In 2026, English Language Programs proudly joins the nation in Freedom 250—Celebrating the Triumph of the American Spirit—as we honor the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Throughout 2026 we continue to highlight the remarkable contributions of our participants and alumni who share America with the world while bringing global perspectives back to their home communities.
This month, our focus turns to the New England Region—Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont—a storied area defined by colonial towns, historic landmarks and a long tradition of civic leadership and educational excellence. Beyond its historic cities and famous academic centers, New England is shaped by its rural beauty: rocky coastlines dotted with lighthouses, working fishing towns, rolling mountains and deep forests, and the iconic fall foliage that has inspired generations. The region’s rich literary and cultural heritage—from Emerson and Thoreau to Alcott, Dickinson, and Frost—continues to influence how New Englanders engage with the world. Alumni from these states carry this spirit of intellectual curiosity, natural resilience, and community‑centered engagement into classrooms, teacher‑training programs, and educational initiatives across the globe. Their work strengthens English language education abroad while enriching learning communities at home. Together, their stories reflect how New England’s heritage and prestige help advance U.S. leadership, international collaboration, and educational excellence.
Connecticut Alumni
Stephanie Upadhyay (Connecticut) – Stephanie Upadhyay is a Meriden, Connecticut educator whose work blends intercultural learning, teacher development, and innovative educational technology to strengthen English teaching worldwide. Beginning as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Chile, she has since taught and trained educators across Turkey, India, Ukraine, North Africa, and the United States, bringing a Connecticut‑rooted spirit of collaboration to every project. As an English Language Specialist in Ukraine (2020), she designed interactive online workshops and coaching programs for Go Camps volunteers and ACCESS teachers, helping them enhance virtual instruction during a pivotal moment for the country’s education sector. Her Virtual Educator work in Morocco (2020–2021) and Libya (2022–2023) included multi‑week teacher‑training courses, Genius Hour projects, and digital‑storytelling workshops that empowered teachers to design meaningful classroom materials, activate curiosity, and build professional networks across borders—advancing U.S. public diplomacy through creativity, connection, and shared educational values. In addition to her international work, Upadhyay served as Learning & Development Coordinator with the English Language Programs team at Georgetown University, presented for American English Live, and now works on the Organizational Development team for Ulbrich Stainless Steels and Special Metals. Grounded in her Connecticut roots, she regularly hikes the state’s section of the New England Trail and is currently completing America’s 250th‑anniversary‑themed CT DEEP Sky’s the Limit Hiking Challenge.
Adam K. Stein (Connecticut) – Dr. Adam K. Stein is a New Haven, Connecticut educator whose work blends language teaching, educational leadership, and global engagement to strengthen English education across cultures. As an English Language Fellow in Malaysia (2018–2019), he served at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), supporting the Mission’s commitment to preparing the next generation of Malaysians with strong English skills and positive connections to the United States. Stein helped design and deliver the Highly Immersive Program (HIP) for local schoolchildren, leading Saturday sessions filled with games, collaborative activities, and student‑centered learning that energized young learners and deepened their exposure to English. He also conducted monthly Advanced English for Journalism workshops at Bernama, Malaysia’s national news agency, guiding reporters and producers through problem-solving tasks, ethics discussions, and balanced‑reporting exercises during a pivotal moment in the country’s democratic transition. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Arlington, Stein has taught in the U.S. and Japan and now serves as a Program Manager at Yale’s Center for Language Study. A proud Connecticut professional with a passion for travel and global cultures, he brings international experience back to New Haven while continuing to champion collaboration in language education.
Robert Emigh (Connecticut) – Robert Emigh is a Stratford, Connecticut educator whose 25‑year career reflects deep commitment to English language teaching, teacher preparation, and global engagement. As an English Language Fellow in Madagascar (2022–2024), he served at the Department of Anglophone Studies at the University of Antananarivo, strengthening one of the Embassy’s closest English‑language partners and advancing Mission goals to expand instructor capacity and build lasting bridges between U.S. and Malagasy communities. Emigh also worked with Second Lieutenants of the National Gendarmerie, demonstrating communicative teaching techniques and supporting emerging English‑language initiatives within law‑enforcement institutions. His outreach extended further through the first everMadagascar–U.S. Virtual Student Forum between the University of Antananarivo and Norwalk Community College, connecting more than thirty‑five students for a cross‑cultural exchange that fostered understanding of each other’s countries, educational systems, and student life while laying the groundwork for an enduring institutional relationship. A tenured professor at Norwalk Community College, Emigh has taught in Connecticut, New York City, Thailand, Brazil, and at the Garner Correctional Institution, bringing global experience back to his home state and championing community‑centered learning.
