Manuela was born in Queens, New York, and grew up in Medellín, Colombia. Her life as a bilingual learner has allowed her to explore careers in social work, human resources, adult language instruction and office administration. However, upon entering the doors of Spanish House in 2015, she found a new passion for early childhood education and made a commitment to the school’s growth and continued development. Her creativity and connection with the school community allow her to passionately lead a diverse and vibrant group of teachers, students and families. After serving as a school administrator and Spanish House Nursery Director, she assumed the role of SWS – Skillman director in 2020.

Manuela completed her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work at Pontificia Bolivariana University in 2014, Colombia. She has lived in Dallas since 2014.

Monica Toro is from Colombia and has lived in Texas for 8 years. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Universidad Santo Tomás de Aquino in Bogotá, Colombia, and her master’s degree in Cultural Management from Universidad de Alcalá in Madrid, Spain. She is a certified Montessori educator through MACTE. She has more than 20 years of experience working in education, most of which have been in early education in the fields of pedagogy, family and community involvement and culture building. She is passionate about literature and children’s music and has worked on various projects in Latin America and the Carribean to develop movement and music programs for children. Monica was a nursery school teacher at Spanish House in the beginning years and returned in 2021 to assume a leadership position. As Academic Director, she creates a dynamic, robust curriculum that aligns with our Spanish immersion, Project-Based learning model. She trains, supports and guides the teachers at Skillman and Haskell in best teaching practices in order to fulfill the vision and mission of Spanish World School.

Karla Henriquez was born in Venezuela and has lived in Dallas since 2016. For 26 years, she worked in editorial design, focusing on books and magazines. She also taught Graphic Design to future museum curators, sharing her knowledge and experience with the next generation of design professionals. In 2018, she embarked on a new career path, dedicating herself to teaching her native language at Spanish World School. Her interest in the Project-Based Learning (PBL) method led her to further explore education and pedagogical innovation. In 2023, she assumed the role of Academic Coordinator, which allows her to oversee and support the academic development of the teaching teams at SWS – Skillman and Haskell.