Our Staff
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Senior Management
Paula Schriefer joined Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning as President & CEO on October 20, 2014. She is responsible for Spring Institute’s overall financial health, strategic direction, and programmatic success to achieve the organization’s mission to build a thriving intercultural community through learning, language access, and advocacy.
Paula came to Spring Institute from the State Department’s Bureau of International Organization Affairs, where she was a Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs. Prior to that, Paula was Vice President for Global Programs at Freedom House, where she oversaw Freedom House’s global activities on freedom of expression, internet freedom, religious freedom, and advocacy efforts at the United Nations. From 2006-2011, she was Director of Advocacy for Freedom House, overseeing all of its outreach and communications activities, including foreign policy advocacy, press relations, and coordination with international organizations.
Paula graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in Russian area studies from the University of Denver and completed coursework for an M.A. in Russian and Eastern European studies at George Washington University. She was also a longtime member of Denver’s Workforce Development Board.
Rita Harding joined Spring Institute as Chief Operating Officer in January 2023. She oversees the business operations of the organization including finance, administration, fee-for-service programs, human resources, and legal services.
She has over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and has held leadership roles at the Humane Society, Lutheran Family Services, Family Advocacy, Care, Education & Support (FACES), and Catholic Charities.
Rita graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of arts in psychology (with a minor in human services) from Columbia College of Missouri and has a certification in nonprofit management from Chapman University. She enjoys giving back to the community, and has served on volunteer boards and committees for multiple organizations.
In her spare time, Rita enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, reading, exercising, and taking weekend trips to the Colorado mountains.
Tara Raju joined Spring Institute as the Director of Programs in August 2025. She is responsible for overseeing Spring Institute’s direct service programs in adult education, early childhood education and youth programming, cultural resource navigation, and language access.
Tara has more than 20 years of experience in K-12 education, higher education and the nonprofit sector working in local, regional and national organizations. Her experience includes using traditional and experiential learning to teach leadership, diversity, skills for activism, and social responsibility to young adults. She transitioned to the nonprofit sector, working with Chicago Communities In Schools collaborating with Chicago Public Schools to create a systemic and comprehensive approach to connect health and human services to better serve students, families and school communities through partnerships. Most recently, Tara was the Director of Education at Anti-Defamation League’s Mountain States Region and was responsible for anti-bias education working with districts, schools, community organizations, campus work, law enforcement officers and Holocaust Education in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. Her time with Facing History and Ourselves and Rose Community Foundation also provided insight into building strategic partnerships and fed her passion for education and cross-cultural learning.
She lived in the Midwest and on the East and West coasts before settling in Denver in 2001.
Tara holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Arts in African and Afro-American studies and political science from Washington University in St. Louis. When she isn’t working, she loves spending time with her family and friends, trying out new recipes, reading, watching college basketball and soccer, skiing, hiking, and diving into good tv and movies.
Administration
Hanae Ogura brings over 14 years of bookkeeping and accounting experience to Spring Institute and is highly proficient in QuickBooks and related software.
Hanae is a native Japanese speaker, and she taught English as a Second Language to junior and high school students in Japan for eight years. Hanae has run three marathons, and she has lived and worked in Japan, the United Kingdom, and now, the U.S.
Adult Education & Career Pathway Services
Contact: adulted@springinstitute.org
Pejmon Pourriahi was born and raised in the Denver Metro area and is a graduate of Metropolitan State University of Denver, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. He began his teaching journey in 2017 when he moved to Seville, Spain and earned his Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) teaching qualification. Shortly after, he began working with learners of all ages and called the Spanish city home for most of 2018.
Since returning to Denver, Pejmon has found great satisfaction in working with adult English learners, both in the classroom and as a private tutor. He first joined Spring Institute as an Adult Education part-time instructor in February 2020, but his class was curtailed due to the onset of the pandemic. He returned in September 2021 and became a Lead Instructor and Career Coach in fall of 2022. As of July 2023, he has taken on the role of Program Coordinator.