Juan Sebastián Moreno (Connecticut) – Juan Sebastián Moreno is a Kent, Connecticut educator whose work blends language teaching, academic preparation, and educational advising to expand opportunities for students pursuing study in the United States. As a Virtual English Language Educator with EducationUSA Panama (2020–2023), he supported one of the Embassy’s newest advising centers at the City of Knowledge, helping high school students, university learners, and adult professionals strengthen the English and academic skills needed for U.S. admissions. Moreno led courses in TOEFL, SAT, and GRE preparation, coached applicants on college and graduate‑school essays, and provided guidance on scholarships and academic pathways. He created and maintained the University Preparation Program website, sending newsletters to more than two thousand participants, and partnered with Comunidad Dojo to launch the Virtual English Dojo conversation club on technology topics ranging from cybersecurity to AI. Moreno also collaborated on EducationUSA’s Third Annual STEAM Open House and facilitated the University Life Conversation Club, where scholarship recipients shared their experiences with future applicants. A graduate of Wesleyan University and the New School, he now teaches bilingual STEM and ESL at Torrington High School, where he also coaches swimming—bringing global expertise back to Connecticut classrooms.
Maine Alumni
Steven Schuit (Maine) – Steven Schuit is a Maine educator whose career blends international teaching, leadership development, and community‑centered engagement. As an English Language Fellow in Latvia (2024–2025), he served at Daugavpils University, supporting the institution’s goal of expanding English proficiency, strengthening teaching confidence, and fostering cross‑cultural understanding. Schuit’s work advanced Mission priorities by positioning English as a shared platform for unity and dialogue. He developed an Advanced English Program for public school teachers, led professional development workshops across Latvia, and taught academic writing at the university—co‑teaching with faculty to model interactive strategies that improved classroom atmosphere and long‑term learning outcomes. His fellowship connected him with thousands of students, educators, and community members, relationships he continues to sustain from Maine through ongoing writing and publication on education. A former Peace Corps Volunteer in Korea, Schuit has taught in South Korea, Hungary, Mexico, and the United States, drawing on decades of experience in international consulting, leadership training, and civic engagement. Now happily rooted on Peaks Island—an 800‑acre island just off the coast of Portland—he brings global perspective back to Maine while continuing to champion education as a bridge between cultures.
Darcy Meijer (Maine) – Darcy Meijer is a Harrington, Maine educator whose long career in ESOL reflects a deep commitment to expanding opportunity through language learning. Decades after serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Gabon, she returned to West Central Africa as an English Language Fellow in the Republic of the Congo (2018–2019), partnering with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to strengthen English instruction at a moment when youth unemployment, limited resources, and outdated teaching methods posed major challenges for Congolese learners. Meijer led teacher‑training workshops in Brazzaville, Owando, Pointe‑Noire, and Dolisie, mentoring secondary instructors in communicative techniques designed to help students speak more English in class and build skills needed for regional education and employment opportunities. She inaugurated an E‑Club Corner in Pointe‑Noire, drawing more than seventy‑five participants for interactive language‑building activities, and collaborated with Ministry inspectors on needs analyses, curriculum revision, and nationwide vocational upskilling. Her work supported Mission goals to broaden access to English, strengthen youth outreach, and deepen U.S.–Congo educational ties. A veteran educator who has taught in the U.S., France, Vietnam, Hungary, and Abu Dhabi, Meijer brings these global experiences back to Maine, sharing with her students the cultures and communities that have shaped her life’s work.
