreter in Education Certificate, the Professional Interpreter in Special Education Certificate, and the Professional Translator in Education Certificate, which she has been teaching for over 10 years. She completed her degree in Social Work at Georgia State University, her Master’s Degree in Public Health at Emory University, and is a Ph.D. in Special Education student at the University of Georgia. Her Ph.D. research interests include the intersection of ableism and linguicism, and the impact of untrained interpreters on family engagement in the fulfillment of inclusive education. She remains an active medical and educational interpreter and translator.
John Botero
Vice-Chair
John’s unwavering dedication to language access and equitable justice has propelled him across various regions of the country, notably during his tenure as the Program Manager at the Office of Court Professionals for the Judicial Council/Administrative Office of the Courts of Georgia. In this role, John assumed responsibility for overseeing the administrative and policymaking procedures of the Judicial Council Standing Committee on Court Interpreters, along with other cohorts of court professionals. Driven by his primary objective of ensuring equal access, John proactively sought to augment the pool of licensed interpreters within the State of Georgia. This endeavor involved a comprehensive enhancement of training protocols, meticulous expansion of testing procedures, and an extensive overhaul of the court interpreting program throughout the state. Moreover, John leveraged his expertise within the Judicial Branch of the State of Connecticut, where he initially served as an Interpreter and subsequently as a Court Clerk. Additionally, he successfully spearheaded the development and management of the interpreting program for the King County Superior Court in Seattle, Washington. John’s educational background includes a Master’s in Public Administration from Pace University’s Dyson College of Arts and Science, complemented by a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology obtained from the City University of New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice in 2006. Presently, John fulfills the role of City Clerk in Duvall, Washington State—an abode cherished by him and his family.
Dr. Rita Brusca-Vega
BOARD MEMBER
Rita is Professor Emerita at Purdue University Northwest and began her teaching career serving students with mild and intense special education needs. She has worked as an inclusion consultant in addition to having over 30 years in higher education. Rita is a frequent presenter on special education issues, a successful grant writer, and past director of multiple federally funded projects that have ranged from preparing bilingual and ESL teachers and paraprofessionals to become special educators, to serving students with intense needs and co-teaching in science classrooms. She is past chair and active member of the Illinois State Board of Education’s Joint Subcommittee on Bilingual Special Education. Rita currently facilitates online course offerings for NAETISL.
Jessica Sanchez Treasurer
Jessica Sanchez, a dedicated board member and treasurer of NAETISL, is committed to enhancing language access and education. As the owner and founder of NWA Bilingual Solutions in Northwest Arkansas, she offers a range of linguistic services including interpreting, translating, notary public, and bilingual marriage officiating in both English and Spanish. Her role extends to active participation in the Rogers Public Library Multicultural Inclusive Initiative, where she contributes to bridging communication barriers. Jessica’s primary focus is in the educational field as an Arkansas Credentialed interpreter, where she not only provides interpretation services but also imparts her knowledge as a co-facilitator of the Arkansas Bilingual Interpreter Credential in Education training course. Her work is driven by a deep-seated ambition to close the language gap in communities, ensuring accessible communication for all.
Flor Castellanos
Secretary
Flor is the Founder & Director of Speakworthy – an interpreter training organization. Prior to Speakworthy, Flor earned a graduate degree in Educational Psychology from UT Austin & ran an interpreter training program for a non-profit. She has worked with asylum-seekers in detention centers in the US & with refugees in camps and schools abroad. These experiences gave her a passion for the international community, and led her to working as an interpreter & interpreter trainer. Her interpreting work has specialized in the field of victim services with survivors of torture. She is an advocate of language justice and passionate about training others to leverage their language skills.
Maria Leyva
Board Member
Maria is an experienced interpreter and translator in education settings. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Mexico. She has been a Davis, CA resident for the last 20 years and has worked for 10 years in Cesar Chavez Elementary School in Davis, CA as a paraeducator (bilingual). She is also a Library Technician at Harper Jr. High and Interpreter for Davis School District. Maria has a passion for family empowerment and has participated in the creation of English Learner Parent Councils in her state.
Jeannette Houchens
Board Member
Jeannette has been an interpreter and translator for over 20 years starting her career in her native country of Colombia. After moving to the US, she continued her professional development achieving accreditations as a Certified Medical Interpreter (CMI-Spanish), State Certified Court Interpreter and ATA Certified Translator. She is the founder and president of HIT Services, an organization that provides interpretation, translation, and training services aimed to create awareness of the role that meaningful language access and cultural competency play in our community, and to support interpreters in improving their qualifications and skills. Throughout her career she has had the opportunity to work in different fields such as health care, human services, and court, specializing for many years in women and children sexual abuse cases. In recent years, Jeannette has focused her work on the area of education, creating training materials both for interpreters and school districts and leading an experienced team of interpreters and translators in helping school districts create and maintain diverse and inclusive environments.