Diana Chiriboga-Flor joined Spring Institute as an instructor for the English and Digital Literacy for Parents class at Paris Elementary in February 2022. She soon transitioned to Lead Instructor and Student Navigator and, as of July 2023, serves as Curriculum and Instructional Design Coordinator for the Adult Education and Career Pathways Program. She is excited to be able to put her experience as an ESL teacher to use in her own community as a latinx resident of Aurora.
She grew up in Massachusetts but spent most of her 20s living in Ecuador, where she had originally gone just to visit both sides of her family, but ended up staying for about seven years. While there, she landed a job as an ESL teacher by chance and ended up loving the work and sticking with ESL as a career. She worked at a few language institutes and schools, and eventually found herself working at the Fulbright Commission as part of the English Teaching Program, where she went from instructor, to Exam Coordinator, to Assistant Coordinator. When she went back to the United States to figure out what to do next, she expanded her teaching skills to online platforms which came in handy in 2020.
Now she is enjoying her life in Colorado with her partner, their two dogs and their cat. They all spend plenty of time with Diana’s sister and sister’s dog as well, and as a group they like to hang out at home, watch both good and bad movies, go to dog parks, and travel whenever possible.
Jocelyne Bisimwa
joined Spring Institute as Adult Education Lead Instructor in August 2021. Originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, she studied biology and chemistry at College at Université Catholique de Bukavu for three years before relocating to Uganda where she tutored French to English speakers at Elite International Education Center and provided individual English tutoring. She immigrated to the United States in 2018 and worked at The Center at Lincoln before enrolling as a Paraprofessional Pathways student with Spring Institute. She soon began volunteering with Spring Institute’s adult education program, finding fulfillment in sharing her knowledge with others and sparking her passion for teaching as a career. Jocelyne worked as a paraeducator at Heritage Elementary School and as an ESL Instructor with Spring Institute before becoming Lead Instructor.
Zarir Faizi joined Spring Institute as an ESL Lead Instructor in November of 2025, bringing with him a deep-seated passion for English language education. Zarir’s journey began in Afghanistan, where he dedicated nearly eight years to teaching English, a profession that has been a true calling since his initial studies. His academic foundation includes two bachelor’s degrees, one in English Language and Literature and another in Social Science, providing him with a robust understanding of both the linguistic and societal aspects of communication.
Prior to his current role, Zarir served for three years as a fatherhood advocate with Empowering Communities Globally. In this capacity, he facilitated nurturing parenting classes, book reading clubs, and financial health workshops, all aimed at strengthening families and communities. This experience has profoundly shaped his perspective on education and empowerment, complementing his lifelong dedication to teaching and fostering growth.
Jenny Jessup joined Spring Institute in May 2023 in the Career Pathways Services Program. She supports immigrants and refugees navigating employment in the healthcare and education sectors, including the Colorado Welcome Back program designed to help internationally trained healthcare professionals reclaim their medical careers. Through 1-1 coaching sessions, Jenny assists participants in creating goals, understanding licensing processes, and navigating resources. She also cultivates mutually supportive local partnerships and facilitates educational workshops.
Before joining Spring Institute, Jenny spent two years in China and three years in the North African country of Tunisia teaching English at universities. She’s also been a recruiter, encouraging teachers to experience work abroad. Jenny holds a BA in Biology Education from Colorado State University and a MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from University of Northern Colorado. She has also worked and studied in Panama, Ecuador, Mongolia, Hong Kong, and Jordan. It was her time in Jordan teaching refugees that sparked an interest in working with similar populations in the US.
As a Colorado native, Jenny is a biracial Asian-American whose grandparents immigrated from China. She believes in the importance of creating inclusive career pathways and expanding cultural and linguistic diversity in the workforce and our communities. She is excited to put her own story and the variety of experiences to use at Spring Institute.
In her spare time, you may find Jenny exploring local festivals or markets while also getting into the mountains for outdoor adventures. With a travel bucket list that continues to grow, she enjoys books, music, dancing, food, and making memories with friends and family.
Vanessa Travieso joined Spring Institute in August 2023 as the Nursing Program Coordinator & Career Coach for Colorado Welcome Back. She is responsible for guiding New Americans who are certified in their home country through the re-licensure process. She will also be responsible for forming and nurturing ties to rural and urban communities helping create new pathways for our educational and employment pipeline.
