2023 STANSW Executive

PRESIDENT
​Kati Varela
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president@stansw.com.au​

Originally from Venezuela, Kati has called Sydney home since 2001. Kati trained in computer graphics in France and worked in that area for about 5 years. She has taught both French and Spanish to adults, primary and secondary school students since 1998. Kati currently teaches Spanish and French at Wenona School. She is also the current MLTA NSW Professional Development Officer, has served as Information Officer for the AFMLTA, and has fulfilled other roles for the MLTA NSW in the past. Kati strongly believes engaged professional collaboration and sharing is the key to making the Languages teaching profession stronger and increasingly viable in Australia.

VICE PRESIDENT
David Dun
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vicepresident@stansw.com.au

David came late to the teaching profession having previously worked in a number of different fields. He began his career in education teaching English classes in Beijing twenty years ago, then moved to Spain where he worked at a language school. He currently works in the idyllic town of Coffs Harbour on the NSW mid-north coast where he teaches Spanish at the local public high school As well as his classroom role, David is also the Mid-North Coast Language Teachers' Network Leader and is the current Vice President of the Spanish Teachers' Association of NSW. 

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TREASURER
Fernanda Astudillo Blanche
treasurer@stansw.com.au

Fernanda is a Spanish and Commerce teacher at the Anglican School Googong in regional NSW. Originally from Chile, Fernanda studied Business Management and then moved to Panama to work in a multinational company. She migrated to Australia in 2012 to follow her calling and become a teacher completing a Masters of Teaching at the University of Melbourne. Before working at The Anglican School Googong, she was a teacher at St Kevin’s College in Melbourne. Fernanda has lived in three Spanish speaking countries and visited most of Latin America. She is keen to share not only the language but the culture of Spanish Speaking countries.
 
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SECRETARY
Gabriel Henao
​
secretary@stansw.com.au

​Hailing originally from Colombia, Gabriel holds a Bachelor in Modern Languages and a M.A in English Language teaching. He has been a teacher for over two decades and before arriving to Sydney in 2021, Gabriel’s journey led him to live and work in Japan and Thailand where he taught Spanish, Japanese and French to children and adults, with the occasional stint as a freelance interpreter for events and conferences and a voice actor for training videos and listening resources. He currently teaches at Santa Sabina College and the Secondary College of Languages. Gabriel is also an experienced International Baccalaureate DP educator, workshop leader and marker for Ab Initio and B levels (SL and HL). Coffee aficionado, terrible soccer player, above average dancer, full-time language geek.

PUBLIC RELATIONS
​OFFICER
​Steph Patrick
publicrelations@stansw.com.au

Steph teaches Spanish to all the students at the Inner Sydney Montessori School. Originally from NZ and a trained High School teacher, she was an AFS exchange student to Sevilla, and has travelled widely through South America. She has 16 years teaching experience in high schools, middle schools and primary schools. While in NZ she also owned Resource Room, a goldmine of a bookshop dedicated to foreign languages. She is looking forward to encouraging Primary teachers to become more involved in STANSW.

RESOURCES COORDINATOR
Macarena Jaure
resources@stansw.com.au

Macarena is a language teacher (Spanish and English), originally from Chile. After her post graduate experience at The University of Sydney in 2009, she decided to make Australia her home and moved permanently to this land of sunshine and Vegemite in 2018. Macarena has taught Spanish in three different countries (Poland, Chile and now Australia) to students of all ages, from kids in year 1 to 60 year-old expats. She is passionate about culture and travelling and has a special interest in teaching technologies, striving to bring the most 'trendy' ways to teach, from interactive online games to TikTok videos. Macarena is joining STANSW as the new Resource Manager, not only to share all her practices, but also to learn from this incredible community of ambassadors of Hispanic culture.