ACE Faculty and Staff

 

Meet the ACE Faculty and Staff! We are here to help you succeed!

Our highly-qualified and experienced ACE instructors are also Grossmont College ESL professors. All have Master's Degrees related to teaching English as a second language.

 

Annette Aagard

Annette has a Bachelor Degree (B.A.) in English, and a Master of Arts (M.A.) in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). She teaches ACE Listening & Speaking and Integrated Skills Projects.

When Annette is not teaching, you can usually find her reading a book at the beach. She also loves travel, learning, and volunteering. She grew up in Orlando, Florida. 

 

Sara Arevalo Lopez 

Sara's B.A. is in English Literature and her M.A. is in Applied Linguistics. She has taught ACE's Writing & Grammar, Reading & Vocabulary, and Listening & Speaking classes. In Ecuador (South America), she taught ESL for six of her 16-year career. 

Sara loves to paint, cook, travel, and spend time with family and friends.

 

Chandra Beal

Chandra has a B.A. in Liberal Arts, and a M.A. in TESOL from Alliant International University. She teaches ACE Grammar & Writing, and she's taught at several universities in San Diego.
If not in the classroom, you can usually find her playing with her foster rabbits, dancing to 80s music, and practicing yoga. 

 

Leah Cooper

Leah's B.A. is in Public Relations and Spanish. Her M.A. is in Education with an emphasis in TESOL. She teaches Reading & Vocabulary with ACE.

Leah is always on the go! Her hobbies are camping, hiking, reading, cooking, kayaking, traveling, and raising chickens. She is a native Californian who grew up along the Central Coast.

 

Kathryn Manthorpe
Kathryn has a B.A. in International Relations from the UC, Davis and a M.A. in TESOL, Literacy, & Culture from the University of San Diego. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education in Educational Equity with a focus on Justice and Equity for Diverse Identities. She teaches Listening & Speaking with ACE.
She is a native San Diegan who likes backpacking, camping, and exploring new places. 

 

Jeremy Mize

Jeremy has a Bachelor's in Linguistics and a Master's in Applied Linguistics from SDSU. He teaches a variety of classes at Grossmont College and ACE.
Jeremy studied Business and Chinese in Bangkok and Chiang Rai, Thailand where he also taught English at different universities. He is a big enjoyer of high-fives and BBQ.

 

Emily Moore

Emily has a B.A. in Communications and an M.A. in TESOL from Azusa Pacific University. At ACE, she currently teaches Reading for College and Pronunciation, and previously taught Writing & Grammar.
She is from San Diego and enjoys hiking, cooking, and being with family and friends. She also enjoys meeting students from around the world. 

 

Gamze Tufekci

Gamze has a BA in TESOL from Uludag University, Turkey and an MS in TESOL from City College, CUNY, New York. She teaches ACE Pronunciation & American Culture and has taught ESL for over 30 years. 

Gamze believes that everybody has an interesting story, and her job is never boring. She loves reading, dancing, cooking, traveling, and CATS!


Our dedicated staff will help you meet your educational goals as an international student. 

Alyona Gorokhova

Aly has a B.A. in Finance from University of Northern Iowa and a M.A. in Applied Linguistics from SDSU. Aly is the ACE Academic Coordinator and supervises the ACE professors.
Aly was born in Russia, grew up in Kyrgyzstan, and moved to the USA at age fifteen. Aly's hobby is reading fiction, and she has a book club to read and discuss novels with friends. She also likes to learn how to make dishes from different cultures, for example, kimchi (Korean) and tabouleh (Lebanese). 

 

Sandy Kuntz 

Sandy has a B.S. in Environmental Education from Ohio State University and a Certificate in TESOL from UCSD. Prior to ACE, she worked with the Grossmont College International Admissions Office as a DSO. As the ACE International Student Specialist, Sandy answers your inquiries about ACE and Grossmont College. She looks forward to assisting you!

Sandy enjoys nature, exercise, trying new foods, and reading and learning about other cultures. She is from Ohio, a state in the middle of the U.S.

Apply now! Contact ace.grossmont@gcccd.edu with questions.