Who We Are
STAFF
Access, affordability, compassionate and practical language education for all- these are the tenets of Downtown Languages (DTL) and the vision of the founders.
Our dedicated instructors have advanced degrees either in Education, Applied Linguistics/TESOL or Spanish. DTL has recruited and retained a highly qualified Board of Directors and professional language educators with a passion for our mission.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Paulina Mross, Executive Director
Paulina Mross, a University of Oregon doctoral candidate in Romance Languages is a native of Guadalajara, México. Mross also has bachelor degrees in Business Administration and General Science (1999) as well as a Masters degree in Romance Languages from the University of Oregon, (2004).
John Costello, Board President
John has a Bachelors Degree in Political Science & Pre-Law from the University of Michigan. He owned and operated North Bank Restaurant for twenty years and served as Director of Retail Food Service for the University of Oregon for ten years. John and his wife Barbara have traveled and volunteered in Mexico, Central America, and South America. John has struggled for the last forty years to master Spanish and therefore has considerable empathy for those working to learn English.
Duane Funk, Treasurer
Duane has served as treasurer of the board since January 2008. She was also
secretary from 2004 to 2007. Former executive director, Duane was one of
the four founding women of DTL. A University of Oregon graduate, with a master's degree in education from Oregon State University and 15 years adult ESL teaching experience, Duane is now retired and a first-time grandmother to baby Lucienne.
Marilyn Kelly, Secretary
Now retired from K-12 public education, Marilyn was an editor and technical writer for an online high school and various other Web-based projects. She is a graduate of Whitman College with a degree in French. She taught English and French in upper primary and secondary school in Tanzania and Uganda as a Peace Corps Volunteer, and has tutored adult ESL learners. She is a photographer and consummate gardener.
Andrew Dempsey-Karp
After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in psychology, Andrew served as a US Peace Corps Special Education Volunteer in the Dominican Republic. There, he taught Spanish literacy to children with learning disabilities and provided
physical therapy to a child with cerebral palsy. Upon returning to the US, he lived
in New York City and taught environmental education as a New York City Park Ranger. When he moved to Eugene, he had the opportunity to teach English and Spanish Literacy at Downtown Languages. Currently, he is a graduate student in the University of Oregon's Special Education program. Andrew loves music, the outdoors and spending time with friends and family.
Kim Trujillo
Kim Trujillo is a third-year law student at the University of Oregon School
of Law and is very involved in the campus Latino community. A former director of the Latino/a Law Student Association, Kim has volunteered in various capacities with Latino-based nonprofits since she began college. Kim earned her bachelor's degree in English and her post-baccalaureate degree in accounting from Portland State University before beginning law school. When she's not busy with school, Kim loves to travel, read, and listen to music