Karina Escajeda (Maine) – Karina Escajeda is a retired K-12 educator whose three decades of experience in language development, literacy, TESOL, curriculum design, and teacher training have shaped major English language initiatives across the globe. Since 2020, she has served as the lead English Language Specialist for a multi‑year project in Curaçao, collaborating with RELO Panama, the U.S. Consulate, local school boards, and the Ministry of Education and Sport to design a replicable national English immersion curriculum. Across seven phases from 2021 to 2026, Escajeda conducted needs analyses, built teacher working groups, translated standards, sourced research‑based materials, and created Pre‑K through Grade 6 curricula now used in Curaçao’s first English Immersion School. She has provided in‑country workshops, demonstration lessons, media outreach, and delivered virtual training available to more than 2,000 educators. Her work expanded in 2025–2026 to include needs assessments and curriculum adaptation for Aruba and Bonaire, laying the groundwork for regional implementation that has expanded academic pathways and stronger U.S.–Dutch Caribbean partnerships. Through her work with English Language Programs, Escajeda continues to bring global expertise back to her home state while advancing innovative, community‑focused educational collaborations internationally.
Kirsten Bjork (Maine) – Kirsten Bjork is a Cumberland Center, Maine educator whose international teaching experience and commitment to English teaching shape her work both at home and abroad. After five years teaching in International Baccalaureate schools overseas, she returned to Maine during the pandemic and pursued her MS.Ed in TESOL at the University of Southern Maine. Encouraged by a professor to engage with education “locally and internationally,” Bjork applied to English Language Programs and soon became a Virtual English Language Fellow with Ho Chi Minh City Open University in Vietnam (2021–2022). There, she taught American culture to large classes of English‑majored students, weaving geography, history, and social dynamics into lively lessons—including a popular “Jeopardy! American Culture Edition” that invited students to explore music, film, food, and regional identities. She also led teacher‑training workshops for lecturers who taught American and British culture courses, supporting Mission Vietnam’s goals to strengthen English instruction, expand academic pathways, and deepen international integration. Bjork describes the experience as transformative, noting how much she learned from her Vietnamese colleagues and students. After her work in Vietnam, Bjork taught multilingual learners in the Westbrook School District, enriching her elementary classrooms with the international insights gained through her fellowship. Today, she is in her second year as a Grade 4 classroom teacher at an international school in Norway, where she teaches the IB Primary Years Programme.
Massachusetts Alumni
Peter Sokolowski (Massachusetts) – Peter Sokolowski is an Easthampton, Massachusetts lexicographer whose New England roots anchor a global career dedicated to expanding understanding of the English language. As Editor‑at‑Large at Merriam‑Webster, he has spent three decades shaping how Americans engage with words—writing definitions, producing videos and articles, appearing regularly on national media, and co‑hosting Word Matters, a podcast that brings listeners inside the world of dictionary editing. TIME Magazine recognized his influence by naming his feed one of the 140 Best Twitter Feeds of 2013, celebrating his wit and insight on language. A graduate of UMass Amherst and a contributor to New England Public Media, Sokolowski keeps his work closely tied to the cultural life of western Massachusetts. His international impact as an English Language Specialist spans Brazil, Mexico, Hungary, Poland, and Egypt, where his 2023 project with RELO Cairo reached educators and learners nationwide. In partnership with the Al‑Azhar school system, he trained teachers and administrators to launch Egypt’s first national English‑language spelling bee—an initiative touching millions of students and advancing Mission goals to strengthen English instruction, build educator capacity, and deepen people‑to‑people ties. His plenary address at NileTESOL and workshops on proposal writing and dictionary use further broadened professional development opportunities across the country. Sokolowski describes the work as profoundly reciprocal, noting how Egyptian educators’ enthusiasm for vocabulary‑building games will shape his future outreach. Back home in Massachusetts, he continues to share these global insights with local audiences, enriching regional understanding of language, culture, and the power of words. His forthcoming book, By Definition: The Surprising History of the English Dictionary, from St. Martin’s Press, extends this mission by tracing the surprising history of the English dictionary and the stories behind the words we use every day.
