Andrea Boyd
Past President
The National Network for Early Language LearningClick here to read bio
Andrea Boyd is honored to be the Past President of NNELL. She was born and raised in Uruguay, South America and graduated from Universidad de la República in Montevideo with a degree in International Relations. Andrea holds a M.A. in Education from Northern Kentucky University, and is currently working on a graduate degree in educational leadership at the University of Northern Colorado. She taught English as a foreign language for almost ten years in Uruguay before coming to the United States to teach Spanish in 2004. She has taught Spanish K-12 in private and public schools since then and also worked for two years as a curriculum writer designing English as a Second Language and Spanish curriculum and content.
Andrea has served as a board member at the Kentucky World Language Association, the Colorado Congress of Foreign Language Teachers and the Standards Review and Revisions committee for the Colorado Department of Education. Boyd has been a NNELL member since 2008 and her interest in serving for six years on the presidential track stems from her desire to be an advocate for early language learning. She believes in collaborative or team centric leadership.
Edgar Serrano
President
The National Network for Early Language LearningClick here to read bio
Edgar Serrano, originally from Mexico City, Mexico, has lived in the United States for over 30 years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a minor in International Marketing and a Master of Arts in Modern Languages from The University of Mississippi. Currently, Edgar teaches Spanish full-time at The University of Mississippi and has previously taught Spanish to more than 6,000 students, ranging from Pre-K to 8th grade. His experience working with young learners transformed his teaching philosophy and deepened his passion for advocating early language learning.
In 2018, Edgar was honored as the ‘National Teacher of the Year’ by the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) in Salamanca, Spain—a testament to his exceptional contributions to language education. He currently serves as the President of the National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL) and as Executive Director of the Mississippi Foreign Language Association (MFLA). As Mississippi’s Delegate during National Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., Edgar has championed initiatives such as the Mississippi Seal of Biliteracy, where he played a pivotal role as co-chair. His advocacy ensured that the University of Mississippi recognizes the Seal, allowing students who earn it to receive college credit.
Edgar’s journey into teaching was inspired by his career in international business, where he served as Director of International Sales for a furniture manufacturer. In this role, he trained and mentored sales teams across the globe, gaining a profound appreciation for cultural diversity and witnessing firsthand how multilingualism opens doors to global opportunities. This experience solidified his commitment to promoting language education as a critical tool for personal and professional growth.
Edgar actively collaborates with the Mexican Consulate in New Orleans to create opportunities for teachers to work together and promote cultural awareness. This partnership reflects his dedication to building bridges between communities and enriching the educational experience for students and educators alike. In 2023, he was honored with the Diversity Innovator Award by the University of Mississippi for his outstanding efforts in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
A speaker and passionate advocate for language learning, Edgar continues to inspire educators and communities through his presentations at local, regional, and national conferences. His work emphasizes the transformative power of language education in fostering cultural understanding and creating opportunities for students.
Residing in Mississippi, Edgar is a proud dog lover who affectionately refers to his seven dogs as his “perrihijos.” He cherishes his close ties with his family in Mexico City and treasures time spent with his grandnieces Victoria and Valentina and his grandnephew André, who lovingly call him “abuelito.”Edgar Serrano
Danyelle Quincy Davis
President-Elect
The National Network for Early Language LearningClick here to read bio
Danyelle holds a BA in French/German and an MAEd from the University of Nebraska and an EdS from Boise State. She has been a French teacher at Sage International School of Boise since it opened in 2010.
During the past five years, Danyelle has served her own state organization, IATLC (Idaho Association of Teachers of Language and Culture), as French section leader, president, conference chair and communications chair. She is also a LILL Cohort 4 graduate and represents Idaho as an associate member to NCSSFL.
Danyelle believes strongly in the power of professional organizations like NNELL to connect teachers, strengthen practice, facilitate leadership development and promote broad synergistic collaboration.
Danyelle’s journey with NNELL began at ACTFL 2019 in Washington D.C. There, as a first time attendee and presenter and a newly elected president of IATLC, she met NNELL president Kathleen Priceman. NNELL’s vision to connect and empower educators to “bring early language to all” resonated strongly with Danyelle. Since 2019, she has served NNELL as Idaho state rep, pacific northwest regional rep and national networking co-chair.
Danyelle lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband of 21 years (Randy) and her children, Graeme (19) and Claire (14).
Bárbara Barnett
Treasurer
The National Network for Early Language LearningClick here to read bio
A native of Puerto Rico, with Cuban roots, Bárbara has been living in MA for many years. She earned a Bachelor of Arts with Majors in Spanish and Political Science from University of North Florida and a master’s degree in Spanish Language and Culture from the Universidad de Salamanca, España.
Bárbara has taught Spanish at all levels, and in various program models including immersion. She has supervised K-12 programming including immersion and WL for elementary schools. Now two decades into her career, Bárbara is the K-5 Department Head for World Languages at Wellesley Public Schools, where she leads the development of a thematic curriculum anchored in proficiency. She enjoys providing professional development to fellow educators on various topics including elementary programming and practices, social justice, student engagement, and proficiency-based instruction.
