BOUT THE PRINCIPALS
For Alexandra Migoya and Pilar O’Leary, creating Isabella & Ferdinand™ Spanish Language Adventures™ grew out of a desire to have high-quality Spanish classes for their own young daughters, whom they are raising bilingually. "We desperately wanted our children to be in an environment where they were engaged learning in Spanish—good Spanish—as well as learning about Spanish and Latin American culture, every single week. We didn’t feel like they would truly master the language otherwise, even with speaking it at home." For them, Isabella & Ferdinand is very much a labor of love.
Pilar O’Leary, Co-Founder & Principal
Pilar is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Languages and Linguistics and Georgetown University Law Center. She is fluent in Spanish, French, Italian and English and has extensive experience working with and in Spanish and Latin American cultures. A former lawyer and not-for-profit director, Pilar has worked at the United Nations, Goldman Sachs & Co, JP Morgan, Fannie Mae and the Smithsonian Institution, where she was director of the Smithsonian Latino Center and developed a broad platform of arts and educational programming. In addition to being a founder of Isabella & Ferdinand™ Spanish Language Adventures™, Pilar runs the production and consulting firm, Paloma Blanca Creative Enterprises, which focuses on Hispanic media, cultural and entertainment projects. She co-produced the award-winning documentary, “The Accordion Kings: The Story of Colombian Vallenato Music” which features Grammy-award winning artist Carlos Vives and aired on the Smithsonian Channel of Showtime Television (CBS) in August 2010. Currently, she in production on a documentary on flamenco music with Grammy-award winning artist Alejandro Sanz. A dual US/Colombian citizen and a native Washingtonian, Pilar is a member of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, the Georgetown University Entertainment and Media Alliance and the National French Honor Society. Pilar has been a speaker at many national forums on Latino culture, education and entertainment and was the 2008 commencement speaker for the New World School of the Arts at Miami-Dade College. Pilar is the mother of three children, Carolina, Paloma and Nicolas.
Alexandra Migoya, Co-Founder & Principal
Alexandra received her BA in Spanish and English Literature from Cornell University, magna cum laude, and is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center. In addition to being a founder of Isabella & Ferdinand, Alexandra is a principal of Paloma Blanca Creative Enterprises. Previously, Alexandra Migoya worked for over 10 years as a corporate lawyer with firms in New York and Washington, D.C. as well as in-house counsel to Verisign Inc. Alexandra is a prize-winning author of short-fiction related to Latin American culture and her recent publication credits include a comparative article on French and American feminism published with Palgrave McMillan. Her poetry translations from Spanish to English have been published in Twentieth Century Latin American Poetry: A Bilingual Anthology. Alexandra is an adjunct professor of English Literature at Montgomery College in Takoma Park, Maryland and a member of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. She served on the Board of Directors of CityDance Ensemble Inc. and served on the Board of Directors of the Blue Igloo Playgroup, an early childhood educational cooperative. Alexandra is of Spanish and Dominican heritage and was born in New York City. She is the mother of two, daughter, Sofia and Natalia.
OUR TEACHERS
Sofia Ortiz (Teacher/Curriculum Specialist)
Originally from Puerto Rico, Sofia Ortiz is a gifted writer, teacher, translator and educator. She received her B.A. in Spanish Literature from the University of Mexico and an M.A. and M. Phil. in Spanish and Portuguese Language and Literature from New York University. For the last 15 years, she has created, developed, edited and translated numerous educational texts for children in English and in Spanish for McGraw Hill, Scholastic, Hartcourt Brace and other prestigious publishing firms. Currently she is working on a bilingual educational publication entitled "Calle del Sur" for Scott-Foresman & Pearson. In New York she worked with Editorial Sur to develop Spanish language books for the Boards of Education of Texas and California. She has also translated and edited numerous fiction works in the U.S. and in Mexico for Turner Publishing. Sofia has taught in the public school system in Mexico City and in Washington, D.C., she has served as a volunteer for the Embassy of Mexico working with D.C. public schools to bring Mexican culture to local classrooms. A creative and dynamic educator, she has developed activities, curricula, stories, exhibits and other materials to introduce children to both Spanish language and culture.
Francisco Revert (Director of Music and Programming)
Hailing from Andalusia, Spain, composer, pianist and guitarist Francisco (Fran) Revert brings a wonderful set of musical talents to Isabella and Ferdinand™ Spanish Language Adventures™. Fran has a Bachelor’s degree in Music Language and Theory from the Professional Conservatory of Music in Jaen, Spain. He also has done significant coursework in Piano Interpretation, studying with some of the best master teachers in Spain. For the last 10 years Fran has been being teaching music in private and classroom settings both abroad and in the U.S. including piano, vocals, composition and arrangement, production, mixing and recording instruction. He has taught at iMUTE (Music and Technology Institute) and at the ECAM School of Cinema in Spain. Fran is a gifted music producer and has created music for a number of films, TV programs and well-known artists in the U.S. and Europe. He is a winner of the Joan Baptista Cabrera award in Spain for Best Music Composition (1992, 1996) and published "Music Resources for the Classroom" (Volumes 1 and 2, Ed. MAD, 1997, Spain). Aside from his many activities and accomplishments, teaching music to children remains Fran’s primary passion.
Cristina Lasso (Teacher)
Originally from Bogota, Colombia, Cristina Lasso is an incredibly seasoned and talented Spanish language teacher. She received her degree from the National Pedagogical University in Bogota, earning a B.A. in Modern Languages (English, French, Spanish). She also completed coursework on foreign language teaching at Georgetown University, Montgomery College and at the University of Maryland where she is presently seeking an M.A. in Second Language Acquisition and Application. Presently, Cristina is a Spanish teacher for Elementary and Middle School at Sheridan School in Washington, D.C. Previously she taught at Grace Episcopal Day School and Crossway Montessori School, as well as Saint Matthew School, Nuevo Gimnasio Colombo Britanico, LaSalle School and Sacred Heart School in Colombia. She has completed a number of certificate programs related to educational best practices and curriculum development at MAESA, the Montgomery Childcare Association Training Institute and other institutions. Cristina always incorporates a vibrant program of culture in her Spanish language teaching.
Carla Molina (Office Manager/Teaching Assistant)
Carla Molina, a native of Colombia, is a bilingual professional with extensive administrative, analytical and clerical experience as well as significant childcare experience. She is a graduate of Los Libertadores University in Bogota where she earned a BA in Economics and International Business. Most recently, Carla was a teaching assistant/coordinator at Sugar Plums Daycare Center in Rockville, Maryland and she currently provides clerical and accounting services to private clients. Previously, Carla was a senior event manager at the University of Maryland. In Colombia, Carla worked for Comcel S.A., the country’s largest cellular company, as a marketing representative, customer service supervisor and billing analyst. She was also a manager in the Human Resources division of Vincomer Ltda. Among her professional certifications she has a certificate in Early Childhood Education from the Childhood Education Institute in Maryland and a certificate in Adult/Pediatric CPR and Universal First Aid from the American Safety & Health Institute.
