Debby Jennings

...is an international educator that thrives in multi-cultural environments. She has a Masters in International Relations from East Carolina University. Networking and information dissemination is second nature in her work to provide innovative instruction based on the educational needs of individuals, communities, and organizations, no matter where they are located.

Prior to coming to work for the Daegu Project at UCCS, Debby lived and worked abroad. Her career has taken her to Japan, Germany, France, India, The Netherlands, as well as, the United States.

Her teaching, research, writing, and public speaking experiences have opened new windows of opportunity for international educational exchange for which she is a strong advocate. Debby especially enjoys setting up new programs that can serve as models and lead to replication in other locations. She believes that the Daegu English Village is just such a model.

Georgina Segura

...is the mother of two teenage children. She has a beautiful and intelligent 17-year-old daughter, and a wonderfully considerate and outgoing 15-year-old son. Georgina has a love for the ocean since she was born in Key West, Florida and still visits family there as much as possible. However, her love for the mountains is what keeps her in Colorado Springs, Colorado. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and working on home remodeling projects. Georgina is currently a senior nearing graduation with dual degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Bachelor of Arts of Science in Nursing.

Her extensive background working for UCCS, Pikes Peak Community College, Hewlett Packard, MCI WorldCom, and culturally diverse clients from around the world contributes positively to the Daegu English Village program.

She serves as the Coordinator for the stateside Daegu English Village Team. She believes the partnership between UCCS - College of Education and Yeungjin College - Daegu English Village will set a great example of working towards global friendship.

Additionally, she believes that what is encountered on an individuals life journey is what makes a person complete. On her journey, all of the experiences and challenges whe has encountered will continue to define and enrich her as an individual.

Andrea Ayala

... comes from a military family and has had an opportunity to live and travel all over the world. She is happy to call Colorado Springs home, where her parents and brother reside. Andrea has a BA degree in history with an English Language Development Certificate of Instruction. She is currently working towards her MA in Curriculum and Instruction. For two years Andrea worked as an English teacher in Daegu, Korea, her primary experience was teaching Kindergarten and Middle School students in both private settings and language schools. She also served as an ESL tutor in Harrison School district 2 for two years, where she worked with students Kindergarten through 5th grade. Although she has enjoyed her recent experience working as a speech teacher, Andrea is eager to return to her passion for teaching ESL. Andrea has felt most fulfilled serving in multicultural populations and is thrilled at the opportunity of returning to teach in Korea.

Andrea speaks English and Spanish and has a long term goal of becoming trilingual. She loves to travel and looks forward to exploring Asia again.

Javon Carter

... is a Kansas native with an extremely bubbly personality. She received an Associates of Applied Science in Biology from Kansas City KS Community College, Bachelor's degree in Communication Studies and Psychology from the University of Kansas. She is currently completing in a M.B.A. with an emphasis in Project Management at Grantham University.

Javon spent 9 years in the US Army as a Healthcare Specialist and worked in organ and tissue donation for several years. She recently switched careers from healthcare to education and has assisted with the development of a surgical technology curriculum and a medical assisting externship program. Most recently, Javon has taught English and Mathmatics in the private primary school in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Her hobbies include performing karaoke, dancing, and reading. She is looking forward to new challenges at the Daegu English Village and she loves working with children because of their energy and eagerness to learn.

Sara Christensen

... was born and raised in Minnesota. She graduated from St. Cloud State University with a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education with an emphasis in math. She is currently working on her Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Science Education through the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. She was offered her current teaching job over the phone and packed up all her belongings and moved to Colorado. Sara has taught 8th grade math and algebra for the last 4 years. She has taught on the gifted and talented team and has learned several ways to differentiate instruction. Additionally, Sara is very involved in extra curricular activities at her school as well as has coached many sports and sponsored yearbook and red ribbon week. She enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, white water rafting. You name it, and she is there.

Monique Clemens

... is a native of Iowa and works as a Speech Pathology assistant in Colorado Springs, Colorado. When Monique is not facilitating in the speech department, she is helping elementary students with the local track program. She loves to run, hike and workout at her local rec center. Monique has two college-age children; Keegan, 24 and Kelsey, 21years old, both in Iowa. She spends her summers in Iowa with family and friends going to musicals, plays, and many softball games. Travelling has always been a dream of Monique's, so venturing to South Korea is an exciting moment for her.

Anderson Ellis

...is originally from Auburn, New York, in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region.  He graduated cum laude from University of New Hampshire, with honors in History.  As an undergraduate, he studied abroad in Prague, Czech Republic, London, England, and Granada, Spain.  After graduation, Anderson taught English in Hiratsuka, Japan.  Most recently, he lived in Panama City, Panama, where he went to learn the Spanish language. 

Anderson has traveled to over forty countries, and has made it his mission to learn about a country through the eyes of its people. He is always ready to explore his next cultural adventure, no matter where it takes him.  Anderson lives by a quote from the illustrious writer, Hans Christian Andersen: "To travel is to live".

