Teacher Bios


Lisa Myhre - (River Falls Middle School: French)
Lisa Myhre graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1988 with B.S.in Education and later earned a Master's Degree in Elementary Education from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. All 20 years of teaching French have been in the School District of River Falls (WI) where she teaches French in grades 6-12. Ms. Myhre also teaches modern language methods at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls since 1997. In 2003, she received National Board Certification in WLOE (World Languages Other than English) and has presented workshops and seminars at the Minnesota and Wisconsin State Language Conferences, the Central States Conference, and the AATF Conference.

Terry Neumann-Hayes - (Hartland-Arrowhead High School: Spanish)
Terry Neumann-Hayes completed undergraduate work in Spanish Education, as well as a Masters Degree in Spanish Language and Literature, at Marquette University. She spent one year studying at the University of Madrid, and several summers at the University of Salamanca. She has traveled to Mexico, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru and Guatemala. She is currently teaching Spanish I, AP Spanish Language, and AP Spanish Literature at Arrowhead High School in Hartland, WI. In 1998 she completed a Director of Instruction licensure program through Marian College, and has served as the World Language Department Chairperson, an administrative position.

Jody Schneider - (Woodlands School, Milwaukee: French)
Jody Schneider graduated from Southern Illinois University with a BS in1974. In 2003, Jody received a Masters in Education from Cardinal Stritch University. Jody has been a French teacher for 34 years. She has taught for the past 23 years at Woodlands School (Milwaukee, WI), Pre–Kindergarten through grade 8. Jody also taught French at Rio High School, grades 8-12; University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Cardinal Stritch University and Alverno College in Milwaukee. Co-author of Chanter et parler à NOTRE ZOO (songs and standards-based activities to teach and learn French, 2008, 1989). Frequent presenter at professional conferences (WAFLT, FLESFEST, Central States, ACTFL, AATF). Member of the task force for Wisconsin's Planning Curriculum for Learning World Languages (2002).

Karen Fowdy - (Monroe High School: German)
Karen Fowdy has taught German at the middle school and high school in Monroe, Wisconsin for 20 years. She received a Fulbright Scholarship for graduate study in Berlin before completing her Master’s Degree in German Literature from the University of Colorado. Karen has hosted German groups and traveled with Monroe students since 1989. She is one of the authors of Planning Curriculum for Learning World Languages, published by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction in 2002.

Lisa Hendrickson - (Monroe High School: Spanish)
A graduate of Lawrence University, Lisa Hendrickson has taught high school and middle school Spanish in Monroe, Wisconsin since 1979. She earned her Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1989. Lisa has led student trips to Spain, Mexico and Costa Rica and has directed the Monroe High School Costa Rican Exchange since 1994.

Friends and colleagues, Lisa Hendrickson and Karen Fowdy have presented at the WAFLT and the Central States Conferences. Having attended and presented at the Wisconsin Summer Language Leadership institutes since 1999, they are trained Wisconsin World Language curriculum consultants. In addition to their work in Wisconsin, Karen and Lisa have led standards-based curriculum planning workshops in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and South Carolina.


Heather Lawnicki - (Waunakee Intermediate School: Spanish)
Heather Lawnicki graduated from the University of Minnesota – Minneapolis/St. Paul with a double major in Linguistics and Scandinavian Studies. After graduation Heather lived in Portugal for five years and became a certified Teacher of English as a Second Language. Upon returning to the United States she received her teaching certification in Spanish and subsequently taught high school Spanish. In 2006, Heather began working at Waunakee Community School District where she helped to develop and implement a Spanish FLES program. She is currently teaching grades 1, 2, 3, & 4. She is also attending the University of Wisconsin Madison as a Masters Degree Student.



Kari Flenz - (Menasha Maplewood MS: German)
Kari is currently in her 6th year of teaching. She is certified to teach PK – 12 German and has taught at the elementary and middle school levels in the Menasha Joint School District. Prior to teaching, she was employed by a major international manufacturing company and was in international marketing. In addition to this, she was employed by an international weight loss company as a motivational speaker. She enrolled in an alternative teacher certification program in the state of Wisconsin in 2002 and began to teach concurrently. She teachs students in grades 6 through 8 at Maplewood Middle School in Menasha, Wisconsin. Most students in grade 6 have completed all or part of our elementary world language program. However, some of these students are being exposed to German for the first time. Students in grades 7 and 8 are in the beginning, developing and early transitional levels of language learning. Class sizes range from 20 to 30 students per class. Students in grade 6 meet every other day while all other students meet for class every day.



Lynn Sessler - (Menasha Clovis Grove Elementary: Japanese)
Lynn Sessler teaches Japanese to children in Kindergarten through Grade 5 at Clovis Grove Elementary school in Menasha. She is a certified Japanese and French teacher and over the past 18 years has taught both languages to children in grades K-12. She holds a Master's Degree from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh in Educational Leadership and currently serves as a curriculum coordinator of the K-12 World Language Department in Menasha. She serves on the board of the Wisconsin Association for Language Teachers (WAFLT) as well as the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL). She was a member of the task force for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction in the development of Japanese for Communication: A Teacher's Guide as well as serves as a curriculum consultant on a team of educators for their guide Planning Curriculum for Learning World Languages.

