Department: Language and Foreign Language

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David Páez

dpaez@sfprep.org

Spanish III, V, and AP. David completed his Ph.D. studies at the University of New Mexico, where he also received the best teacher award. His linguistic research addresses the semantic foundations of grammar and phonology in daily conversations. As an educator, he specializes in narrative and gamified approaches for Second Language Acquisition, promotes linguistic diversity, and focuses on dismantling myths and linguistic biases in education. He enjoys long hikes, engaging in deep philosophical discussions, music, art, and spending time with Ícaro, his border collie best friend.

Department(s)

Carla Westen

cwesten@sfprep.org

Latin, 7th Grade Class Sponsor, Blue Griffin Chair for Inspirational Teaching. Carla received her Bachelor of Arts in Italian Studies from Wesleyan University and her Master of Arts from the University of Wisconsin, where she was a University Fellow.  Carla has been teaching Latin at Santa Fe Prep since 2005.  In her free time, Carla enjoys reading, dancing Zumba, studying Spanish, cooking, and spending time with her family.

Department(s)

Yadiner Sabir

ysabir@sfprep.org

Language Department Chair,  Spanish. Yadiner Sabir was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She holds a BA in Social Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, and an MA in Communication Studies from New Mexico State University at Las Cruces. She has taught Spanish, English, and Communications at various educational institutions, including the University of Puerto Rico at Bayamón, Lynn University, North Carolina State University, and Cary Academy in North Carolina. Yadiner comes to Santa Fe Prep from Francis W. Parker School, a progressive independent school in Chicago, Il. There she served as an Upper School Spanish teacher and as a Senior Grade Head/Dean. Yadiner is excited to return to New Mexico and explore the Northern region of the Land of Enchantment with her family.

Department(s)

Marián Giráldez Elizo

mgelizo@sfprep.org

Spanish. Marián received her bachelor’s degree in English philology from the Universidad de Alcalá in Madrid. She also holds a M.A. in Hispanic Linguistics and a Ph.D. in Educational Linguistics from the University of New Mexico, with a focus on vocabulary learning in Spanish as a Second Language and Spanish as a Heritage Language. Marián has extensive experience teaching at both, high school and university level. She is originally from Madrid, Spain, but has lived in New Mexico since 2008. As part of her hobbies Marián enjoys spending time with family and friends, travelling, hiking and exploring new places.

Department(s)

Terry Vinson

tvinson@sfprep.org
ASL. Terry was born Deaf and grew up at the New Mexico School for The Deaf, which led her on the path of becoming an American Sign Language teacher. She has taught ASL for over 20 years around the country. Terry’s main interest is in helping hearing people understand the ASL and Deaf cultures, and it is her great thrill to witness when hearing people begin to communicate with the deaf.

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