 Irma
López Gómez |
Irma Gómez López is one of our head librarians who
has been working with ABREN since the very inception
of the community library. Irma has discovered a passion
for teaching and particularly enjoys teaching math
class and working with the teens who frequent the library.
She is currently pursuing what would be equivalent
to a
Master
in Education to support her teaching and thedevelopment
of the library project. |
 Nolvia Huete Zavala |
Nolvia Huete Zavala has also been an ABREN librarian
since the beginning. She has found her talent and love
of teaching within her work with the younger library
visitors. She has a gentle, warm way with her preschool
students, which helps them thrive in class and in the
library. |
 Norlan
Hernandez |
Norlan
Hernandez has been working for the library for
six years. Although he started as a volunteer to
support with grounds maintanence and playground supervision,
he has become an invaluable librarian's assistant.
Having finished his studies in Agricultural Science
he is now
able to help high school and university students
with their science classes. In addition, he enjoys
reading with elementary students and playing with the
preschoolers. |
 Kristina Underdal |
Kristina
Underdal headed to Nicaragua as a Peace Corps
volunteer with the hope of being able to offer
her
new neighbors as much as she knew she would receive
in return. Working with the local community to develop
the ABREN library over the last 8 years has changed
her life as well as the lives of all the families
it serves. She currently works full-time
as a Bilingual 4th
grade
teacher
at
Escondido
Elementary
School in
Palo Alto, as well as part-time as the president
of ABREN. She is passionate about both of her
jobs and
enjoys finding ways to make connections between
the two communities she serves.
|
 Kathie Underdal |
Over
Kathie Underdal’s more than 25 years of
teaching elementary school, she developed a passion
for children’s literature. She loved reading
good literature to and with her students and to anyone
else who would listen. ABREN stepped into her life
just as she retired from full time teaching, so she
has been able to pursue her passion of introducing
students to books and her long standing interest in
cross cultural understanding in a Nicaraguan setting.
She loves visiting the Amigos library where she sees
children developing a passion for reading and learning. |
Stew Plock |
Stew
has been an active director on several Bay Area
non-profit boards and has a professional background
in marketing and information technology with Sun
Microsystems, Genentech, and Hewlett Packard. "We
donate to several good causes, yet ABREN is the
one where we can see our dollars benefiting a precise
program and that makes us feel connected with its beneficiaries in Pueblo Nuevo.
ABREN serves one city, one set of kids, with 100% of donations going to operate
the program." |
 Patricia Moreira |
Patricia
Moreira has been on the Board of ABREN for 4 years.
She is a bilingual Social Worker in Psychiatry.Patricia
learned about the incredible value of education from
her family in her native Uruguay. Her profession gives
her the opportunity to work with and empower people
from throughout the Americas. Her work with ABREN is
a natural extension of her love of booksand dedication
to her career. |
 Jerry Underdal |
Financial
Officer Jerry Underdal helps with administrative
tasks for ABREN and has been involved with the Amigos
Children’s Library in Pueblo Nuevo from the start.
He worked as a volunteer teacher in developing countries
before becoming a high school history teacher. He recently
retired from full-time teaching and is delighted to
have the opportunity to help improve learning opportunities
for Nicaraguan children |
Kathy Plock |
As
a retired Kindergarten, Early Childhood, and Adult
Education teacher, I find that ABREN combines several
of my passions: The chance to influence attitudes
about learning and reading upon which skills for
academic success can be built; providing the ability,
through literature, to expand horizons beyond present
life situations; and staying involved in the life
and adventures of a woman I've watched grow up and
who has become one of my heroes. |
Jodi
Gandolfi |
|
Catherine Enos |
|