Juanita Halepas
Board Member
Juanita has been a State Certified Court Interpreter for over 15 years. She worked full time for the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch from 2008 until 2021. During her time with the state, she also acted as a mentor to upcoming court interpreters in the Interpreter and Translator Services Unit Mentoring Program, the purpose of which was to guide prospect court interpreters to successful certification. Additionally, she contributed in the translation of legal documents and participated in organizing the state yearly workshops for court interpreter training for the CT Judicial Branch. She was involved as the editor of Intraconnect, the interpreter’s department newsletter of the Judicial Branch. She holds a certification from the National Center for State Courts, NCSC, in Court Interpretation, a certificate in Medical Interpretation from Central Connecticut State University as well as a certificate from the Southern California School of Interpretation for Interpretation in Immigration Court.
She currently owns a language services agency and teaches Introduction to Interpretation at Southern Connecticut State University. Her objective is to guide bilingual individuals interested in working as interpreters in navigating the steps needed to achieve court, medical and/or educational interpreting certification as well as creating awareness on the importance of the interpreting profession.
Stephanie MacIntosh
Board Member
Stephanie is the co-founder of NTC Language Services and has 15 years of experience supervising Translation and Multilingual Outreach activities in the educational field. Her roles have included recruiting quality personnel, training staff, and providing direct services to speakers of over forty different languages. Stephanie’s passion is connecting with her community and empowering the clientele that she serves.
Our Team
Claudia Enciso Kuraica
Membership Coordinator
Claudia has a bachelor’s degree in communications and a master’s in organizational development. She has been a translator and interpreter for the Corvallis School District in Oregon since 2016. She has been an educational assistant and is currently an administrative assistant for the communications department. During her time as an educational assistant, she was an interpreter for IEP and 504 meetings. She also provided simultaneous interpretation for some meetings at the DLI schools. Before moving to the United States, Claudia worked for the Universidad del Valle de México. She was part of the team working on getting the university the FIMPES accreditation. She was also the coordinator for the communications major. In that position, she oversaw the organization of two international conferences. Currently, she translates the communications from the district to families and the community, including technical documents for strategic planning.
Laura Price, M.Ed., M.A.
Coordinator of Stakeholder Engagement
Laura B. Price was born and raised in Montevideo, Uruguay. She holds a master’s degree in Education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in Spanish/Translating and Translation Studies from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She also holds graduate certificate degrees in Language & Culture Studies and Antiracial Teaching from UNC Charlotte, graduate certificate degrees in Autism, TESOL & Teaching English in the 2-year-college from East Carolina University as well as a Medical Spanish Teaching diploma from the University of Cantabria, Spain. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D., in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a focus on Literacy/ TESOL and Instructional Design. She is a passionate and caring advocate for the education of future interpreters and translators that will be able to work professionally and successfully in the field.
Sarah Attalla
Coordinator of Professional Development
Sarah originally hails from St. Albans, VT, just minutes from the Canadian border. At the age of 16, she moved with her family to Honduras, where she became fluent in Spanish. Upon returning to the US several years later, she obtained a dual bachelor’s degree in both Spanish and Biochemistry and has spent a decade working as a professional Spanish medical interpreter and translator in Level 1 trauma hospitals such as Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center. Sarah has also held state and national leadership positions with TAPIT and NBCMI, respectively, and has worked extensively in both freelance and W-2 employee capacities. She obtained NBCMI Certification in 2016, CCHI Certification in 2023 and will graduate with her M.A. in Interpretation and Translation from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in May. Sarah has spent these past 5 years also pursuing her passion for education by training both new and experienced interpreters and is very excited to be joining NAETISL in their Professional Development department!
Hector Ontiveros
Coordinator of Communication
Hector Ontiveros is the Technology and Innovation Department Coordinator at Barrington 220, a prominent northwest suburban public school district in Illinois. In this capacity, he oversees the school district’s interpretation and translation team, ensuring effective communication and access to resources for all members of the community. With a background as a professional interpreter at Barrington 220, Hector has developed a deep understanding of and connection with the Spanish-speaking community within the district. In September 2023, Hector assumed the role of Communications Coordinator for NAETISL, an organization dedicated to providing quality content and support to educational translators and interpreters. Through his work in this role, Hector plays a pivotal part in advancing NAETISL's mission and fostering communication within the educational sector. His commitment to bridging language barriers and expanding opportunities for meaningful engagement underscores both his role at Barrington 220 and his work with NAETISL. Beyond his professional endeavors, Hector finds joy in exploring new destinations and experiences, continuously seeking to broaden his horizons and make positive impacts in his community.