Amanda Cady (Massachusetts) – Amanda Cady is a Boston‑trained educator whose years teaching English learners across the city now shape her work as an English Language Fellow at the Université de Lomé in Togo (2025–2027). After more than a decade in Boston’s public, charter, and nonprofit schools—supporting students, mentoring interns and student teachers, and strengthening early‑childhood and ESL practice—she carried her classroom expertise abroad as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Grenada and later as a Recruitment and Training Specialist at Peace Corps headquarters. In Togo, Cady leads conversation classes for university faculty, supports English clubs, and collaborates closely with the national English teachers’ association to expand professional development for educators across all five regions. Her American Corner programs—from technology exhibitions and typing competitions to music‑focused cultural sessions and leadership training in Kara—have engaged hundreds of students and teachers, building confidence in digital skills, strengthening English proficiency, and fostering connections among youth and educators. She also organized the West Africa Midyear Fellow Forum, bringing Fellows and Togolese partners together to share best practices and deepen collaboration. Cady describes her fellowship as energizing and reciprocal, and she looks forward to continuing her work in Togo while carrying the global perspectives she gains back to Massachusetts classrooms and communities.
Cameron Johnson (Massachusetts) – Cameron Johnson is a Boston-based educator whose international teaching journey—from Thailand to Costa Rica, Dubai, and now Peru—has shaped a career devoted to expanding English-language opportunity. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, he accepted a teaching position in Bangkok with little knowledge of the country, and fell in love with Thai culture and working as an educator. The experience sparked his passion for ESL and his belief in English as a powerful tool for human advancement. He later served with the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, supported international students across the Boston area, taught ESL in urban high schools, instructed adult international learners in Allston, and prepared students in Dubai for the SAT and IELTS. Licensed in ESL and History in Massachusetts, Johnson now teaches virtually while building his education company, Doc English. As a Virtual Educator with the Universidad Nacional San Cristóbal de Huamanga in Peru, he provides four-skills English instruction to faculty members across multiple schools, integrating digital platforms, American culture, and literature to strengthen academic and professional communication. His work helps professors build confidence using English in their fields and introduces tools they can use independently to continue developing their skills. Johnson sees this project as a meaningful extension of his Boston-rooted teaching career, noting how each international experience enriches the guidance he offers to learners—and to the next generation of educators pursuing global opportunities.
Magdalena Rojas Lynch (Massachusetts) – Magdalena Rojas Lynch is a Somerville, Massachusetts educator whose TESOL career—grounded in training at Emerson College and Boston University—extended across Indonesia during her service as an English Language Fellow from 2024 to 2026. She arrived at Indonesia University of Education (UPI) Bandung after five years teaching ESL in Waltham Public Schools and coaching with Girls on the Run, bringing practical classroom experience and Boston‑based expertise to a national effort to reintroduce English beginning in Grade 3. During her fellowship, she strengthened the pedagogical and language skills of future teachers and national trainers, co‑facilitated the two‑week “Practical English for Young Learners” program in Bali, and trained more than 100 master trainers in young‑learner instruction. She also led workshops for Fulbright ETAs, Access students, and graduate‑school applicants. In addition, she played a major role in advancing technology integration, offering sessions on AI tools, digital platforms, and STEM‑aligned academic writing for more than 280 participants at Universitas Sebelas Maret. She describes her fellowship as energizing and deeply meaningful, and after completing her work in Indonesia, she will bring the perspectives she has gained in both Indonesia and Massachusetts to the Fulbright Taiwan Program, where she will serve as a TEFL Advisor for the ETA Program.
New Hampshire Alumni
Prentiss Phillips (New Hampshire) – Prentiss Phillipps is a Durham, New Hampshire educator whose recent service as a Virtual English Language Fellow in Panama strengthened aviation‑security communication for personnel at the Servicio Nacional Aeronaval (SENAN). Over 23 weeks of intensive virtual instruction, he delivered English for Specific Purposes (ESP) training focused on mission procedures, safety protocols, equipment descriptions, and operational communication—skills essential for SENAN officers working in air and maritime security. His course supported Panama’s national goals of enhancing aviation safety, improving coordination with international partners, and expanding eligibility for U.S. training programs. Phillipps also integrated expert guest sessions, including discussions with a retired U.S. Marine and helicopter pilot, which gave participants authentic opportunities to practice pre‑flight, in‑flight, and post‑flight communication. His work built a foundation for officers to mentor future cohorts and strengthened U.S.–Panama security cooperation during a period when in‑person training was limited. Phillipps has taught across New Hampshire at the University of New Hampshire’s ESL Institute, ELS Language Center at Plymouth State University, and now serves as an ESL instructor at Dover Adult Learning Center, bringing global aviation‑English experience back to the New Hampshire classroom.
