Habla Ya Spanish Schools' Directors, Spanish Teachers & Staff

Spanish teacher in classroom in front of whiteboard explaining a lesson

Meet the Schools' Teachers & Directors

Trained, passionate & highly experienced Spanish teachers!

Schools' Directors: meet our School Directors
Spanish Teachers & Academic Department: meet our Academic Directors and some of our Spanish Teachers, the true souls of Habla Ya Spanish Schools.
Customer Service Department: meet our Host Family Coordinators and our Extra Activities Coordinators.
Language Travel Consultants: meet the friendly faces of those who help you plan your trip to Panama.
Ex-Habla Ya: former staff that made the difference.

If you're interested in being part of this exclusive team of professionals, please Contact Us. Besides Spanish teachers, we are also continually hiring people passionate about customer service, tourism, sales, marketing, human resources, SEO, social media, management in general and other areas. If you have what it takes to be part of the best of the best, what are you waiting for?

Habla Ya's Directors

Meet our leaders...Click to collapse...

HR Manager - Arelis Mendoza | Boquete

Arelis Mendoza, Spanish Teacher & HR Manager

Habla Ya Member Since: 2008
Civil Status: Married, 2 children
Hometown: Volcán
Languages Spoken: Spanish
University Degrees: Bachelor Degree in Spanish
Interests & Hobbies: Romantic Music, Movies and her Family
Place in Panama you can't miss: Panama's Beaches
Favorite Food: Barbecues
Recommended Activity in Panama: Zipline Canopy Tour
Spanish Learning Advice: Practice makes Perfect
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: Carnivals

School Director - Dwan Marie Tristan | Panama City

Dwan Marie Tristan, School Director at Habla Ya Panama City

Habla Ya Member Since: 2015
Civil Status: Single, one baby (Schnauzer dog)
Hometown: Panama City
Languages Spoken: Spanish, French and English
University Degrees: Tourism
Interests & Hobbies: Listening to music, dancing, eating, eating and eating!
Place in Panama you can't miss: San Blas
Favorite Food: French Cuisine
Recommended Activity in Panama: Enjoy the Nightlife
Spanish Learning Advice: Practice!
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: Fiestas Patrias

School Director - Cesar Cabrera | Bocas del Toro

Cesar Cabrera, School Director at Habla Ya Bocas del Toro

Habla Ya Member Since: 2011
Civil Status: Single
Hometown: Panama City but my mother is from Chile
Languages Spoken: Spanish and English
University Degrees: Bachelor Degree in Corporate Psychology
Interests & Hobbies: Riding my motorcycle, working out, going to the beach, party
Place in Panama you can't miss: Casco Viejo
Favorite Food: Chilean empanadas
Recommended Activity in Panama: visit the beautiful beaches
Spanish Learning Advice: never stop having fun
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: Christmas

General Manager - Carlos Raúl Cabrera

Carlos Raúl Cabrera Toledo, Habla Ya Co-Founder & General Manager

Habla Ya Member Since: 2005
Civil Status: Married, 2 cats, born in 1981
Hometown: David
Languages Spoken: Spanish and English
University Degrees: Industrial Engineering
Interests & Hobbies: Martial Arts, Sports and Reading
Place in Panama you can't miss: the Chiriqui Gulf
Favorite Food: Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese
Recommended Activity in Panama: Hiking and Surfing
Spanish Learning Advice: don't wait, JUST DO IT!
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: New Years in Bocas

Our team of Directors lead the path by example everyday. Several of them are Spanish teachers as well so they perfectly know what it takes to be the best of the best. If you need literally anything, they'll be there for you.

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Spanish Teachers & Academic Department

Meet who'll teach you...Click to collapse...

