Meet the Team | Mariposas Spanish

Meet the Mariposas Instructors

Teachers are one of the most important part of a child’s learning process. Mariposas is a small collective of teachers that love working with children and understand the importance of learning a language at a young age. Through different backgrounds, each instructor brings their own creativity and uniqueness to Mariposas in order to continue offering the best to Austin’s children.

We share a common goal- for our students to be excited about speaking another language. Our classes emphasize fun learning without any pressure. Our instructors have all worked with children extensively. They are fluent speakers, nurturing, compassionate, and well rounded. We strive for a true Spanish experience and encourage our students to practice with one another in and out of the classroom.

Our Teachers are Certified

All Mariposas Teachers have been finger printed/background checked through F.A.C.T Clearing House (Fast Pass), affiliated with the Texas Department of Safety.
All staff members are also CPR/First Aid Certified.

Our Teachers are Qualified

All Mariposas Teachers go through a vigorous training on the Mariposas Curriculum & Procedures. Additionally, they are required to take 6 hours of continuing education per school year and observe Mariposas & Montessori classrooms for further inspiration and knowledge.

The Core Team

Yvette Montalvo – Director and Instructor

Yvette is a native Spanish speaker and received her B.A. in Marketing and Spanish from UT Austin. She founded Mariposas Spanish in 1999 and has developed a curriculum that allows each child to learn in a comfortable setting and gives each individual a strong framework on which they can grow and develop confidence in speaking and learning a foreign language.

Laura Gonzalez-de Leon – Enrollment Manager and Instructor

Laura has been with Mariposas Spanish since 2009. She has been speaking Spanish since she was a little girl in the Rio Grande Valley and has loved being a bilingual educator for ten years. Learn more about Laura below!

Veronica Holmquist – Lead Teacher

Raised in Mexico, Vero has spent her career communicating in and teaching others Spanish. We are excited to have Vero on as a lead teacher this school year. Learn more about Vero below!

Ashley Romero – Lead Teacher

We are so excited to welcome Ashley as the newest member of our core team! She moved to Austin from Buenos Aires just over four years ago and has enjoyed spending this time working with children, and this year is one of our lead teachers! Learn more about Ashley below!

Guest Instructors

Sevylla del Mazo – Music Instructor

Maestra Sevylla is a second-generation Cuban American and native Spanish speaker. She is the founder of Roots & Rhythms, a cultural arts and music education program that aims to increase community fellowship by providing a percussion program to local youth. We love having her at camps to teach music!

Jamie Nair – Camp Instructor

Paula Sanchez – Camp Instructor

Maestra Paula is from Bogota, Columbia and moved to Austin, TX at just six years old. Learning a new language in a new country was a challenge, but she enjoyed the different and fun ways she could learn English. Paula believes that a teacher can make a big difference in a child’s life and enjoys getting to know each student as an individual during camps.

Lihlu Fuentes – Camp Instructor

Maestra Lihlu keeps the whole Mariposas team hip! She started with us as a high school intern in the summer of 2017 and has been a responsible, fun, and engaging instructor for all of our students. You can find Lihlu at camp or helping out in the Mariposas office when she’s not in classes or traveling the world.

Hortencia “Tencha” Guerrero – Culinary Instructor

Maestra Tencha has been the cooking class instructor since joining Mariposas Spanish in 2005. She is a native of Monterrey, Mexico and is aunt to Mariposas director, Yvette. Tencha has been a crucial pillar in raising the children of the family and brings the strong values of compassion and kindness to our students. Year after year she is a summer camp favorite and we are glad to have her!

Sandra Tanguma – Instructor

Maestra Sandra was born and raised in Dallas, TX and learned Spanish as her primary language. Currently, in college, Sandra plans to major in Child Psychology and Education to further expand her knowledge and that of her future students. She is thrilled to be part of the Mariposas Spanish School and is always excited to be part of the student’s learning experience of a new language.

Vianey Camorlinga – Instructor

Maestra Vianey has a lifetime of experience in education, language and kids. Born in Mexico City, but raised in Austin she has had the wonderful opportunity to watch her home grow and become more and more diverse. Vianey has dedicated herself to building a smooth educational journey for students and is a wonderful contribution to the Mariposas team!

Sevylla del Mazo

Guest Music Teacher

Sevylla is a second-generation Cuban American and native Spanish speaker. She is the founder of Roots & Rhythms, which is a cultural arts and music education program that aims to increase community fellowship by providing a percussion program to local youth.

Paula Sanchez

Mariposas Camp Guide

Paula is from Bogota, Columbia and moved to Austin, TX at just six years old. Learning a new language in a new country was a challenge, but she enjoyed the different and fun ways she could learn English. Paula believes that a teacher can make a big difference in a child's life and enjoys getting to know each student as an individual during camps.