Nicole Decoteau (New Hampshire) – Nicole Decoteau is a Mason, New Hampshire educator whose work in higher education and virtual English‑language instruction reflects a deep commitment to helping learners communicate confidently across cultures. As an Associate Professor and Director of ESOL, Composition, and First‑Year Programs at New England College, she leads writing and language development initiatives that support multilingual students through small‑class environments, experiential learning, and high‑impact teaching practices. Her scholarship—including a dissertation on first‑year composition retention and ongoing research on authorial identity—shapes her approach to mentoring students as they explore global issues through writing, inquiry, and community engagement. Decoteau’s international work as a Virtual English Language Educator in Uzbekistan and Ukraine has further expanded her impact. At Sumy State University, she designed a unit on American slang and sociocultural communication that culminated in student‑created slang dictionaries, one of which was selected for publication. She also facilitated a journalism‑focused exchange connecting U.S. and Ukrainian students, fostering dialogue on media, communication, and lived experience during wartime. In Uzbekistan, she supported instructors at Termez University of Economics and Service through student‑centered lesson design, experiential activities, and workshops on using generative AI for academic writing. Decoteau continues to enrich the alumni community by sharing innovative resources and virtual teaching strategies, bringing global perspectives back to New Hampshire classrooms and strengthening her work with first‑year and multilingual students across the state.
Paula Samson (New Hampshire) – Paula Samson is a Laconia, New Hampshire educator whose passion for global learning has shaped a career spanning West Africa, North and South America and Asia. She has studied in Russia, Cote d’Ivoire, Spain, Brazil, Canada and the United States. She worked at the American Embassy in Cote d’Ivoire and taught English at a public technical university as a guest of the government of Ecuador From 2024-2025, Samson served as an English Language Fellow in Mongolia where she provided English for Special Purposes (ESP) instruction to the cadets at the University of Internal Affairs, trained regional English teachers, and led weekly methodology workshops and monthly cultural talks at the American Center for Excellence. She served as a primary presenter at a major conference evaluating the Oxford Learning Publishers textbook series used across six Mongolian universities offering insights that informed administrators’ decisions about future contracts. She created resources to help teachers prepare for the IELTS writing exam, a new national requirement for English teachers. Samson views her fellowship was a powerful opportunity that strengthened English-language capacity in Mongolia’s internal affairs sector while continuing her own cultural immersion and global connections- work that she carries back to New Hampshire and communities she calls home.
John Whalen (New Hampshire) – John Whalen is a Manchester, New Hampshire educator whose global career in English‑language teaching and teacher training spans universities in China, Japan, Tanzania, and the United States, as well as workshops across Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Senegal, and Uganda. After earning an MA in TESOL, he served as an English Language Fellow in Tanzania (2017–2018), where he taught university courses, strengthened curriculum and assessment practices, supported TELTA and the American Space in Mwanza, collaborated with Access classes on project‑based learning initiatives, assisted the Regional English Language Office with exchange‑program vetting, and presented at conferences throughout East Africa. His fellowship also led to the creation of the Kesho Fund, a nonprofit he co‑founded with Tanzanian colleagues to support students through school breakfasts, textbooks, bathroom construction, and a network of after‑school clubs. As an English Language Specialist in Egypt (2023–2024), Whalen designed and delivered a project‑based Business English for IT Engineers course for the national Creativa initiative, conducting needs assessments, authoring a comprehensive teacher handbook, and training instructors to implement the program across six innovation hubs. He later reunited with Tanzanian collaborators at TESOL International 2024 to present on using comics to teach social issues, a medium they first developed during his fellowship. Whalen now teaches ESOL at the International Institute of New England, continuing to bring global experience, community‑driven learning, and practical language‑skills development to learners across New Hampshire.