Vanessa was born in Puerto Rico and moved to the United States mainland as a young child. Her ties to her island are strong and she visits as often as possible. Vanessa holds a B.A. in Humanities and an M.A. in Adult Education both from the University of South Florida. She recently moved to Denver and enjoys discovering all the amazing things Colorado has to offer. During her free time she loves to travel with her sons and spend time with family and friends.
Vanessa Lupercio is the IMG Program Coordinator and Career Coach at Spring Institute. She works one-on-one with international medical graduates (IMGs) to help them navigate the steps to reclaiming their physician licensure in the U.S. Vanessa brings lived experience as an IMG from Mexico with a Bachelor’s in Medicine and is currently preparing for the USMLE exams. This first-hand understanding gives her insight into the unique challenges IMGs face and the immense value IMGs contribute to our healthcare workforce. Her passion for medicine and helping fellow newcomers allows her to support coaching participants through goal setting, career planning, and licensure navigation.
Vanessa started at Spring Institute in 2023 as an Adult Education Navigator, where she learned coaching and career development skills supporting non-native English speakers to obtain their personal and professional goals. Now, in her current role, she combines her vast skill set to guide other IMGs on their journey. She also serves as the main contact for the Colorado Works for International Physicians (CO-WIP) program, a nine-month clinical training at Denver Health that prepares qualified IMGs for the U.S. medical residency application process in Colorado with navigation support through Spring Institute’s complementary Career Pathways IMG Assistance Program.
Vanessa desires to support and encourage IMGs as they work toward achieving their dreams in the U.S. healthcare system.
Bea Hussainzada joined Spring Institute as an Adult Education Cultural Navigator in January of 2025. She was born and raised in Afghanistan and studied Business Administration and Liberal Arts and Science at the American University of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan. Bea previously worked in Afghanistan as a teacher and mentor focusing on women’s education, rights and health. She also taught English as a second language to adult women, helping them gain essential skills for their personal and professional growth. As an Adult Education Navigator, Bea assists Spring Institute’s students with goal setting and community resource connections while also delivering digital skills workshops to support their success.
Communications & Advocacy
Amanda Bent joined Spring Institute in August of 2019. She oversees the organization’s advocacy efforts as well as communications and outreach initiatives supporting the range of programs and services fulfilling the mission to build a thriving intercultural community through learning, language access, and advocacy.
Amanda has worked in intersectional social justice advocacy and communications spaces for over fifteen years and holds degrees in social work from Temple University and public policy, English, and linguistics from Rutgers University.
Born and raised in New Jersey on the northeastern coast of the United States, Amanda also lived in Maine and Pennsylvania before relocating to Colorado in 2016. She now resides just south of Denver and enjoys spending time with her family, preferably while taking in Colorado’s beautiful scenery.
Khatira Amn is Spring Institute’s Senior Policy Advocate for Early Childhood, a role that she was promoted to in November of 2023 after previously serving as Early Childhood Education Policy Advocate and Early Childhood Education Policy Associate. She works to improve the lives of dual language learner children, families, and educators by influencing legislators’ and policymakers’ opinions and activities. Khatira initially joined Spring Institute in August 2018 as an instructor for Ready Tots, an early childhood community-based family learning program.
Khatira also served on the board of The Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children (COAEYC) and was a member of the Early Childhood Leadership Commission’s Transition Advisory Group (TAG), where she supported the transition planning for the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. As a passionate advocate, she works towards meeting the needs of children, families, and providers from diverse language and cultural backgrounds. Khatira’s contributions to early childhood advocacy have been recognized through leadership awards bestowed by Parent Possible and Colorado Children’s Campaign.
Khatira holds a Bachelor of Law and Political Science and an ABA-approved Paralegal Certificate. Before coming to the United States, Khatira worked as an attorney and as an advocate for women’s rights to advance equality in different sections of the governmental system by developing and executing meaningful life-changing programs and policies. She also worked as a counselor, professor, and as manager for the Ministry of Higher Education in gender-related affairs.
