Maira Abasto Vega, our accomplished Executive Director and Lead Teacher/DELE Specialist, brings her unwavering passion for children, education, and Spanish language culture to Isabella & Ferdinand. Hailing from La Paz, Bolivia, Maira's journey in teaching and law has shaped her into an exceptional leader in language instruction. With a background as a French and English teacher, Maira's dedication to education led her to pursue a law degree in Bolivia. However, her love for teaching and languages remained steadfast. In 2011, she made the decision to expand her language instruction to include her mother tongue, Spanish, igniting her true passion for teaching children. Maira's pursuit of excellence and continual professional growth led her to achieve a Master's degree in Education from Strayer University, graduating summa cum laude. Furthermore, she obtained certification in the DELE exam from the prestigious Instituto Cervantes in 2014, further solidifying her expertise in Spanish language instruction.

With a wealth of teaching expertise, Sara Arranz Ramiro brings her border-spanning education journey to Isabella & Ferdinand as our esteemed Curriculum Consultant. Hailing from Asturias, Spain, Sara holds a Bachelor's Degree in Foreign Language Education from the University of Valladolid, Spain, and has received recognition for her language instruction passion through an Erasmus Scholarship at the Katholieke Vlaamse Hogeschool in Antwerp, Belgium. Sara's teaching experience includes renowned institutions such as Henry Green School, Cleveland Junior School in London, England, Infiesto High School, and Ventanielles Bilingual School in Asturias, Spain. Her focus on bilingual education has driven her to excel in developing curricula and training language teachers, with notable contributions as a coordinator for programs like the "European Portfolio of Languages" CPR and "Bilingual Support Teaching." Her expertise extends to content and language integration (CLIL) and designing activities for linguistic skill development. Recognized as a Master Teacher for D.C. Public Schools, Sara's innovative work extends to her involvement in a pioneering bilingual program by the British Council and the Spanish Education Department. As a member of the European Socrates Society, she remains at the forefront of language education, continuously advancing her field. Sara Arranz Ramiro's invaluable insights and dedication to educational excellence shape our curriculum and empower our students as confident bilingual learners.

Hailing from Andalucía, Spain, educator, composer, pianist and guitarist Francisco (Fran) Revert brings a wonderful set of musical talents to Isabella and Ferdinand –quite literally the Pied Piper of Spanish! 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 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 children remains Fran’s primary passion.