Kevin Anderson (New Hampshire) – Kevin Anderson is a Manchester, New Hampshire educator whose two‑year English Language Fellowship in Sri Lanka (2024–2026) strengthened English proficiency, teacher training, and academic opportunity across the country, particularly in regions still navigating post‑conflict educational challenges. At Peradeniya National College of Education, he taught EAP and four‑skills courses to pre‑service English teachers and led pedagogy workshops that helped future TESL educators build strong instructional foundations. In Batticaloa—an area where English standards have declined and students often come from low‑income, post‑war communities—he supported U.S. Embassy goals by improving English skills for students and lecturers at Eastern University. Anderson collaborated with the Sri Lankan Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management on a curriculum review, producing a 15‑page report aligned with international standards, and delivered national workshops on American literature, narrative techniques, task‑based grammar teaching, and communicative language instruction. He also ran a four‑week teacher‑training series at American Corner Batticaloa and co‑led an “Interactive English Language Teaching & Assessment” workshop at the University of Sabaragamuwa. His fellowship deepened U.S.–Sri Lanka educational partnerships while enriching his TESOL practice, shaped by earlier teaching roles in Boston and nine years as a lecturer at the Community College of Qatar.
Rhode Island Alumni
Shélynn Riel (Rhode Island) – Shélynn Riel is a Coventry, Rhode Island educator whose work as an English Language Specialist in Brunei, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines—and as an English Language Fellow in Argentina (2017–2018)—centers on teacher development, communicative lesson design, and reflective practice in global ELT contexts. With more than 15 years of TESOL experience across universities, nonprofits, and digital learning spaces, she focuses on helping educators build student‑centered, inquiry‑driven classrooms. In Brunei, she facilitated training on communicative lesson design and teacher‑as‑curator approaches; in the Philippines, she led workshops that modeled experiential learning and student voice; and in Japan and South Korea, she supported the Young Trilateral Leaders program by guiding pre‑service teachers from the two countries in adapting student‑centered lessons and presenting their work through extended poster sessions. Riel is also the co‑creator of The Teacher Think‑Aloud Podcast, a global space for reflective practice, and has bridged the First-Year Writing Program at DePaul University and Hainan Normal University in China, while contributing to research and professional development with Bridge Education Group. A graduate of Rhode Island College (BA, M.Ed.), she continues to champion reflective, communicative English teaching worldwide.
Maureen Rooney (Rhode Island) – Maureen Rooney is a Matunuck, Rhode Island educator whose English Language Fellow work in the Philippines, Taiwan, and Mexico has strengthened English proficiency, intercultural communication, and community‑based learning across multiple educational contexts. Most recently, she completed her fellowship at Visayas State University in Baybay City, Leyte (2024–2025), where she taught Purposive Communication, led bayanihan‑driven community projects, and supported the American English programming through faculty development . She previously served as a Fellow at National Sun Yat‑sen University in southern Taiwan (2023–2024), contributing to Taiwan’s 2030 bilingual education initiative through EMI pedagogy, TA training, and bilingual curriculum development. From 2018–2019, she was an English Language Fellow in Mérida, Mexico, training in‑service K–12 teachers through the Secretariat of Education of Yucatán, and later continued this work as a Virtual Fellow (2020–2021), supporting educators, students, and entrepreneurs across the region. Her Philippines projects included co‑leading a national TESOL conference on AI‑integrated and low‑tech teaching strategies, facilitating a hospitality and tourism conference on cross‑cultural communication, and collaborating with AIT and the New Taipei City Government on business‑English training for young entrepreneurs. A Fulbright Scholar to Algeria and a writing specialist at the University of Rhode Island for over six years, Rooney guides graduate writers across disciplines and trains writing specialists in language acquisition and intercultural communication.