Bárbara is an avid advocate for providing access to high-quality language programming as early as possible for all children. She is especially adamant in assuring the inclusion of children regardless of learning style, achievement levels, race/ethnic origin, socioeconomic status, home language, or future academic goals in Early Language programs.
Committed to service and giving back to the language community, Bárbara is the Northeast Regional Representative for NNELL and a member of the Massachusetts Language Association (MaFLA) Board of Directors. She is the co-chair of the NNELL Communications committee and serves on several other committees.
Karen Sasky-Hughes
Advocacy Chair
The National Network for Early Language LearningClick here to read bio
Karen Marie Sasky Hughes, MBA, M.Ed., is an experienced world language educator and presenter with over twenty- five years of experience teaching and promoting language learning at all levels from infants to adults. She has taught in public and private schools (elementary, middle school, high school) and currently teaches elementary Spanish at Woodward Elementary School in Southborough, MA. Before teaching, she was an international marketing executive working in Europe and in the US at companies such as Leo Burnett Worldwide Advertising Agency, Fidelity Investments and Kraft General Foods International. Karen speaks only Spanish at home with her three USA-born children, her British-born husband, and even her dog Willow.
Mandi Davis
Membership Secretary
The National Network for Early Language LearningClick here to read bio
María Cristina Rodríguez-Villa holds a B.A. in French from Middlebury College, in Vermont, and obtained an English Teacher Certification for the Elementary School in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She taught English as a Second Language at a primary school in San Juan, and designed and implemented a French language after-school program for novice learners.
María Cristina was the Curriculum Lead and taught Spanish (FLES) at St. Thomas Episcopal School, an independent school in Coral Gables, Florida.
Currently, she is a World Language Faculty member at Gulliver Prep, teaching middle school MYP Language Acquisition. She is passionate about instilling a love for learning a second language in children and providing fellow world language teachers with opportunities to network and share best practices for effective language teaching.
In April 2018 and January 2020, she co-organized EdcampWLMIA, an Edcamp in South Florida for world language educators.
Her goal in the classroom is to create a safe learning environment where young learners are engaged and motivated to explore another culture, build new friendships and acquire the skills to communicate in another language.
“El doble de amigos”
Twice as many friends and twice as much fun;
That’s why two languages are better than one.
(Sol y Canto)
Danyelle Quincy Davis and Kathy Olson-Studler
National Networking Co-Coordinators
The National Network for Early Language LearningClick here to read bio
Kathy Olson-Studler, B.S., Spanish/French, and M.A., Spanish, Anthropology and Education, is a retired Spanish teacher, grades 3-5, at St. Paul Academy and Summit School (SPA) in Minnesota. Kathy has been involved in NNELL since 1987 when the organization was first founded and has served in various positions including Minnesota State Rep. (1987-2018); Central States Regional Rep. (2012-present); as a member of NNELL’s Communications and Networking Committees and as the co-editor of the monthly NNELL E-Newsletter (2020-present); and National Networking Co-Coordinator (2022-present). She taught Spanish and French for 10 years at Plymouth Middle School, and later taught Spanish for 38 years at SPA. Kathy also taught early language methodology at the University of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota. Her passions include promoting early language learning and teaching, making global connections for students, and encouraging them to explore the world of language through immersive experiences and extensive travel abroad in order to continuously hone their language skills and intercultural competence. She has developed innovative programs of travel and study abroad in Mexico, Spain, France, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Greece. Kathy received the 2021 Professional Service Award from the Minnesota Council on the Teaching of Languages and Cultures (MCTLC) for her lengthy service, support and advocacy for world languages and early language teaching and learning. See Kathy’s interview with the National Museum of Language for more information.
Josh LeGreve
Executive Secretary
The National Network for Early Language LearningClick here to read bio
Rebecca Aubrey, Timothy Edwards Middle School (CT)
Rebecca Aubrey received her B.A. in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic, and M.A. in Political Science from the University of Connecticut. She has over 20 years of teaching experience at the college level, and 14 years of experience teaching Spanish in grades K-8. Rebecca has presented broadly on topics like differentiation, target language use, and language proficiency. Rebecca is passionate about exploring the cultural and linguistic diversity of our world, and equally passionate about empowering students to do the same. She is the 2019 ACTFL National Teacher of the Year. Follow her on Twitter@MaestraAubreyCT.
Kelly F. Davidson
Editor of Learning Languages
The National Network for Early Language LearningClick here to read bio
Kelly F. Davidson, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of French and Foreign Language Education and the Assistant Coordinator of Foreign Language Education at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, Georgia. She is currently serving as the Journal Editor for Learning Languages and is the Past Chair for the ACTFL Language Learning for Children Special Interest Group. She holds a B.A. in French from Furman University, an M.A. in French Literature from Vanderbilt University, and a dual Ph.D. in French and Educational Studies with a concentration in Foreign Language Pedagogy from Emory University. She has taught French and Foreign Language in the Elementary School Methods for 10 years. Her research interests include FLES teacher development, community engagement through early language learning, and technology use in the foreign language classroom.