Kate Greuel joined Spring Institute in September 2023. Kate works alongside fellow advocacy staff and community partners to advance Spring Institute’s policy goals by building relationships with key stakeholders and decision makers, conducting research, and producing educational materials.
Prior to joining Spring Institute, Kate completed master’s degrees in Social Work and Public & International Affairs. She speaks Spanish and French and believes firmly in the inherent, perspective-shaping value of cross-cultural connection.
Born and raised in Colorado, Kate has lived across the United States and abroad. When not working, she enjoys reading, nurturing her houseplants, running, backpacking, and spending time with family and friends.
Community Shines: Community-Based Integration Programming & Resource Navigation
Early Childhood & Youth Programs
Tessa Nelson joined Spring Institute in the fall of 2021 as the Community Resource and Activities Coordinator and became Manager of Early Childhood and Youth Programs in October 2022. She works to create meaningful experiences for immigrant and refugee children to improve health outcomes and scholastic success, as well as to increase joy. After school classes, field trips, and Ready Tots classes for young learners are among some of the programs Tessa oversees.
Before joining Spring Institute, Tessa spent three years as an educator/performer at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. There, she was part of the lead team creating new experiences for a mobile museum focused on expanding the museum’s demographic reach as well as teaching classes with a focus on Early Childhood Education. Prior to that, Tessa taught children aged preschool to university at organizations such as the University of Colorado, Kaiser Permanente, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, Mizel Arts and Culture Center, and Harvard University. At Harvard, she was awarded the Derek Bok Award for Teaching Excellence on two occasions.
In graduate school at Harvard University, Tessa studied dramaturgy, a field of theatrical scholarship focused on story composition, historical influences, and new play development. She was lucky to work as dramaturg for Broadway’s Natasha, Pierra, and the Great Comet of 1812, a musical retelling of a section of War and Peace. She continues to be a lover of theatre and storytelling and just finished writing her second full length play entitled, The True Healer.
Fatema Zamani stepped into the role of Coordinator of Spring Institute’s Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Home Visiting program in July of 2025. Before that, she had served since October of 2021 as a HIPPY Home Visitor specializing in engaging families from Afghanistan. Her linguistic expertise includes Farsi, Pashto, Urdu and English. In 2024, Parent Possible recognized her as the Bernice Frieder HIPPY Home Visitor of the Year.
Fatema was born and raised in Afghanistan and is the eldest of five siblings. She completed high school as well as a diploma in management and accounting there before immigrating to the United States in 2016. She lived in Texas for a year before relocating to Colorado where she lives with her husband, three kids, and mother-in-law.
Fatema holds a paraprofessional certification and certification in early childhood. She has also worked as an interpreter and as a volunteer in English and citizenship classes for the Afghan community.
Emma Miles, LCSW joined Spring Institute in July 2025 as the Case Management Clinician for young adults and youth in the East Colfax community. Emma works to connect clients ages 5-23 in the East Colfax community with ongoing culturally competent mental health support. She also hosts groups in the community to engage young people and provide clinical support around goal setting and emotional regulation.
Devin Urioste, born and raised in Denver, Colorado, creates art that amplifies marginalized voices and challenges oppression through self-expression. Having lived throughout Denver and its surrounding areas, Devin draws inspiration from his roots in southwest Denver. His work—using spray paint, collage, and found objects—highlights the power of identity and creativity as tools for community dialogue and change.
Devin’s curriculum, Identity, Power, & Art, has been featured at the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art, the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, and the RiNo Art District. He continues to lead programs that make art accessible, empowering individuals to embrace their voices and uniqueness
Cultural Resource Navigation
Darmian de la Cruz Mayo joined Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning in May of 2022. She is from the Dominican Republic where she graduated from the Dominican University of Operations & Administration with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. She spent over ten years carrying out social work and community development in her home country, working with coffee growers in rural communities, supporting the Fair Trade commercialization of coffee, and administering programs in drug prevention and business development for low-income, inner-city youth. With more than a decade of experience focused on community development, community intervention, and program administration, she also holds a Certificate of Political Leadership from the Fredrich Ebert Foundation and a Certificate of Public Policy from the Facultad Latina Americana de Ciencias Sociales.
