IRCNOCO Teaching Staff
The Immigrant and Refugee Center of Northern Colorado is incredibly grateful for the talented and dedicated teaching staff who work daily to help our students.
Kathy Langford
Kathy thoroughly enjoys learning alongside the Introduction to English students at IRCNOCO. The students enthusiasm, dedication, kindness, and perseverance inspire her. Kathy earned her B.A. in English from James Madison University, her Masters of Arts in Education from West Texas A & M, and her Adult Basic Education Authorization from the Colorado Department of Education. She taught sixth grade language arts in Texas before moving to Colorado in 2007 and has since taught a variety of grades. When Kathy is not teaching she takes advantage of opportunities to be with her husband, sons, their wives, and grandchildren.
Mary Orange
Mary graduated from Hope College, in Holland, Michigan, with Psychology/Sociology & Social Studies majors along with an elementary teaching certificate. She has taught school and directed programs for children ages preschool - middle school. Over the last few years she has discovered the joy of teaching adults. "Teaching at [IRC] is an incredible privilege! I love the cultural diversity in my classroom. I love encouraging and cheering for my students as they work hard to learn English." Mary enjoys running and biking with her husband, Don.
andrea sobolik
Andrea Sobolik came to IRCNOCO as a volunteer in 2020 as part of an assignment for one of her classes at UNC, and had so much fun doing it that she continued to volunteer several semesters after the class ended. She is a self-professed polyglot who has a passion for helping others. She is in the process of obtaining her Bachelor’s in European Languages and Cultures with a minor in TESOL education. Her goal is to obtain a Master’s in TESOL with the hopes of either teaching domestically or abroad. She has a passion to educate adults in the English language as there is a great need. She is the proud mother to one 17 year old kitten named Raja. In her spare time, she likes to run, fish, learn other languages, and travel. Her favorite sports are hockey and baseball.
SEAN MELLOT
Sean teaches Citizenship and workplace ESL at JBS Beef in Greeley. He studied Modern Latin American History, Early US National History and Constitutional Law at Concordia University Irvine, where he graduated with a B.A. In History and Political Science. After working in Public Safety for eight years. He moved to Colorado in 2015 and has worked for Lutheran Family Services of the Rocky Mountains in the Refugee Resettlement Office, and teaches Citizenship and Workplace ESL at JBS Beef. “I love helping students make their dream of becoming American Citizens come true. It is even more awesome when I see how hard our learners work at learning about the United States, and their desire to become part of our democratic process.” When he is not at the IRCNOCO, the Library, or JBS, he enjoys training for and competing in Strongman competitions, spending time with his dogs, and being in the gym.
Krista ThAXTON
Krista studied Language, Literatures, and Cultures at Colorado State University and graduated in 2018 with a Bachelors of Arts. Krista has lived and taught ESL and TEFL in Costa Rica, Brasil, and Portugal. Krista enjoys not only creating culturally inclusive classes but also utilizing a dynamic, student-centered class model. Teaching has become one of Krista's passions and she continues to be inspired and learn from each one of her students. In her free time Krista enjoys traveling, reading, and playing soccer.
Abby Keeler
Abby grew up in rural Colorado not far from Greeley. Bent on pursuing athletics after high school it took a few bumps along the way, school changes and travel abroad for her to recognize the privilege of studying at the university level. With an interdisciplinary BS in Family and Consumer Sciences and Nutrition from CSU, Abby found a passion in whole person focused education. She was a founding board member and faculty at Mountain Sage Community School - a K-8 Waldorf and Sustainable living inspired public charter school in Fort Collins, CO. After 7 years as an administrator and teacher at Mountain Sage, she took some time to travel with her husband. Immigration, cultural learning and welcoming newcomers to the US was once just a extra curricular pursuit for Abby. She is now extremely excited to have the opportunity to learn alongside and guide adults in their educational journey at IRC. In her free time Abby enjoys all things outdoors including rafting, biking, equestrian events, skiing and climbing. She also loves pursuing her own additional language acquisition, gardening, painting, sketching and sewing!
Kirsten Stauffer
For more than 15 years, Kirsten has been teaching ESL/EFL in a variety of contexts and classroom environments. She is inspired by learners breaking through language barriers to achieve their dreams. Kirsten has taught and presented in the United States, Mexico, Chile, and Germany. Additionally, she designs and develops curriculum materials for language learners and teachers. She holds an M.A. in Linguistics from the University of Colorado Boulder, a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Delaware, and a TEFL Certificate from the Lado International Institute. She has a severe case of wanderlust and loves being outdoors. In her spare time, she also enjoys cooking, gardening, hiking, and searching for the perfect cup of coffee.
Leona Brown
Leona was born in Lincoln, Nebraska but has lived in Colorado with her family for the past seven years. She graduated in 2021 with her B.A. in English with a Minor in Writing at the University of Northern Colorado. After graduating and then deciding that she wanted to teach English as a foreign language, she went on to receive her TEFL certificate online from the International TEFL Academy. She completed some of her practicum required for her certificate by volunteering in a classroom at IRCNOCO, where she was introduced to the adult learning environment and immediately fell in love with and was inspired by the sense of unity and the strong desire to learn shown within the classrooms. She currently teaches an evening Intermediate English class and is super excited to learn and grow as a teacher at IRCNOCO! When she’s not pursuing her childhood dream career of teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family, treasure hunting in antique stores, and picking up new hobbies.
Martha Haller
Martha was born in the beautiful state of Nebraska, though she has lived in Colorado for almost all of her life, her roots as a Nebraskan are still strong. She graduated in 2021 with her B.A in Communication and minors in Psychology and Leadership Studies from the University of Northern Colorado. After graduating she continued working as a Banker at a local credit union. In the fall of 2021 she was able to fulfill one of her dreams of being a student at the L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland. In her time abroad she experienced the beauty of the Swiss Alps, delightful community, and delicious fondue. Martha is thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the IRCNoCo community. She desires to experience the world as an opportunity to serve, grow, and learn from others around her. Martha often spends her time outside the classroom either surrounded by the company of her 10 nieces and nephews, hiking up a mountain, reading, or watching animal documentaries and regency era films.