• Pro Lingua | Lauren Kiolet
• Creative Innovation | Jenny Hallenbeck
• Continuing Distinguished Service | Sue Webber
• WAFLT Teacher of the Year | Alina Fuentes
• Inspirational Leadership | Teresa Urrego
• Public Awareness | Luis Fernando Estéban

Pro Lingua

Lauren Kiolet

Lauren Kiolet is currently the Executive Director of the Washington Association for Language Teaching (WAFLT), after teaching German, Spanish and Russian for 30 years at North Thurston High School in Lacey, Washington. She considers this continuity in a single community and school one of the great pleasures of her teaching career. Her special interests include interdisciplinary education, technology and language learning and the importance of integrating culture in teaching languages.

Lauren has participated in professional activities for many years. She served as the President of both the Washington Association for Language Teaching (WAFLT) and the WA Chapter of the American Association of Teachers of German. She also was a member of the Goethe Institute's Teacher Trainer network, the AATG Teacher Standards West Coast Pilot group, a participant in a project creating interactive computer materials for concentrating on culture using the Lernexpress laserdiscs, and Technology Chair for the WA Languages FLES/FLAP Grant Committee. More recently, Lauren served on Governor Gary Locke's Digital Education Task Force and is presently the Treasurer of the Pacific Northwest Council For Languages.

Some of the awards that have recognized Lauren’s contributions and teaching excellence include the Dick Williams Award (North Thurston Public Schools) in recognition of effort to promote diversity and enhancing multicultural education (2002), North Thurston High School’s Teacher of the Year (2001), PNCFL/NTC Teacher of the Year (1998), WAFLT’s Creative Innovation Award (1997), and the AATG Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of German (1996).

A frequent presenter at state and regional conferences, Lauren is a firm believer in the importance of contributing to the profession. Lauren's life is taking a different path since retirement from teaching, but she brings the same joy to this new direction that she brought to her classroom.

Creative Innovation

Jenny Hallenbeck

Jenny Hallenbeck earned degrees in French and International Communications from the University of Washington. following the UW, she did post graduate work in Virginia while working as a translator in Washington DC. Her teaching career started 24 years ago in Virginia, and shortly thereafter she returned to the Northwest.

In 1997 Jenny was awarded a French Government Scholarship to study in Dakar, Sénégal. She has since established a sister school program with her students at Inglemoor High School and the village of Bona, Sénégal. Her students sponsor human rights and development activities in the village.

This is her 17th year in the Northshore School District, where she teaches the International Baccalaureate Program at Inglemoor. Jenny is director of French Camp for Washington and serves on the AATF (American Association of Teachers of French) Board.

Continuing Distinguished Service

Sue Webber

Sue (Kreger) Webber, German teacher in the Arlington School District, active in professional associations for many years. While attending Lincoln High School, she was inspired by her German teacher, who brought her face-to-face with the German culture and people as well as taught her the joy of learning a second language. After graduating from Western Washington University with a major in German and Education, she headed to Germany to cement the language and to experience the culture first hand. Although the plan was to stay one year, she remained for four years. After teaching in a German school, Sue returned to the US and taught elementary school in the Edmonds School District and then German at Meadowdale Sr. High in Edmonds. Sue earned her masters from City University.

Sue has served as president of Washington AATG and as co-president of WAFLT. She has served on the WAFLT board for eight years focusing on outreach. Presented and presided at many conferences including PNCFL, WAFLT, ACTFL, AATG, worked with colleagues to produce the language specific Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the 21st Century document. With the Goethe Institute, Sue contributed to Trommle mein Herz für das Leben using songs by Gerhard Schöne, a German singer, whom she brought to the USA for student concerts and teacher workshops. She has written many articles for the FORUM and the AATG Newsletter, and been involved in the German American Partnership Program (GAPP) since 1985, helping with student exchange programs. Sue believes that international experience is crucial for a well-rounded, internationally focused education, she strives to increase opportunities for students to learn a second language and to experience other cultures in a time of high stakes testing and limited state funding. Sue is a strong supporter of student and teacher standards. She is a team player who enjoys working with colleagues in a professional atmosphere striving for excellence.

