English Skills Learning Center

Catherine Barnhart, Executive Director, has a MS in Education Policy and Management from the University of Oregon. She has over 20 years experience working with international and minority students in higher education, and has directed numerous volunteers and students in non-profit education programs.

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Sarah Flanigan, Associate Director, has her BA in English and Music from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. After completing her TESOL training in the Czech Republic, she stayed to teach at a language school in Prague.

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Beth Garstka, Community Outreach Director, has her BA in Humanities with an emphasis in Cross-Cultural Relations with a focus in Southeast Asian countries.  She is currently pursing a Master's Degree in Education, Culture and Society at the University of Utah. She has taught English in Japan and speaks Japanese.

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Marcie Bray, Office Manager, has a Bachelor's Degree from California State University at Sacramento in Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources. She has over 25 years experience in Accounting, Human Resources, and Office Management.  Marcie minored in Psychology, focusing on Group Development, which led to a volunteer position with Girl Scouts USA at the Tierra del Oro Council in Sacramento.  She spent four years enjoying her role as the lead Instructor of Trainers for northern California and northern Nevada. 

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Ahmad Zia Afzali, Citizenship Coordinator, has a BA in Law and Political Science from Kabul University in Afghanistan. He worked with several non-profit organizations in Afghanistan from 2002 to 2010. He is an Afghan immigrant, living in Utah since June 2010. He is fluent in Farsi and English.

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Mark Lowe, Citizenship Outreach Specialist ,has a BA in History with an emphasis in United States History and a minor in business from BYU. He has experience in ESL instruction, history tutoring, and special education. He is fluent in Spanish.

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Rachel Blackmer, Workplace ESL Coordinator, has a BA in English and a certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language with an endorsement in Business English. She has several years of experience in language instruction, including teaching ESL and French courses.

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Allison Steele, Empowering Parents Coordinator, has a B.S. in Mass Communications. She has been teaching English as a second language for five years, both overseas and in U.S. public schools. Allison taught ESL for three years in South Korea. She also earned a TESOL certificate from the SIT Graduate Institute in Guatemala. She is currently pursing a Master's Degree in International Literacy through Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Allison has a passion for travel and loves learning about world cultures.

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Stacey Hoopes, Humanitarian Center Coordinator, has her BA in English and Linguistics, as well as a TESOL certificate from the University of Utah.  She has been teaching English as a Second Language since 2007, first in South Korea and then in Salt Lake City.  She enjoys hiking, sailing, and traveling the world.

Jessica Fitzgerald, AmeriCorps VISTA Small Group Outreach Specialist, has a BIS in International Studies and a certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Georgia State University. She has experience tutoring English at the International Rescue Committee in Atlanta, GA. She will be serving at the ESLC as part of the Utah Refugee VISTA Project for the next year.

Jesse Steele, One-on-One Tutoring Coordinator, has a BS in Political Science from the University of Utah. He has experience working for nonprofit organizations and public schools. He taught English in South Korea for three years. He earned a TESOL Certificate in Guatemala from the SIT Graduate Institute. He is currently pursing a Master's Degree in International Literacy through Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Jesse loves traveling and experiencing new cultures and languages. He is a lifelong learner.

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