Laura Hamman-Ortiz (Rhode Island) – Dr. Laura Hamman‑Ortiz is a Cranston, Rhode Island educator and Assistant Professor of TESOL and Bilingual Education at the University of Rhode Island, where she also directs the Translanguaging Lab, a research collective focused on multilingualism and multilingual pedagogy. A former K–12 teacher in Texas, Chile, and Chicago, she has spent more than a decade as a teacher educator and language researcher committed to strengthening bilingual education programs and supporting bi/multilingual learners. As an English Language Specialist, she first collaborated with Brazilian educators in 2020 through a widely attended ABRALITEC roundtable on critical approaches to English language teaching, joining leading scholars to help secondary and tertiary teachers examine critical perspectives in language and literature instruction. In 2025–2026, she served as a Specialist in Bahrain, facilitating multi‑week professional development workshops for public school English teachers (grades 1–12) on innovative, genre‑based writing instruction grounded in the Teaching and Learning Cycle. Her training emphasized scaffolded writing tasks, multimodal tools, and adaptable strategies for large or resource‑limited classrooms, supporting Bahrain’s national goals for educational advancement and U.S.–Bahrain cooperation. Beyond her specialist work, Hamman‑Ortiz teaches courses in ESL/bilingual education methods, translanguaging, and second‑language acquisition, serves on the boards of Nuestro Mundo Charter School and the Multistate Association for Bilingual Education, Northeast, and contributes to research and professional development for the Two‑Way Immersion Network of Catholic Schools at Boston College.
Rachel Toncelli (Rhode Island) – Dr. Rachel Toncelli is a Cumberland, Rhode Island educator whose English Language Specialist work in Eastern Europe has supported academic writing, global Englishes, and critical AI literacy for English language faculty. An Associate Director at Northeastern University’s Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research, she has also taught English language courses to international students at Northeastern and Suffolk University, worked in TESOL teacher education at Rhode Island College, and served as Director of English Language Learning at Brown University. Her consulting experience with U.S. K–12 districts and her recent scholarship on critical AI literacy—including co‑authoring Artificial Intelligence, Real Teaching: A Guide to AI in ELT and receiving TESOL’s 2024 Ron Chang Lee Award for Excellence in Classroom Technology—inform her work with educators navigating emerging technologies. As a Specialist i in 2024, Toncelli delivered a plenary and workshop at the “Teaching Academic English in the Age of AI” conference, engaging faculty in human‑centric pedagogy, trust‑building, and collaborative reflection on GenAI in academic English instruction. She also led a widely viewed International Education Week webinar on teaching English(es) for real‑world global communication, exploring translanguaging, diverse English varieties, and intelligibility‑focused classroom practices. Her contributions further supported the National Writing Centers Consortium’s efforts to strengthen academic writing, internationalization, and professional collaboration across Eastern European institutions.
Vermont Alumni
Allan Miller (Vermont) – Allan Miller is a Shelburne, Vermont educator whose English Language Specialist work in Poland, Ukraine (2025–2026) and Uzbekistan (2020–2021) has advanced STEM‑integrated English instruction, bilingual education, and teacher professional development across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. A public‑school educator since 1985, Miller began his career teaching science in the Tlingit village of Yakutat, Alaska and has since served as a K–8 principal at Shelburne Community School for seven years and as an Innovation Coach and Technology Integrationist in the Champlain Valley School District for nine years. In Poland and Ukraine, he led a virtual professional development project for secondary English and STEM teachers, modeling U.S. inquiry‑based, collaborative, and student‑centered approaches aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards. His work supported Poland’s efforts to strengthen English for STEM fields and complemented Ukraine’s national initiative to expand bilingual Ukrainian–English education by 2027, offering webinar sessions on integrating English into Math and Science lessons and facilitating small‑group discussions for teachers in RELO Kyiv’s English for Math and Science Teachers program. In Uzbekistan, Miller designed and delivered an 11‑week professional development program for primary‑grade teachers piloting an English‑embedded STEM curriculum at School #29 in Bukhara, blending interdisciplinary instruction, project‑based learning, and international standards. Across all engagements, he continues his commitment to STEM‑based language teaching and teacher professional development.
Nancy Lindberg (Vermont) – Nancy Lindberg is a Shelburne, Vermont educator whose two‑year English Language Fellow experience in Kazakhstan (2023–2025) strengthened English teaching, teacher training, academic‑writing development, and community engagement across universities, schools, and public institutions. In Almaty, she worked with Kazakh National Women’s Teacher Training University and the Almaty City Schools, introducing U.S.‑based teaching standards, Western methodologies, online learning tools, and academic‑writing support while contributing to the university’s new Writing Center and the country’s trilingual‑education goals. She also led enrichment classes for the Department of Tourism and the National Academy of Sciences, facilitated a weekly English‑teacher club at American Space, and delivered plenaries and workshops at national conferences, including KazTEA’s annual gathering. Her fellowship included creative‑writing workshops, cultural programs, Earth Month activities, and hands‑on sessions with Access students. Lindberg also completed a six‑month virtual English enrichment series with members of Kazakhstan’s National Olympic Team, supporting athletes in specialized conversational English related to sports, travel, media, and international competition. In Turkistan, she contributed to AI‑focused teacher‑training initiatives and regional professional development and taught future English teachers at Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh‑Turkish University. She now serves as a multilingual‑learner paraprofessional in the Colchester School District, continuing her commitment to supporting English language education.