Cindy Ellestad - (Oregon High School: Spanish)
Cindy Ellestad graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1979. She lived in Madrid from 1977-78 and 1984-85, and earned an M.A. in Spanish Language from Middlebury College (Vermont) in 1985. After teaching Spanish in grades 7-12 in Lake Mills, Wis. for ten years, Cindy transferred to Oregon (Wis.) High School in 1990 where she continues to teach Spanish II, V, and ESL. She has traveled extensively in Spain, Mexico, Central America, and Peru, receiving two grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities to study Mayan religion and architecture. In addition to organizing and leading many student trips to Mexico and Spain, Cindy has taught in the Spanish credit program of Concordia Language Villages, trained student teachers, taught at the community college level, and done medical translating.

Jen Charles - (Hartland-Arrowhead High School: Spanish)
 Jennifer Charles graduated from UW-Green Bay with a major in Spanish and a minor in secondary education. She has taught various levels of Spanish at both the middle school and high school levels. She is currently teaching levels II and IV at Arrowhead High School in Hartland, WI. Jennifer has also attained masters degrees of education in both Teacher Development and Administration. She has traveled to Spain, Mexico, Costa Rico, Peru, Guatemala, and Honduras, and has led four student trips to Spain and Peru.

Brian Wopat - (Holmen High School: French)
 Brian Wopat graduated from UW-La Crosse in 2001 with a major in French at the secondary level. Brian studied for an academic year at Universite de Caen in Caen, Normandie, France. He returned to UW-La Crosse to obtain his masters degree in education through the learning community process. Brian has worked summers at the Concordia Language Villages in Bemidji, MN. Brian has been teaching at Holmen High School for six years. He has continued to successfully build the French program at HHS. Brian initiated the International Club and is an adviser for the Renaissance Academic program. Brian currently teaches French I through Honors French.

Gwen Nagel - (Menasha Maplewood MS: Spanish)
 Gwen Nagel began teaching Spanish at Maplewood Middle School in Menasha in 1990 after receiving her Bachelors of Science in Special Education and Spanish from UW-Oshkosh. She furthered her education by getting her masters degree in Teacher Development from Marion College. Due to her love of traveling to Guatemala, Mexico, and Costa Rico, she incorporates these experiences in her classroom activities and lessons. She is planning on traveling to Peru and Spain in the near future.

Mandy Madderom - (Waunakee Community School District: Spanish)
Mandy Madderom graduated from UW-Madison in 2001 with a degree in elementary education. She moved to Honduras after college to teach kindergarten at a bilingual school in Tegucigalpa and improve her Spanish skills. After returning to Wisconsin in 2003, she taught kindergarten in Waunakee while participating in a study committee to start an elementary world language program in the district. In 2006, she successfully implemented a content-based FLES program in social studies. She currently teaches 1st through 4th grades.


Susana Gorski - (Menasha K-8: Spanish)
Susana Gorski teaches Spanish to elementary students Kindergarten through 5th grade at Nicolet Elementary School in Menasha WI. Susana is a native speaker from Argentina and has taught in the Menasha K-12 World Language program at the elementary and middle school levels for over 13 years. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Cardinal Stritch University. Susana has been an active member of the Wisconsin Association for Language Teachers (WAFLT) where she serves as an executive board member and coordinates the annual Spanish Immersion session at the conference. She has given presentations about planning curriculum for World Languages to many colleagues through the state, region and nation. Susana also developed the K-5 Spanish Curriculum within the Menasha Joint School District.


Jennifer Block - (De Pere High School: Spanish)
Jennifer Block graduated from UW-EauClaire in 1990 with a double major in Math and Spanish in secondary education and has been teaching in De Pere since that period. She has taught all levels of Spanish at the high school and is currently teaching Spanish IV, Special Education and Spanish I, a course that she promoted and implemented two years ago. Jennifer received her NBCT certification in World Languages in 2004 and now works with NB candidates through a program offered at UW-GB. She is a member of WAFLT and ACTFL.


Kari Ewoldt - (De Pere High School: Spanish)
Kari Ewoldt attended the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, where she obtained her undergraduate degree in Spanish and secondary education with a minor in TESOL. She earned her Masters in Spanish language and literature from the University of Northern Iowa in 2006. Kari began teaching Spanish at De Pere High School in 2001, and she successfully designed Spanish Advanced Placement curriculum for the district. She has been awarded several grants to develop literature circles in Spanish at the secondary level. Kari is an active member of WAFLT, and she traveled to Japan in 2007 with the Fulbright Memorial Fund. She currently teaches Spanish III, V and AP Spanish Language.


Jaci Collins - (Manitowoc High School: Japanese & French)
Jaci Collins graduated from Wartburg College in 1981 with teaching certification in French and Mathematics. She taught both subjects at Abbot Pennings High School in DePere until 1988 when she moved to the Manitowoc Public School District (MPSD) to teach French. While teaching French at primarily the middle school levels, Jaci began to learn Japanese and then through multiple learning experiences she proceeded to complete a teaching-minor at Beloit College and add on Japanese certification. Jaci began the Japanese program at Lincoln High School in Manitowoc in 1993. Jaci has an MS from UW-Oshkosh in Mathematics Education and is a National Board Certified Teacher in World Languages Other Than English. Jaci currently teaches the French 5, French 6 and IB year 1 and year 2 classes as well as a Japanese 3 at Lincoln High School. She also spends a portion of her day as the Department Head for the MPSD World Languages Department.