Ramin Yazdanpanah , MS
Assistant Director / Instructor

Ramin holds a Masters in Multilingual/Multicultural Education and a BA in International Affairs. He began teaching ESL at CIES in 2002. In 2003, Ramin taught one year in Madrid, Spain at the International Academy of Languages before returning to CIES. Ramin has also taught ESL courses in Educational Technology and Cross Cultural Communications at Flagler College, Tallahassee branch. In addition to being an instructor, Ramin is an expert in ESL materials development. An example is his “American Interviews”. He is a recipient of the FSU Fordyce Award for Outstanding Teaching and speaks Farsi and Spanish.

"Your mind is like a parachute. It only works if it is open." - Anthony J. D΄Angelo, The College Blue Book

Debbie Carretta, M.Ed
Instructor, Curriculum Coordinator

Debbie earned her Master’s Degree in Education from Leslie University and a BA in Drama and Education from the University of the Pacific.  She began her career in teaching English as a Second Language in Brazil, where she worked with students of all ages.  Back in the United States, she taught ESL at Virginia Commonwealth University for ten years before coming to Florida State University.  In addition to teaching, Debbie works in curriculum development and new teacher orientation.

All learning begins with the simple phrase, "I don't know". –Unknown

Felicia Ciappetta, MS
Instructor, Testing Coordinator

Felicia holds a Masters degree in Multilingual/Multicultural Education from Florida State University. In addition, she received a BA in Spanish with a minor in Education from Florida State in 2002. Felicia is also the Activity Coordinator at CIES.

"If you can dream it, you can achieve it." – Walt Disney

Ryan Flemming , MS
Instructor

Ryan holds a Masters in Multilingual/Multicultural Education as well as a BA in Information Studies, both from Florida State University. Ryan is at the beginning level in Arabic but is working hard at improving. His other interest is playing the bass guitar.

"Withhold no sacrifice, begrudge no toil, seek no sordid gain, fear no foe, [and] all will be well." – Sir Winston Churchill

Olga Garmash, MS
Instructor

Olga earned her Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education and a Master's Degree in TESL from Murmansk State University, and a Master's Degree in International Affairs from Florida State University. A native of Russia, she began as an ESL instructor at Murmansk State University, where she was involved in teaching, materials design and curriculum development. Prior to coming to CIES, she was involved in several educational programs in public health at the FSU College of Medicine.

In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling and photography.

Ah-Young Kim, MS
Instructor

Ah-Young holds a Master’s degree in Multilingual/Multicultural Education from Florida State University as well as a BA in French Language and Literature from Korea. She has written CIES grammar textbooks at FSU,  and she has also published a series of grammar books in South Korea.

"Vouloir, c’est pouvoir!" ("Where there’s a will, there’s a way.")

Vicky Ledbetter, MS
Instructor

Vicky holds a Master of Science degree in Multilingual/Multicultural Education from Florida State University and a BA in English from Valdosta State University.  She taught ESL for East Central Technical College in rural Georgia and completed a study abroad in Guadalajara, Mexico.  Recently, she interned for the Programa de Formación de Maestros Bilingües de la Amazonía Peruana (FORMABIAP) in Iquitos, Peru where she focused on educating language teachers from the indigenous populations of the Peruvian Amazon in current teaching methodologies. She presently serves as the Activities Coordinator at CIES.

"Will that make me something? Am I something? Will I be something? And the answer comes, 'Already am, always was, and I still have time to be.'"
-Anis Mojgani    

Victoria Paul, MS
Instructor

Victoria holds a Masters in Multilingual/Multicultural Education from Florida State University as well as a BA in International Affairs from Florida State University. She also holds a Practical Theology Degree from CFNI in Dallas, Texas. Victoria taught English as a foreign language for one year in Seoul, South Korea at Seoul Women’s University. She also taught ESL courses with EF Internationl, and has hosted several students from various countries around the world. Victoria was recently in Valencia, Spain completing a teaching internship at a local high school. In addition to being an English teacher, Victoria enjoys learning other languages and has been studying Spanish for a number of years. She has taken numerous volunteer trips to Guatemala over the past five years.