Ashley Ellison

... is an American nomad, and has never lived in one place for more than four years. If you ask her, she’ll probably say that she is from Murray, Kentucky, where her family currently resides and where she will receive her Master’s degree in TESOL from Murray State University. Ashley received her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University in 2003, with a double major in Art History and Spanish. She is finishing her final semester teaching ESL at Murray State University.

In her free time she writes haiku, reads, hikes, and is trying unsuccessfully to learn the Korean language.

Tad Fifer

... is a native Texan, and has lived in a variety of cities in Texas. He was born in Dallas, and spent most of his childhood in the Dallas suburb of Plano. He moved to Round Rock, where he spent his last three years of high school. He enjoyed sports, especially football in Plano and rugby in Round Rock. In high school he twice went on missionary trips to Mexico and then to Argentina. He took the opportunity to visit Chile while down in Argentina. These experiences gave him a passion for traveling and experiencing the culture of others. In 2006, he graduated from Texas A&M University in College Station. There, he served as a Copy Editor for the school newspaper, The Battalion. Tad was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and then spent a year teaching sixth grade social studies and coaching basketball and track in Victoria, Texas.

Carolyn Gibbons

...grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, but for the past 30 years has made Montana her home. She graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Linguistics and received her M.A. from the University of Montana in English with a Linguistics emphasis. As a teaching assistant, she taught Academic Reading and Writing to U of M international students and has taught in the U of M’s Office of International Programs, Summer Language Programs. She enjoys playing music and is a violinist and violist in the Missoula Symphony. Her other interests include horseback riding (hunter/jumper), traveling and downhill skiing. She looks forward to living and working in Korea.

Travis Hutchins

... was born and raised in Texas. He grew up in Round Rock, just outside Austin. After graduating from Round Rock High School, Travis attended The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina and graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in German. His experiences as a cadet were tremendous as he was afforded the opportunity to work on an archaeological dig in the Orange Walk district of Belize in the summer of 2003. He spent the spring semester of 2004 studying at the University of Vienna in Vienna, Austria. Upon completion of his undergraduate studies he began a Master of Arts program in Germanic Studies with a concentration in Political Science at the University of Colorado at Boulder. As a teaching assistant Travis taught the first three semesters of the German language. The experience in Daegu will be his first experience in Asia and he is looking forward to teaching and learning in a completely new culture.

Veronica Jayne

... is from Perrysburg, Ohio and in May of 2007, she completed a Master's degree at the University of Toledo. Over the past few years, she received a BA from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and spent a few months traveling and studying in Argentina and Brazil. Veronica enjoys traveling, camping, photography, cooking, reading and chatting (in no particular order).

Clifton Johnson

... is from Colorado Springs, Colorado. He recently graduated from UCCS with an Bachelors degree in Communication and a minor in Art. In his spare time he loves to paint and design graphics. For two years he designed graphics and did video production for the College of Education at UCCS. He loves to travel and experience different cultures. He has been to Morocco, Spain, Germany, and China so far. He writes music and is in a hip hop group called Sign Language. Besides collecting shoes and music he loves to play basketball and work out. He is eagerly waiting to learn martial arts in Korea and become the new Bruce Lee…lol

Kevin Kester

...was born in Iowa, grew up in Kentucky, and attended the University of Louisville, Teachers College Columbia University and United Nations University for Peace. His Masters degree is in Peace Education with an emphasis on Participatory Pedagogy, Human Rights, Gender, and Conflict Resolution. As an educator, he has taught and conducted workshops in Japan, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, and the US. An activist in peace and global issues, he has served with the Earth Charter Center for Education for Sustainable Development, Habitat for Humanity Papua New Guinea, Americorps, and Rotaract International. His research explores issues of racism and gender bias through the lens of homogeneity in Japanese and Kentucky schools. His academic interests include theories of violence, critical pedagogy, and curriculum development. He teaches with the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University.

Matt Lyon

... lived in Ohio for twenty-three years before he decided there was more to life than chili-cheese dogs and high-school football. Since he graduated from Miami University with a degree in Journalism, he has been travelling in Latin America, playing guitar and writing short stories about the deep South.

Stephanie Newsome

... graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She will eventually be going to law school to pursue a Juris Doctorate and Masters in International Law and Diplomacy. As part of a military family, Stephanie spent some of her early childhood in Lakenheith, England. However, she is seeking to gain a more diverse international experience before she continues her education. She is eager and thrilled to be teaching in the Daegu English Village.

Stephanie has worked with Early Childhood programs in the past and is currently working with Right to Read as an ESL teacher with children from ages one to thirteen. This program mainly caters to the hispanic community in Eaton, Colorado and provides them with the language and literacy skills they need to enhance their lives here in the United States. She is very much looking forward to learning the Korean language.

John Williamson

...grew up along the same latitude as Daegu but on the other side of the world in Cincinnati, Ohio. He recently graduated with a degree in Electronic Media from the University of Cincinnati's College Conservatory of Music. Most of John's professional experience has been in the media field. He has worked in Hollywood with major studios, produced documentaries for international release, and has dabbled in web-design to pay the bills. John looks forward to using his media skills to reinforce the educational experience at Daegu English Village.