Sebastian Soler
Video Production and Marketing Support
Sebastian is the proud owner of Soler Vision Studios, a self-taught stop-motion animator, and a bilingual screenwriter. He provides technical and marketing support to NAETISL and has supported the expansion of our social media reach through Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Sebastian coordinates the production of audio and video clips in over 12 languages to support the professional development and skill-building of interpreters in education. He also creates informational videos for stakeholders to highlight the impact of interpreters in early childhood and K-12 settings.
Celia Llaberia Vilalta
Course Instructor
Cèlia Llaberia Vilalta is a learning disabilities teacher/consultant and has been an educator in the public-school setting for over 20 years. Originally from Spain, she spent her formative years in a bilingual household, seamlessly using two languages. She attended Universitat de Lleida, and her undergraduate studies focused on linguistics, concentrating on teaching English as a foreign language. She has taught adult and K-12 Spanish and English. Cèlia has an MA in Diversity and Inclusion and a certificate of advanced graduate studies in learning disabilities from Rowan University, NJ. She also holds certificates in DEI, Inclusive Pedagogy, and Inclusive Campus from Rowan University. She is a member of the New Jersey Association of Learning Consultants (ALC), and the Council for Exceptional Children’s Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Exceptional Learners, and Learning Disabilities divisions. She has been a member of NAETISL since 2021, has developed curriculum, and taught courses for NAETISL since 2022.
Mauricio Dangond
Course Instructor
Mauricio Dangond is a dedicated and experienced language interpreter specializing in education, with a profound commitment to fostering understanding and communication within diverse communities. Born in Colombia and currently based in Orange County, California, Mauricio has worked the last 9 years interpreting in the educational sector in the Newport-Mesa School District. In addition to his contributions at the district level, Mauricio is also an instructor for the National Association of Translators and Interpreters of Spoken Languages (NAETISL). Here, he leverages his expertise and experience to develop and deliver comprehensive courses aimed at enhancing the skills of interpreters and staff members working in educational settings. Mauricio's commitment to professional development in the field of language interpretation extends beyond the school setting, as he continually seeks to innovate and improve the resources available to language professionals.
Meet Our Founding Members
María de la Sota - GA
Professional Interpreter/Translator in Education
Dr. Rhonda Miller - SC
Associate Professor of Special Education
Carolina Garrido - TX
Professional Translator
Maribel Hernandez - TX
Translation and Interpretation Specialist
María Alicia Calzado Aguilera - NY
Professional Interpreter in Special Education, BM and Facilitator
Beatriz Gaxiola-Brown - NC
Dual Role Interpreter
Maribel Hernandez - TX
Translation and Interpretation Specialist
María Alicia Calzado Aguilera - NY
Professional Interpreter in Special Education, BM and Facilitator
Beatriz Gaxiola-Brown - NC
Dual Role Interpreter
Mauricio Dangond - CA
Special Education District Interpreter/Translator
Yazmin Aceves - IL
District Interpreter/Translator
María Ceballos-Wallis - GA
GA/FL State Certified Spanish/English Court Interpreter/Trainer GODR Bilingual Licensed Mediator Producer/PGA AP Council
Fabiola Tortajada - NM
Language Access Coordinator
Nancy Ruoff Tubbs - VA
Language Access Advocate
Diana Spangler - GA
Collaborative Educational Advocate
Mei Yan Lin - CA
Mei Yan Lin - CA
Elizabeth Watkins - MN
Special Education Diversity Consultant
Mónica Villalobos-Russell - CO
Professional Translator, Interpreter and Interculturalist
Mauricio Dangond - CA
Special Education District Interpreter/Translator
Yazmin Aceves - IL
District Interpreter/Translator
María Ceballos-Wallis - GA
GA/FL State Certified Spanish/English Court Interpreter/Trainer GODR Bilingual Licensed Mediator Producer/PGA AP Council
Fabiola Tortajada - NM
Language Access Coordinator
Nancy Ruoff Tubbs - VA
Language Access Advocate
Diana Spangler - GA
Collaborative Educational Advocate
Mei Yan Lin - CA
Mei Yan Lin - CA
Elizabeth Watkins - MN
Special Education Diversity Consultant
Mónica Villalobos-Russell - CO
Professional Translator, Interpreter and Interculturalist