Academic Director - Mitzila Vega | Boquete

Habla Ya Member Since: 2011
Civil Status: Married
Hometown: David
Languages Spoken: Spanish
University Degrees: Bachelor Degree in Middle School Education
Interests & Hobbies: Dancing, reading, visiting new places
Place in Panama you can't miss: Parque Nacional Volcan Baru and Coiba Island
Favorite Food: Seafood
Recommended Activity in Panama: Hiking
Spanish Learning Advice: Don't be afraid to practice
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: Carnivals

Academic Director - Ezequiel Morales | Panama City

Ezequiel Morales, Spanish Teacher at Habla Ya Panama City

Habla Ya Member Since: 2013
Civil Status: Single
Hometown: Bocas del Toro
Languages Spoken: Spanish, Ngäbe and English
University Degrees: High School Teacher
Interests & Hobbies: Read, practice English and go for walks
Place in Panama you can't miss: Kusapin
Favorite Food: Rice with Coconut
Recommended Activity in Panama: visit a Comarca Ngäbe- Buglé
Spanish Learning Advice: Enjoy your mistakes
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: All of them

Spanish Teacher - Leidys Pitti | Boquete

Habla Ya Member Since: 2010
Civil Status: Single, 1 child
Hometown: David
Languages Spoken: Spanish
University Degrees: Bachelor Degree in Spanish
Interests & Hobbies: Read, Dance, Cook, Sleep and Visit New Places
Place in Panama you can't miss: The Panama Canal
Favorite Food: Roasted Pork and Arroz con Guandú
Recommended Activity in Panama: Horseback Riding
Spanish Learning Advice: Spanish is a very beautiful language that will definitely boost your professional career
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: Patronales and Fairs

Spanish Teacher - Sergio Ariel William | Panama City

Habla Ya Member Since: 2015
Civil Status: Single
Hometown: Panama City
Languages Spoken: Spanish
University Degrees: High School Teacher
Interests & Hobbies: Football Soccer
Place in Panama you can't miss: Isla Contadora
Favorite Food: Panamanian Food
Recommended Activity in Panama: Visit the Hard Rock Cafe Rooftop Bar
Spanish Learning Advice: Practice
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: Patronales de Santiago

When choosing a Spanish school, teachers are the single most important element to consider. Well trained, experienced and passionate Spanish teachers make the difference between learning the language or not.

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Customer Service Department

We're here to help...Click to collapse...

Customer Experience Director - Giselle Montenegro | Boquete

Giselle Montenegro, Customer Experience Director in Boquete, Panama

Habla Ya Member Since: 2012
Civil Status: Single
Hometown: Boquete
Languages Spoken: Spanish and English
University Degrees: Bachelor Degree in English
Interests & Hobbies: Reading
Place in Panama you can't miss: Bocas del Toro
Recommended Activity in Panama: Hiking
Spanish Learning Advice: life is one... enjoy!
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: Boquete Coffee and Flower Festival

Volunteer Coordinator - Amado Morales | Boquete

Habla Ya Member Since: 2015
Civil Status: Single
Hometown: Boquete
Languages Spoken: Spanish, English, French
University Degrees: Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations & Corporate Image
Interests & Hobbies: The Eurovision Song Contest, Classic Films, Reading and 100% Instagram Addict!
Place in Panama you can't miss: The Atlantic Coast of Panama (Bocas del Toro, Colon & San Blas)
Favorite Food: Thai & Southern American Food!
Recommended Activity in Panama: Get out of the city and hit the country side
Spanish Learning Advice: Interact with local people makes the learning easier.
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: The Chiricano Drum Festival in November

Volunteer Director - Ludo Jolly | Bocas del Toro

Habla Ya Member Since: 2017
Civil Status: Single
Hometown: Royan, France
Languages Spoken: Spanish, English, French
University Degrees: Massage Therapist, Nutritionist
Interests & Hobbies: Gardening, Surfing, Martial Arts
Place in Panama you can't miss: Kusapin
Favorite Food: Healthy
Recommended Activity in Panama: Surfing and Hiking through the Jungle
Spanish Learning Advice: Have fun!
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: Feria del Mar

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Language Travel Consultants

We're here to help you plan your trip...Click to collapse...