Sue is the recipient of the AATG Certificate of Merit Award, WAFLT Pro-Lingua Award, the Who’s Who in American Education Award, and the German Consulate American Friendship Award.

WAFLT Teacher of the Year

Alina Fuentes

At the age of 10, Alina came to the United States from Havana, Cuba and lived in Illinois where she continued her education. she graduated from the University of Illinois (B.A.) and from Northern Illinois University (M.S.) where she began her teaching career. she taught in the Midwest until 1985 when she moved to Washington. During her 28 years in the profession she has had a wide variety of teaching experiences including teaching and administrative positions at the community college level and the private sector. she has been a presenter at the City University/ Phi Delta Kappa Conference, and has served as Minority Delegate to the WEA Representative Assembly.

Presently, she teaches Advanced Placement and College in the High School Spanish and is the World Languages Chair at Snohomish High School. Alina translates and interprets for the school district, the community and the Washington Education Association.

Alina was recipient of the Washington Mutual Excellence in Teaching Award and the KCTS 2000 Golden Apple Award.

Inspirational Leadership

Teresa Urrego

Teresa received her B.A.E. in Spanish and French from Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska. She started teaching Spanish for Elkhorn Valley Schools in Tilden, Nebraska in 1995 starting the French program there the following year. After moving to Washington State in 1998, she started teaching at Kennewick High School in Kennewick, Washington. She has been a member of and now chair of the district’s World Languages Committee working hard to provide staff development for district world language teachers by bringing in presenters like Blaine Ray and presenting herself at the district’s Focus on Instruction days; helping initiate the district-wide Language Extravaganza to showcase student talent; and helping create, implement, and administer the district’s first year language exit exams.

Teresa has also been the Building Staff Development Facilitator for several years as well as being a member of many committees. Teresa has been involved in WAFLT since 1998, helping plan the WAFLT conference in Pasco and presenting twice. She was named Kennewick High’s Teacher of the Year for 2002-2003. She has been involved in writing and receiving several grants to enhance her classroom and department.

Most recently she was awarded a Rachel Royston Permanent Scholarship and WAFLT Career Development grant to continue working on her M.A. in Spanish through the University of Northern Iowa’s UNISSIST program in Mexico.

Public Awareness

Luis Fernando Estéban

Mr. Luis F. Estéban is an aeronautical engineer by profession and has been employed by Iberia Airlines of Spain for the past thirty years. he received his Doctorate of Aeronautical Engineering at the Politechnic University of Madrid in 1975. He has been representing Iberia Airlines as Technical Vice President at The Boeing Company for twenty five years.

He became the Honorary Vice Consul of Spain in 1993 and began working on many educational, cultural and commercial projects involving Spain and the state of Washington. in 1998 an agreement was signed between the Ministry of Education of Spain and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the State of Washington. Under this agreement a group of teachers from Spain are working in the public schools of Washington State. Also, Spain is sponsoring a Center for Spanish Studies at the UW which offers various programs to improve the skills of the Spanish teachers who attend as well as scholarships to universities in Spain.

Mr. Estéban has worked with the Spanish Government to bring Spanish art to Washington State with exhibitions of painting at the Tacoma Art Museum of Miró, Picasso and Dalí and the Ceramic Art of Picasso. Currently, he is working with the Patrimonio Nacional to bring to the Seattle Art Museum the exhibit entitled “Spain and the Age of Exploration 1492-1792” which will include some of Spain’s greatest paintings.

Commercial projects include the purchase of aircraft from the Boeing Company for Iberia as well as interfacing with other business sectors to improve trade between Spain and Washington State. Among the businesses with whom he has interfaced are Microsoft, Amtrak (for the purchase of the Talgo trains), Classical Wines of Spain and Starbucks.

Mr. Estéban has been honored five times by the Spanish Royal Family with the Spanish Royal Medal “Condecoración” for his many programs on behalf of Spain and the United States.