Darmian lives in Denver with her husband, David, and two daughters, Anna and Clare, who are eight and four. She enjoys the outdoors, cooking, and playing volleyball.
Hellen Nalunkuma joined Spring Institute in October 2023 as the Registered Nurse Navigator. In this position, Hellen works to address barriers to recovery for non-English-speaking patients from hospitalization or illness caused by the social determinants of health. The position provides navigation by identifying resources, providing health education, and connecting individuals to services in response to referrals from the University of Colorado Hospital.
Hellen has been a Registered Nurse since 2019, working throughout Metro Denver at Reunion, Porter Adventist, and Encompass Rehab Hospitals. Originally from Uganda, Hellen immigrated to the United States in 2011. In addition to English, she speaks Luganda and Kiswahili. As an immigrant herself, Hellen understands the barriers faced by non-English-speaking patients in accessing healthcare and other resources and she provides compassionate and culturally appropriate care to the patients and families she serves.
Veronica Chicaiza Redin joined Spring Institute as a Cultural Navigator in March 2024 and became Navigator Coordinator in November 2024. She is responsible for overseeing the activities of cultural resource navigators who work directly with refugee clients to provide support and guidance about accessing public benefits and other community and family resources.
Before joining Spring Institute, Veronica worked in the education field in Ecuador for more than twenty years. She has experience teaching all levels of education from K-12 to university, has been a leader in education, and coordinated two majors of languages at the University of Ambato. She holds a bachelor’s in the English Language, specialization in Curriculum, a master’s in Multimedia in Education developed in Ecuador, and a doctorate in Education from Universidad Complutense of Madrid.
Veronica previously worked as a coordinator in various university research programs and her last project was done in Ecuador with the U.S. Embassy Quito and the collaboration of eleven universities in different regions of the country. That project culminated in a book, English Language Education in Ecuador: Assessing Opportunities for Teaching and Learning in a Developing Nation.
The Interpreter Network
Contact: interpreternetwork@springinstitute.org
Frida García joined Spring Institute in December of 2024. She has been immersed in the translation and interpretation industry since 2008. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and K-12 education from Metropolitan State University of Denver, where she is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Strategic Management. Additionally, Frida holds a certification in Localization from University of Washington. Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, she has been an active member of her community since moving to the United States, dedicating her time to teaching English to newcomers, interpreting, translating, and serving as liaison for families. Outside of her professional life, Frida enjoys spending quality time with family and friends, as well as indulging in her passions for reading, traveling, and dancing.
Jennifer Drager joined Spring Institute in May of 2024 and is the Interpretation and Training Coordinator for The Interpreter Network. She schedules interpretation appointments for locations in Colorado and New Mexico and delivers the Bridging the Gap training for interpreters who are interested in the medical field and healthcare careers.
Jennifer has a bachelor’s degree in Sign Language Interpreting from the University of New Mexico. She provided interpretation services for over 20 years in Colorado and in New Mexico as a nationally certified interpreter.
Jennifer enjoys reading, movies, music, and dancing at the silent disco.
Eunsol Kim joined Spring Institute in August 2024 as an Interpretation Coordinator. She supports The Interpreter Network with ensuring language access services needs are met throughout the intercultural community.
Eunsol is a native Korean speaker, born in Seoul, South Korea and raised in Fort Collins, CO. She graduated from CU Denver with a BA in International Relations and has worked in various fields including criminal courts, refugee resettlement, and medical, legal, finance and 911 interpretation services.
In her free time, Eunsol enjoys yoga, pilates, watching basketball and boxing, and trying new foods.
Ozzy (Osvaldo) Muñoz joined Spring Institute in March 2025 as an Interpretation Coordinator. He supports The Interpreter Network by ensuring that language access services needs are met throughout the intercultural community. Ozzy was Colorado-born and raised in both Mexico and Colorado. He is fluent in Spanish and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in Spanish from CU Denver. Prior to his role at Spring Institute, he worked in various fields, including DEI administration, project management, and private data management for the U.S. Census. For hobbies, Ozzy enjoys working with computers, movies, tea, and finding new locations for good food.