Jaleesha Majed - Language Travel Consultant

Jaleesha Majeed - Language Travel Consultant

Outsourced Since: 2016
Civil Status: Single as a dollar bill
Hometown: San Diego, California
Languages Spoken: Spanish and English
University Degrees: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Spanish
Interests & Hobbies: Dancing, listening to music and traveling
Place in Panama you can't miss: Bocas del Toro
Favorite Food: Vietnamese
Recommended Activity in Panama: Ziplining
Spanish Learning Advice: Habla, ya! Speak at any given moment that you receive the opportunity to practice.
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: Carnival

Head of Marketing - Julio Santamaria

Co-Owner, Co-Founder, Head of Marketing & Sales - Julio Santamaria

Habla Ya Member Since: 2005
Civil Status: Married, 3 children
Hometown: Panama City
Languages Spoken: Spanish and English
University Degrees: Engineering in Electronics & Telecommunications
Interests & Hobbies: Reading, TV Series, Movies, Surfing, Cycling, Hiking
Place in Panama you can't miss: Azuero
Favorite Food: Hamburgers
Recommended Activity in Panama: Island Hopping in the Chiriqui Gulf
Spanish Learning Advice: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE AND GIVE A...
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: Carnivals

Traveling to a foreign country can be challenging... that is why our team of Language Travel Consultants are here to assist you 7 days a week to answer any questions you have, help you plan your trip and make sure you get here safe and sound.

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Former Habla Ya Staff

Who's been part of this...Click to collapse...

Irma Changmarín Isaza

Irma Changmarín, former Academic Director

Irma Changmarín, an industrial engineer that discovered that teaching was her vocation. She had 5 years of experience teaching Spanish as a foreign language in Panama City when she went to Sevilla and took the renowned course for teaching Spanish as a foreign language at the famous institution CLIC IH Sevilla in Spain. After that we hired her. Irma trained several of our current teachers in the Communicative method for language teaching and together with the rest of our teachers she set the foundations to design and built our initial level system and course syllabus.

Joined Habla Ya in 2006 for 1 year
Engineering in Industrial Engineering
Masters in Business Administration
Diploma for teaching Spanish as a foreign language in Spain

Lucía Alvarado Cantero

Lucía Alvarado, former Academic Director

Lucía joined Habla Ya on a temporal contract during 3 months to do the training of our first teachers. Our first teachers had Spanish degrees from local universities but no previous experience in teaching Spanish to foreigners.

Joined Habla Ya in 2005 during 3 months.
Degree in philology in 2003 from Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, San José.
Previous experience at Costa Rican Language Academy, Forester Instituto Internacional and WAYRA Instituto de Español.

School Director - Lorena Pitti | Boquete

Lorena Pitti, Spanish Teacher and School Director

Habla Ya Member: 2005 - 2015
Civil Status: Single, 1 child
Hometown: Boquete
Languages Spoken: Spanish and English
University Degrees: Bachelor Degree in English
Interests & Hobbies: Spend time with her son, taking him out all she can
Place in Panama you can't miss: The Panama Canal
Favorite Food: Fried Chicken and Sancocho
Recommended Activity in Panama: Horseback Riding & Hot Springs
Spanish Learning Advice: Be patient, don't give up and persevere
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: The Flower and Coffee Festival in Boquete

Academic Director - Janeth Martinez | Boquete

Janeth Martínez, Spanish Teacher and Academic Director

Habla Ya Member: 2007 - 2014
Civil Status: Married, 2 children
Hometown: Los Algarrobos
Languages Spoken: Spanish and English
University Degrees: Bachelor Degree in Spanish
Interests & Hobbies: Rock Climbing, Exercising, Reading, Hiking
Place in Panama you can't miss: Boquete
Favorite Food: Mexican
Recommended Activity in Panama: Rock Climbing
Spanish Learning Advice: Be Constant, Work Hard and Don't be Afraid to Practice
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: November 28th

Academic Coordinator - Ericka Tapia | Boquete

Erica Tapia, Spanish Teacher & Academic Coordinator

Habla Ya Member: 2005 - 2019
Civil Status: Married, 1 children
Hometown: Volcán
Languages Spoken: Spanish
University Degrees: Bachelor Degree in Spanish
Interests & Hobbies: Hiking and Cooking
Place in Panama you can't miss: Boquete
Favorite Food: Italian
Recommended Activity in Panama: Hike & Camp to the Volcán Barú
Spanish Learning Advice: Be Patient and Persevere
Panamanian Tradition or Party you can't miss: Carnivals

Panamanian Spanish Schools are very recent in comparison to their counterpart in Costa Rica. In Costa Rica you can find more than 80 or 90 language schools throughout the country and several of them have been around for more than 30 or 40 years. In Panama you'll not find schools with more than 20 years of experience in teaching Spanish. This is why we decided to import Lucía's experience from Costa Rica.

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