LCI Houston | ESL in Houston Staff

Susana L., Center Director
B.S. Hotel and Restaurant Management
Certification in ESL and Bilingual Education

Born in Denmark, Susana considers herself an international citizen. As a young college student in Argentina, she moved to France to improve her French and learn about the culture. She then traveled to Texas where she graduated from the University of Houston. Susana has spent 17 years in education as a classroom teacher, teacher supervisor and community and parent involvement coordinator. She has had the opportunity to interact with many cultures while helping immigrant families settle in Houston.

Susana enjoys travel, photography, skiing, gardening and reading. She currently enjoys spending her weekends with her husband and two younger sons watching soccer matches (Messi fan) and discussing international politics. She is also planning future trips to visit her oldest son who is studying abroad.

Martin O., Education Director
B.A. English Writing
M.A. TESOL

Martin was born in Chicago, Illinois but grew up in Orlando, Florida. After graduating with his bachelor's degree in English writing, he moved to South Korea to teach English. This position sparked his lifelong love of teaching.

Martin received his master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at the University of Central Florida. While getting his degree, Martin taught for five months in Brazil. After graduating, he moved to China where he lived for over three years, working at Guangdong College and later Shenzhen University. In his free time, Martin enjoys traveling, cooking Asian food and watching old movies.

Felix Pablo G., Student Services Coordinator
B.A. Marketing and Business Management
M.S. Marketing (in progress)

Felix was born in California but moved at a young age to Mexico, where his parents volunteered to do missionary work. Having experienced culture shock when he returned to the US at age 12, Felix understands the difficulties of having a language barrier and “fitting in.” He recognizes the importance of providing support, which can make a tremendous impact.

Felix received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston where he studied marketing, management and sales. At LCI Houston, Felix is eager to motivate students to reach their goals and gain new perspectives from a diverse group of students. He enjoys spending time with his family, meeting new people and traveling to Mexico.

LCI Houston - Faculty

John G.
B.A. French
M.A. Linguistics

John received his bachelor’s degree in French from Texas A&M University, spending a year abroad in Normandy to benefit from linguistic and cultural immersion. He also has a master’s degree in Linguistics from Rice University.

John has experience teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) at the middle school level, in addition to French and Linguistics at the university level. He currently instructs the LCI university preparation writing course, as well as private courses for test preparation (IELTS, TOEFL and GRE). When he is not teaching, John can be found playing jazz piano around town and exploring the rich culture that Houston has to offer.

Marcela B.
B.S. Science
M.A. Evolutionary Ecology
Certification in ESL and Bilingual Education

Marcela was born in India and continues to dive into new cultural experiences. She spent her formative years in foreign countries, learning to belong to a global community.

Currently at home in Houston, she has found her passion in education. Her experience includes helping start a new public school, leading the School Writing Project at Rice University and participating in the national Annenberg A+ Challenge to help diverse public school students succeed. After overseeing the education branches of several arts non-profits, she continues to be engaged in the arts and other cultural activities afforded by Houston.

Marcela enjoys the exchange of ideas, perspectives and languages, and is passionately committed to authentic communication where diverse voices are expressed and heard. She also enjoys playing and learning with her family, friends and colleagues. She greatly appreciates working at LCI Houston because it allows her to extend this circle.

Bess M.
B.A. English
M.A. English

Having taught writing at Marquette University and Tulane University, Bess brings the insights of a seasoned instructor to her English classes at LCI Houston. She has instructed students with native languages as diverse as Mandarin, Farsi, Akan and Swedish. Bess lived in the Netherlands for two years where she was immersed in Dutch culture and language. After returning to Houston, she also decided to learn Spanish.

Bess has a deep awareness of the needs of students learning a new language and living in a new culture. She offers her students the tools to acquire a practical knowledge of English that will help them in whatever they desire to do, be that communicating confidently in social situations, attending university in the US or giving presentations in the business world.

Karen H.
B.A. English
Certification in TESOL/TESL/TEFL

Karen knows first-hand the challenges and rewards of learning a new language and being a foreigner in a another country. Growing up in a military family, she has lived around the world, including in Bahrain, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. She has also backpacked through Europe and traveled from Argentina to Mexico by land. She says her life experiences have been her best teacher of new languages, tolerance of differences and appreciation of unique cultures.

Karen loves the power of language to communicate meaning and convey personal expression, and she enjoys helping others achieve their goal to be effective communicators in a second language. Now at LCI Houston, Karen teaches with empathy and enthusiasm for her students’ unique needs.

Rick S.
B.A. Foreign Languages & Literatures
M.A. Foreign Languages & Literatures
Ph.D. German Cultural Studies

Rick has the title of emeritus faculty at Rice University, where he taught for more than 20 years. After retiring in 2013, he moved to China for three years and spent much of his time there teaching English. He has more than 40 years of experience teaching languages, literature and culture.

Rick has taught all levels (from beginning to graduate seminars), all ages (from children to adults), all formats (from one-on-one to large groups) and in diverse contexts (from academic to business). Part of his experience includes training and supervising other teachers, developing language testing and designing curricula. He speaks English, German, Chinese and French, and enjoys music, writing and hiking.

Judy C.
M.S. Physics
Certification in TESOL

Born and raised in India, Judy understands the challenges faced by newcomers in America. To help students adjust to their new environment and succeed in academic life, she transitioned from a career as a physics instructor to an ESL (English as a Second Language) instructor over a decade ago. She has worked at several universities and English language institutes in Houston, teaching students from 58 countries.

Judy is now glad to be part of LCI Houston, where students receive personalized attention thanks to small class sizes. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family at church, going on extended road trips and taking her youngest son to chess tournaments.

Mia A.
B.S. Health
M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction

A Houston native, Mia loves people, cultures, traveling and learning new ideas. She considers herself a lifelong learner. Mia earned a bachelor’s degree in Health from Sam Houston State University in Texas and a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an Emphasis in Reading from Grand Canyon University in Arizona.

Mia has been an educator for 15 years, specializing in teaching English language learners at all age levels. Prior to coming to LCI, Mia worked for nearly three years to open an international school in Beijing, China. She has had the privilege of teaching students from six continents, training teachers domestically and internationally, and having her curricula currently taught worldwide.

Mia is learning to speak Spanish and hopes to support her students in English development in the same manner. When she is not teaching, she enjoys volunteering in her community. Mia also is an avid artist and painter. She loves her new opportunity with LCI and is excited to contribute to expanding others ability to be global citizens.

Rebekah V.
B.A. Literature
Th.M. Theology
M.Ed. TESL

Rebekah’s love for language and culture began early in life. She is a native Texan but studied in Mexico and Spain as a high school and university student. Rebekah completed her bachelor’s degree in Literature at Baylor University. She also has two master’s degrees, one in Theology and the other in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language).

Rebekah has instructed students of all ages, in private and public schools as well as in colleges across the US. She has taught both ESL (English as a Second Language) and Spanish. She comes to LCI Houston with many years of life, work and study abroad experience. For this reason, Rebekah can identify on a personal level with the challenges her students experience while acquiring a second language.