About us
We are Jeanna Hill and Sarah Anderson, two Spanish instructors who first met in high school, where we were inspired by our Spanish teacher to learn the language. We both became Spanish teachers, and have traveled, studied, and worked in many Spanish-speaking countries. We started this school after hearing from so many people who wanted to start learning or deepening their abilities in Spanish. Learn more about us and our other instructors below.
Jeanna Hill
I have a B.A. in Spanish and a bilingual teaching credential from California State University, Chico, and a Master’s degree in Spanish from California State University, Sacramento. I have16 years of teaching experience at both the high school and college levels. I have been able to travel, study, and lead student groups in Spain, Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Panama. I am passionate about teaching communicatively so that students gain the ability to use Spanish in real world settings.
Sarah Anderson
I have a B.A. in Spanish and a teaching credential from California State University, Chico, and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Spanish from Michigan State University. In addition to teaching for the Club de Mañana Language school, I am a tenured Spanish professor at a four-year university. I have lived in Mexico and Spain and enjoy traveling, reading, swimming, and spending time with my family. I love teaching Spanish and sharing my passion for the language and culture with my students.
Deborah Graci
Growing up in Italy under the loving guidance of my grandmothers, Nonna Pina from the south and Nonna Bruna from the north, I was steeped in the rich traditions of our heritage. With a passion for teaching deeply rooted in my Italian heritage, I graduated as a teacher in 1994. Specializing in interactive learning programs such as ADI and TPR, I find immense joy in sharing the beauty and intricacies of the Italian language and culture with eager learners. Teaching in an energetic and enthusiastic manner, I strive to ignite a love for the Italian language and culture in every student I teach.
Elena Tan
I am a native Mandarin speaker, and have a BA in Japanese from Dalian University of Technology in China. I also have two Master’s degrees: one in Teaching International Language and one in Curriculum and Instruction, both attained from California State University, Chico. I have been teaching at the college level since 2015. I am passionate about foreign language learning and teaching. I truly believe in the profound impact of learning a foreign language, and I’m committed to craft a purposeful and meaningful learning experience for all of my students.
Theresa Carrio
I have a B.A. in Spanish from Santa Clara University. My K-12 teaching credential was obtained from California State University, Chico and I have a M.A. in Multicultural Children's and Young Adult Literature from the University of San Francisco. I began my career as an ELD and Spanish teacher at Corning High School where I taught for 12 years. Recently, I retired from a 10 year lecturer position at Chico State where I taught several courses, one a World Language Methods course. My time immersed in Spanish has come from travel mostly in Mexico and Spain. I lived in Madrid, Spain for three years and I'm married to a Spanish American. His family resides in the north of Spain, Asturias, where we frequently spend time. Learning languages, growing an awareness of culture, and enjoying friends and family in Spanish have always brought me great joy—a joy I love to share with others!
Karen Sanders
I am a certified high school Spanish and English teacher with over 20 years experience teaching students of all ages. I have an M.A. in Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture from Michigan State University. I find great joy in teaching Spanish at the high school level in Michigan and sharing my passion for Spanish. Throughout my career, I have lived and taught in Spain and Latin America. Whether in-person or on Zoom, I always strive to make my classes fun, interactive, and student-centered. While not in the classroom, I can be found swimming, reading, and playing with golden retrievers.
Classes are taught using the Acquisition Driven Instruction* model. Our classes center on the joy of language through communication, art, music, culture, and current events.
Our Name
A group of girlfriends tried getting together for years to share our love of Spanish language and culture. But we put it off so often and for so long, that we started calling ourselves the “Club de Mañana”, a club that would only happen in the proverbial “tomorrow” of the future. It wasn’t until we scheduled regular meetings and showed up that we become a real “club” of friends! Similarly, we have spoken with so many people who want to learn a language, but keep putting it off until “tomorrow”. We created this school so that you could make that dream start happening right away, not in some distant future.