Our Staff
Senior Management
Paula Schriefer (pschriefer@springinstitute.org) 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 (rharding@springinstitute.org) 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.
Alexandra Neira (aneira@springinstitute.org) joined Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning as the Director of Programs in August 2023. Alexandra has been working in the non-profit sector since 2013. She gained valuable experience working as a professional interpreter with the Interpreter Network, the Aurora School District and other organizations in the Denver Metro area. She worked as a Professional Medical Interpreter at Children’s Hospital Colorado, where she eventually became the Operations Supervisor of the Family Services Department Administrative team and then the Operations Manager of the Interpretation and Translation Department. Alexandra served as the interim executive director of DAWN (Dedicated to Aurora’s Wellness and Needs) before joining Spring Institute.
Alexandra holds a Master’s degree in International Business Management from University of St. Thomas, MN. Before moving to Colorado, she served as an import/export manager in Florida and as a marketing manager for a multinational company in her home country of Colombia.
Administration
Hanae Ogura (hogura@springinstitute.org) 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.
Amy Lujan (alujan@springinstitute.org) joined Spring Institute as Administrative Assistant in July 2024. In her role, she supports the functioning of all of Spring Institute’s programs and services. Amy graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in communication studies, with an emphasis in human communication.
Amy is a Colorado native, growing up in Arvada and now living downtown Denver. She loves spending time outdoors, trying new restaurants, crafting, and spending time with her family.
Adult Education & Career Pathway Services
Contact: adulted@springinstitute.org
Allie Needham (aneedham@springinstitute.org) is the Manager for Adult Education and Career Pathways. As the Program Manager, Allie oversees Spring Institute’s Adult Education and Career Pathway Services programs. Adult Education classes include English Language Acquisition classes (contextualized for employment readiness, older adult life skills, and digital skills for parents), as well as Citizenship Preparation. Career Pathway Services includes, Colorado Welcome Back, a long-standing program of Spring Institute designed to help internationally trained healthcare professionals reclaim their medical careers, and Education Career Pathways Coaching Program, which supports immigrants navigating employment in the education sector.
Allie oversees a team of instructors and career coaches, who teach classes and guide participants through steps for re-licensure, conduct short and long-term goal planning, navigate resources, and lead workshops centered around job readiness skills. She also actively builds and maintains close partnerships with public schools, libraries, nonprofits, and businesses which host classes; as well as with healthcare providers and education industry professionals throughout Greater Denver and the Front Range.
Allie joined Spring Institute in 2017 as an ELA Instructor and has also served as Student Navigator and Program Coordinator. Prior to working with Spring Institute, Allie taught English as a Second Language (ESL) through a 6-month cultural immersion program in Thailand, China, Mongolia, Turkey, and Lebanon. Allie holds a B.S. in TESOL from Lancaster Bible College in Lancaster, PA. She is also an alumni of the 2020 Cohort of the Skillful Colorado Governor’s Coaching Corps and completed the Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC) certification through the Professional Association of Resume Writers & Career Coaches (PARWCC) in 2022.
Pejmon Pourriahi (ppourriahi@springinstitute.org) 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 (dchiriboga.flor@
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
(jbisimwa@springinstitute.org) 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.
Nerea Gourlaouen (ngourlaouen@springinstitute.org) joined Spring Institute at the beginning of 2024 as a Lead Instructor in the Adult Education and Career Pathways program. She brings with her over a decade of experience teaching internationally and working in multicultural environments. Nerea has taught thousands of students from ages 2 to 72. She has experience teaching numerous subjects via diverse curriculums including American, Canadian, British, and International Baccalaureate.
She graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver with a major in linguistics and a minor in music. She is fluent in 4 languages, and has many more on her wish list. When she is not teaching or traveling, Nerea can be found playing her fiddle.Nerea
Jenny Jessup (jjessup@springinstitute.org) joined Spring Institute in May 2023 in the Career Pathways Services Program. As a Career Coach, Jenny 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.
Jennifer Olson (jolson@springinstitute.org) joined Spring Institute in August 2023 in the Career Pathways Services Program. As the Colorado Works for International Physicians (CO-WIP) IMG Assistance Program Coordinator & Career Coach, Jennifer partners with Denver Health to support immigrants and refugees reclaiming their medical careers. Jennifer provides 1-1 individualized human-centered design coaching to internationally trained physicians, supporting licensure navigation, goal and action planning, and accountability. She also serves as the primary point of contact between Denver Health and Spring Institute for the CO-WIP program, which includes an intensive nine-month clinical training program through Denver Health to prepare Colorado’s immigrant physicians to match into accredited primary care residencies in Colorado.
Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas and a Master of Arts in Cultural Engagement, with an emphasis in Refugee and Migration Studies. Her passion for empowering refugees and immigrants was sparked during a year spent after her undergraduate studies, traveling through South America, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, and East Africa. Upon her return, Jennifer dedicated close to 3 years in Houston, TX, focusing on fundraising and development for a charter school system and contributing to asset-based community development initiatives aiding refugees. After being a neighbor to refugees from 10+ different countries, Jennifer’s fervor for fostering equitable integration and inclusion of refugees and immigrants into the Colorado workforce further grew.
While originally from Texas, Jennifer has wholeheartedly adopted a love for the Colorado mountains and enjoys running, biking, swimming, hiking, and skiing. She also frequents coffee shops and farmers markets, actively participates in her local church, captures moments through photos and videos, immerses herself in new books, and spends time enjoying family and friends.