“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”
     -Abraham Lincoln

Marilyn Sohan, MS
Instructor, Textbooks and Materials Coordinator

Marilyn holds a Bachelor's Degree from Buffalo State College in English/Secondary Education with certification in New York State. She served a 10-week term with AmeriCorps where she worked with refugees from 3 continents. This wonderful experience is what lead her to the field of teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and lead her to pursue a Master's Degree at FSU. Marilyn completed her Master's Degree at FSU in Multilingual/Multicultural Education with an ESOL certificate. She started here as an intern, fell in love with the family atmosphere, and has been here ever since. In Fall 1, 2011 Marilyn became the new coordinator for the Conversation Partner Program and hopes to continue to expand the program to better serve our students and the FSU community.

Jerome Altman, M.Ed
Instructor

Jerry has a master’s degree in education, with a specialization in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), from the University of Missouri, a certificate in TESOL from Florida State University, and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Massachusetts.  He has taught at CIES since Spring,  2009.

Wayne Schiefelbein
Instructor

Wayne was awarded the Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the Florida State University College of Education’s Multilingual/Multicultural Education Program.  Wayne also holds a J.D. from the University of Miami College of Law and a B.A. in Government/ International Relations from the University of Arizona.  Prior to joining CIES in early 2011, Wayne had extensive experience as an instructor and tutor at Literacy Volunteers of Leon County. 
He is currently taking coursework through Hamline University for a Certificate specializing in Adult ESL and anticipates earning his MA in ESL at that institution. 

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. "
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jennifer Babjak
Instructor

Jennifer is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Multilingual/Multicultural Education at FSU.  She holds a BA in Spanish and a minor in Anthropology from Valdosta State University and has studied abroad in Mexico, Belize, Chile and Brazil.  Prior to working as an English language instructor, she served as a tutor to both high school and college-level English language learners. She also worked as an English language instructor for a year at the English Language Institute at Valdosta State University before coming to CIES.  

“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Estrella Rodríguez, M Ed
Instructor

    Estrella holds a Master’s Degree in Education (TESL) from McGill University and a B.A in English from the University of Havana, Cuba. She is also a PhD candidate in Spanish at Florida State University, where she is comparing the syntax of English and Spanish.  Her spare time is devoted to family and community work.

  “Not I- not anyone else can travel that road for you. You must travel it for yourself”.

   Walt Whitman

Karin Devick
Instructor

Karin is currently working on her Master’s degree in Multicultural Multilingual Education at Florida State University. She holds a BA in Sociology and Anthropology from St. Olaf College. She possesses a love for learning languages, and has studied Norwegian and Spanish. Karin has worked as a tutor for migrant children in Northfield, Minnesota, and has also taught English in Switzerland.

“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” -Arthur Ashe

Natalie Upshaw
Instructor

Natalie completed her BA in English with a minor in Spanish at FSU in 2010.  She is now pursuing her Masters of Science in Teaching with a specialization in Foreign and Second Language Education.  Natalie also enjoys playing the Irish fiddle, riding horses, and salsa dancing. 

"Dreams come true.  Without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them."  -John Updike

Esther Milanzi, BA
Instructor

Esther holds a BA in Political Science from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She holds a certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and she is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Sociocultural International Development Education Studies from Florida State University.

"Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." -Albert Einstein

Whitney Harvey
Instructor

Whitney received her B.A. in English Literature from the University of Central Arkansas.  She lived in Graz, Austria for two years and traveled extensively throughout Western Europe. While in Austria, Whitney worked as a Pronunciation tutor for the Karl Franzens Universitaet.  She is now working on getting her Masters of Science, specializing in Second and Foreign Language Teaching, in hopes of sharing her love of learning languages with her current and future students!

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear." -Mark Twain

Soheil Mansouri,
Instructor, TOEFL and IELTS Preparation

Soheil is pursuing a Master’s degree in Multilingual/Multicultural Education from Florida State University. "Soli" has a BA in English Translation (English-Persian and vice versa) from Iran. He has been teaching English for almost a decade to EFL students from Elementary to Advanced level. His areas of expertise include teaching in kindergarten, English Institutes, TOEFL and IELTS preparation.

