Universidad Pedagógica Nacional de Colombia, Bachelor’s of Science in Education

Oviedo University of Spain, Postgraduate degree

Ms. Mena is the FLES Spanish Teacher at Franklin Sherman Elementary School and is originally from Colombia. She is a Specialist in Social Studies and Science and Technological Innovation (STS). In addition she holds a Universidad Nacional de Colombia certificate to teach “Spanish as a Second Language”. This is her first year in FCPS but she has taught for more than 12 years in Colombia and United States in Preschool, Elementary, Middle and High Schools. Also, she participated and assisted in the developing policy for Technology Education Curriculum for Public Schools in Bogotá D.C. 

She likes to spend time with her husband and daughter. They really enjoy learning about other cultures, Washington’s museums and the National Parks in Virginia. In Colombia she has a large family who love cooking and celebrations. She is an aunt to 24 nieces and nephews! 

Also, she loves Colombian Coffee, watching cartoons movies like Shrek, Up, and Zootopia, romantic comedy movies and Brazilian soap operas. She loves listening and dancing to Latin-American music, like vallenato (Colombian), salsa(Puerto Rico), meregue (Dominican Republic) and Son cubano(Cuba). Her favorite authors are Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombian Nobel) and Isabel Allende (Chile).

SUNY Brockport in New York, Bachelors of Science in Physical Education

This is Mr. Nielsen's fifteenth year at Franklin Sherman. He graduated from SUNY Brockport in New York with a degree in Physical Education. Prior to that, he was in the US Navy for 10 years.