Joe McVeigh (Vermont) – Joe McVeigh is a Middlebury, Vermont educator, consultant, and teacher‑trainer whose English Language Specialist work in Peru (2024) and in Cambodia and Vietnam (2019) has advanced teacher development, curriculum design, accreditation readiness, and professional learning across Southeast Asia and South America. A longtime TESOL author and trainer with more than 40 years of experience, he has taught and led programs at USC, Cal State LA, Caltech, Saint Michael’s College, Middlebury College and the Middlebury Bread Loaf School of English, and has conducted program reviews and accreditation consultations worldwide. In Peru, McVeigh delivered workshops and a plenary at the PeruTESOL Conference in Arequipa, worked with academic directors from U.S.–Peruvian binational centers, and traveled to Tarapoto in San Martin Province to support curriculum design, assessment practices, and community‑based teacher training aligned with national goals for expanding English proficiency. In Cambodia and Vietnam, he opened the CamTESOL Conference with a plenary for more than 700 participants and facilitated methodology workshops for university faculty and secondary teachers at Hanoi University and the Experimental School of Educational Science, supporting Mission Vietnam’s aim to strengthen English teaching and academic innovation. Across all engagements, McVeigh brings deep experience in teacher training, program evaluation, and accreditation.
Stephanie Teleen (Vermont) – Stephanie Teleen is an Essex Junction, Vermont educator whose English Language Fellow work in Côte d’Ivoire (2024–2025) and Cabo Verde (2025–2026) has strengthened English teaching for tourism, storytelling pedagogy, and teacher training across West Africa. In Abidjan, she served at l’Institut Pédagogique National de l’Enseignement Technique et Professionnel (IPNETP), where she developed a three‑level English for Hospitality and Tourism curriculum aligned with national workforce needs in hotels, restaurants, and tour operations, and co‑created Story Connections, a Moth‑inspired storytelling program that guided learners through identifying, writing, and performing personal stories at public events. She also led teacher‑training workshops in Yamoussoukro and Abidjan for nearly 100 secondary and ESP teachers, focusing on backward design, AI tools, speaking strategies for large classes, and creative thinking activities. Now based in Praia, Cabo Verde, Teleen works with students preparing for careers in tourism and leads a new Story Connections cohort at the American Corner at the University of Cabo Verde, supporting national goals to expand English proficiency across the tourism ecosystem and strengthen Cabo Verde’s economic connections regionally and globally. Before joining the Fellows Program, she earned her MATESOL from Saint Michael’s College and spent eight years as an EL teacher in the Milton Town School District, strengthening her commitment to supporting multilingual learners.
Jennifer Borch (Vermont) – Jennifer Borch is a Vermont educator whose English Language Fellow experience in Morocco (2016–2018) and Specialist projects in Egypt and Nepal have shaped more than twenty years of global work in language education, teacher training, and virtual cultural exchange across North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and beyond. In Marrakech, she experimented with technology integration, wrote extensive curriculum, strengthened her workshop‑presentation skills, and built a lasting connection with Project Soar. Her Specialist work later took her to Egypt and Nepal, where she facilitated Access teacher camps, led professional‑communication trainings for educators preparing for NileTESOL, and collaborated with university and public‑school teachers seeking to strengthen instructional and presentation skills. She is the Director of Project Operations for the English Access Scholarship Program at FHI 360, formerly served as a Student Teacher Supervisor in the University of Vermont’s Department of Education and Social Services and a teacher in the Department of Applied Linguistics at Saint Michael’s College. With graduate degrees in French (University of Vermont) and TESOL (Saint Michael’s College), she continues her commitment to virtual cultural exchange, teacher training, and technology integration.