“When the going gets tough, the tough gets going”. Unknown

Maria Beatriz Mendoza, PhD
English for International Teaching Assistants
Instructor/Coordinator

Maria Beatriz completed her Doctorate in Multicultural/Multilingual Education at FSU in 2004 and has been the International Teaching Assistant Coordinator for Florida State University and CIES since 2005. A recipient of the FSU Fordyce Award for Outstanding Teaching, Maria Beatriz taught English as a Foreign Language in Venezuela for 3 years and then at CIES for 6 more years. Maria Beatriz is an expert in ESL writing and developed the CIES Composition book series. She is a native of Venezuela and speaks Spanish.

"Learning another language is discovering a new world. Enjoy the journey! It will change your life forever."

Jenny Grill, PhD
English for International Teaching Assistants
Instructor

Jenny earned her doctorate in Adult Education at Florida State University in 2003; she holds master’s degrees in Adult Education and in Multilingual/Multicultural Education from FSU as well.
She started her career in EFL in 1991 in Switzerland where she taught English and learned German. She has been able to combine her interests in adult education and language learning through teaching university courses on adult learning, teacher education in English language learning (ELL), applied linguistics, and writing.

“When we take on a new culture and a new language we find that there are many ways of thinking, doing, and being—this is some of the most difficult and wonderful work you’ll ever do. In the end, you’ll be a stronger and kinder person.”

Patrick C. Kennell, Ph.D.
Director

Dr. Kennell keeps CIES running on a daily basis and is a very student-centered director. His door is always open, and he encourages students to come by to express their needs and desires. Dr. Kennell is constantly looking for ways to ensure that all students have the chance to make the most of their opportunities at CIES.

In addition to holding a PhD. in Multicultural/ Multilingual Education from FSU, Dr. Kennell has over 20 years of experience teaching English, not only at CIES, but also in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Denmark. His experience, as both a teacher of English and student of Danish, has taught him the value of using classroom knowledge in the real world.

"A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for," Patrick says. "Get out and experience everything that you can while here in Tallahassee. Your best classroom is out there!"

Peggy Gary
Program Assistant

Peggy is a native of Florida. She grew up in Crawfordville, Florida which is just south of Tallahassee. Peggy has worked at Florida State University for over 15 years. For the last 12 years, she has worked with international students. Peggy says that "this is my passion!" She goes on to say, "At the end of each day, I feel as if I have travelled all over the world after talking with my friends here at CIES!" Peggy's philosophy on life can be summed up in the following quote:

"The unexamined life is not worth living...Wisdom begins in wonder".

Lisa McClellan
UBA

Lisa holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Florida State University, and was employed as a bookkeeper in the private sector for twenty years. She has served as accountant and Human Resources representative for CIES since 2009.

Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
Helen Keller

Noelle Kennady, Office Assistant

Noelle holds two Bachelor’s degrees: one in Theatre and the other in Creative Writing. Upon graduation from Florida State University, Noelle decided to stay in Tallahassee and volunteer her time as an Associate Editor of Poetry for literary journal Apalachee Review, and Assistant Editor for another local journal, espresso ink. She has always had a passion for expression, communication, language, and culture, and plans to earn her TEFL certificate in the near future. Eventually, she intends on furthering her education, but for now she is grateful to be a part of the CIES family.

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.”
― Anaïs Nin

In Memoriam

Frederick Jenks, Ph.D.
1942-2010

Dr. Jenks was the founding director of CIES, having established the center in 1980. The senior professor of Multilingual/Multicultural Education at Florida State University, Dr. Jenks had an international reputation as a leader in the field of Teaching English as a Second Language. He was a consultant to ETS-TOEFL for thirteen years. Dr. Jenks taught in Saudi Arabia, Czech Republic, the former Yugoslavia, Panama, Costa Rica, Honduras, Zaire and many other nations.

On April 9, 2010 the center that Dr. Jenks built and so lovingly nutured, was named in honor of him in a very moving ceremony.

"CIES was established to be an ideal place to learn English intensively," Dr. Jenks would say. "It's a place with an excellent program, a superior faculty, a beautiful environment and a successful curriculum. My greatest joy is seeing every student leave CIES with the gift of a new language."