AT UTATLAN WE HAVE A SMALL TEAM DEDICATED TO MAKING YOUR STAY HERE AS ENJOYABLE AND PRODUCTIVE AS POSSIBLE. THERE IS A MEMBER OF STAFF HERE SEVEN DAYS A WEEK TO HELP YOU WITH WHATEVER YOU NEED (AND WE SPEAK ENGLISH AND SPANISH). IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL ABOUT CLASSES, ACTIVITIES OR ANYTHING RELATED TO LIFE IN GUATEMALA, DON’T HESITATE TO COME AND ASK.
Fernando and Jocelyn:
are the directors and owners of the school. Jocelyn is originally from Britain and came to Guatemala as a teacher and non-profit project manager. Fernando is from Xela and is also a coordinator for development projects in sustainable agriculture. You will probably see their husky Mishka around the school sometimes too, she is a total attention seeker and loves to meet new students.
Kristian:
is our Spanish School and Activities Coordinator. He is in charge of organizing all of your classes, homestays and activities. He loves salsa and is the person to go to for recommendations of fun non-study stuff to do in Xela and around the country.
Ana:
is our English Language Program coordinator but Spanish students may also be in touch with her by email before they sign up. She is from Xela and can answer all of your questions about what to expect before coming here!
Francisco:
(or Pancho for short) is in charge of the financial administration of the school. He is also the coordinator of our Online Spanish Program so if you have questions regarding study online prior to or after studying here, he is the one to ask.
Utatlan also has a team of great Spanish teachers who are the backbone of the school. All of our teachers at Utatlan have received special training prior to their hiring and have several years of experience. They are dynamic and friendly teachers and their principal objective is to work with the students at their own pace while keeping the student’s interests in mind. In the first week students normally study with the same teacher all week. If you go on to study for a longer period of time, you may continue with the same teacher, or you are free to switch teachers so you get a different perspective and teaching style. All of our teachers are from Quetzaltenango or the surrounding areas and thanks to their local knowledge they sometimes lead the out of class activities too such as hikes, visits or cooking classes.