Vanessa Travieso (vtravieso@springinstitute.org) 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.
Communications & Advocacy
Amanda Bent (abent@springinstitute.org) 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 a decade 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 (kamn@springinstitute.org) 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 (kgreuel@springinstitute.org) 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.
Samuel Kirapash (skirapash@springinstitute.org) joined Spring Institute as Policy Associate in April of 2024. He is a native of the Maasai community and was born and raised in Kenya. He comes from a small village called Sekenani, which is located in the southern part of Kenya, adjacent to the famous Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Samuel holds a Diploma in Wildlife Management from the Kenya Wildlife Service Training Institute (now known as the Wildlife Research Training Institute). He also has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Africa Nazarene University, as well as a Master of the Environment from the University of Colorado Boulder, specializing in Environment and Natural Resources Policy. He has expertise in project management, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), policy writing and reporting, collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and data analysis using R programming.
Passionate about environmental and natural resource management, Samuel enjoys working with teams to solve complex problems related to the sustainable use, protection, and management of Earth’s resources. He stays well-informed about current scientific events and actively follows global and local discussions on the environment, conservation, and climate change, with a focus on policy and governance issues.
During his time at the Kenya Wildlife Conservancies Association (KWCA), an umbrella organization representing community-owned protected areas in Kenya, Samuel provided leadership in various departments including policy, research, community capacity building, and raising awareness of environmental and wildlife laws and policies. He also collaborated with the Western Resource Advocate (WRA) during his master’s capstone project, analyzing state-funded outdoor education programs and funding opportunities to improve participation for historically underrepresented communities in the outdoors across western states in the US.
Additionally, Samuel conducted stakeholder mapping for the HIVE, a climate justice organization based in Boulder, Colorado. This experience allowed him to develop skills in organizing events and community meetings, creating informative content, and engaging stakeholders from diverse backgrounds. In his current volunteer role at The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Samuel conducts in-depth policy analysis and synthesizes comprehensive reports to support conservation initiatives in six African countries.
Samuel is currently based in Denver, CO, and enjoys watching and playing soccer as well as spending time outdoors.
Community Shines Integration Programming & Resource Navigation
Tessa Nelson (tnelson@springinstitute.org) 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.
Melanie Collier (mcollier@springinstitute.org) joined Spring Institute as the Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Coordinator in August 2020. In this role, she coordinates our new home visiting program, trains home visitors, works with Family, Friends, and Neighbors (FFNs), and teaches a Ready Tots class.
Melanie is a native of Denver. She is 55 years old with a 27-year-old daughter who she raised as a single parent. She lives with her sister in their grandparents old house in Whittier. Melanie is a former Head Start student. Her dog used to walk her to Head Start at what is now Wyatt-Edison School. She is a graduate of George Washington High School (Home of the Patriots!), University of Colorado (Go Ralphie!), and University of Denver College of Law (Go Pioneers!).
Melanie’s parents were both teenagers when she was born. Like most children of teens, her grandparents were a crucial component of her development as a child. Without their love and guidance, she’s certain that she would not have been the first member of her family to graduate college and law school. She was a practicing attorney for over 20 years, practicing Family Law and Poverty Law. She loves working with families because she can see herself in a lot of them. She comes from the neighborhood that she now works in for Spring Institute, and that’s amazing!
Melanie acquired her knowledge of Early Childhood Education, child development, and family engagement from Clayton Early Learning, where she worked for 10 years.
She’s so happy to be working with Spring Institute and bringing HIPPY to a population of Denver and Aurora that have never had access to home-based preschool services.
Darmian de la Cruz Mayo (ddelacruzmayo@springinstitute.org) 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.
Mulah Pwae (mpwae@springinstitute.org) joined Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning as an Early Childhood Resource Specialist in September of 2022. She is originally from Thailand and moved to the United States in 2009 from a refugee camp there. She graduated from Aurora Central High School and is a certified Nurse Aide.
Mulah is dedicated to helping her community, schools, nonprofits, hospitals, and others interpret and navigate family needs in the United States. She supports families as they manage language barriers and overcome lack of information about public benefits and other important resources.
Mulah has also worked as a language interpreter for My Linguistic Solutions and is continuing her education in Human Resources at Aurora Community College. She lives in Aurora with her husband and daughter.
Hellen Nalunkuma (hnalunkuma@springinstitute.org) 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.
Stephanie Clusin (sclusin@springinstitute.org) joined Spring Institute in June 2024 as the Clinical Case Manager for young adults and youth. Her focus is on connecting clients 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.
Before joining Spring Institute, Stephanie worked with the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless as a Housing Navigator for unhoused families. She found her calling in working with these families, identifying barriers to self sufficiency and connecting clients with resources and support for healing and stabilization. She is currently earning a Master of Social Work Program at MSU Denver with a focus on anti-oppression work and interdisciplinary healthcare access for marginalized communities.
The Interpreter Network
Contact: interpreternetwork@springinstitute.org
Irina Westerman (iwesterman@springinstitute.org) joined Spring Institute as the Senior Manager for The Interpreter Network in March 2024. Irina is a certified Medical Interpreter in Russian/English with a strong business management background. Irina came to Spring Institute from Tracer, Inc., an electronic technology manufacturing company based in Golden, CO, where she served as a Senior Program Manager and Director of Purchasing. Irina holds a BA and an MBA in Finance from the All Russian Institute of Finance and Economics and an MBA from the University of Denver.
Jennifer Drager (jdrager@springinstitute.org) 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 (ekim@springinstitute.org) 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.
