Meet our team

Hanna O’Connell, Executive director

Hanna is the Executive Director of Casa de Amistad, where she previously served as Program Director and designed the organization’s innovative ESL program. Known for its individualized 1-to-1 student-to-volunteer ratio, the program focuses not only on language acquisition but also trains participants in multilingual communication, encourages identity exploration, and fosters meaningful cross-cultural exchanges. Through Hanna’s collaboration, the program has expanded to include nearly 300 students and volunteers each semester, building lasting relationships that have made a significant impact on participants and extended to the community at large.

With over 10 years of experience living abroad and working in language education, Hanna draws on her own experiences with language learning and immigration to help students actively engage with their new environments. She holds a degree in Organizational Leadership and is pursuing a master’s in TESOL at the University of Georgia, staying current with advancements in language education and multicultural approaches.

Hanna’s creativity and commitment to community service continue to drive Casa de Amistad’s mission, cultivating vibrant, diverse communities both inside and outside the classroom. She lives in Athens with her husband, a student at Casa de Amistad, her daughter, a volunteer at Casa de Amistad, and their dog, Juniper.

Our board of directors

Marcelo Buril, PRESIDENT

Marcelo Buril, originally from Recife, Brazil, moved to Athens after earning his Civil Engineering degree. Despite planning to return home, he fell in love with Athens and stayed. After a 12-year tenure as a Production Manager ended due to a workplace fire and the onset of COVID-19, Marcelo reinvented his career by entering the real estate industry, obtaining his license with family support. As a Realtor, he enjoys connecting with clients and contributing to Athens' music scene as a guitarist in The Original Screw Tops, a blues band he co-founded. He joined Casa de Amistad team originally as a volunteer and grew to love our purpose and goals.

Chad howe, Vice President

Chad Howe moved to Athens in 2006 to join the faculty of the Department of Romance Languages at the University of Georgia where he currently works as Associate Professor of Hispanic Linguistics. Chad is a native of Dry Branch, GA, having earned a B.A. at Georgia Southern University before moving to Ohio to complete his M.A. and Ph.D. at The Ohio State University. Since moving to Athens, he has been involved in number of local organizations in Athens including Catholic Charities and Athens-Oconee Court Appointed Special Advocates. He started working with Casa de Amistad in 2019 as instructor for the GED courses in Language Arts and Social Studies and joined the board in 2022.

Paul Duncan, member

Paul Duncan, holding a BA from the University of Iowa and an MS in forestry from the University of Florida, brings extensive experience to UGA. With prior work spanning Guatemala and the Dominican Republic, including involvement in conservation programs with organizations like the Peace Corps and CARE, Duncan's career at UGA began in 1998. From administering NIH-funded projects to his current role as associate director of the Latin American & Caribbean Studies Institute (LACSI), Duncan's contributions have been significant. He oversees LACSI's Latin American Ethnobotanical Garden and leads community service initiatives, particularly benefiting Athens-area Latinx immigrant communities. Additionally, he teaches a horticulture service-learning course at UGA each spring. With almost 25 years at UGA, Duncan's dedication extends to his involvement with Casa de Amistad and his continued passion for Latin American affairs, rooted in his Peace Corps service.

Lila Jimenez, member

Lila Jimenez founded Calor Creative in 2021, focusing on brand identity and web design for small businesses, particularly in Athens. She's also a Summer Studio Instructor at the UGA and a former design lead at Hinge Creative Co. Lila holds a BFA in Graphic Design with a minor in Spanish from UGA. She volunteers by providing free branding packages for non-profits through her studio. We are so grateful for the custom branding work that she did for Casa last summer. It has brought to life the essence of Casa through the brand.

Our teachers

Isabelle Leimkuhler, instructor

Isabelle Leimkuhler is a graduate student at the University of Georgia working on her M.A. in Spanish with an emphasis in Hispanic Linguistics. She is currently serving as a Teaching Assistant of Spanish for the Department of Romance Languages at UGA. Isabelle graduated from Ohio University in Spring 2023 with bachelor’s degrees in Spanish, Linguistics and Music. At Ohio University, Isabelle earned a certificate in Preservice Teacher Preparation in TEFL and she taught ESL for a community program called English for All in Athens, Ohio. Now that she lives in Athens, Georgia, she is super excited to join the Casa de Amistad family in Fall 2023 and teach ESL while following her passion for language learning and teaching!

Megan Hawes, Instructor

Katie Brandt, ESL Instructor & ESL Program Support intern

Katie Brandt is an undergraduate student at the University of Georgia. She is studying Spanish and TESOL/World Language Education in hopes to become a teacher one day.  Katie enjoys traveling, reading, baking, spending time with friends and family, and serving her community. She is an ESL support intern and teaches two conversational English classes with Casa de Amistad.

Kelly Rodriguez, GED instructor

Kelly Rodriguez was born in Barranquilla, Colombia. She moved to the United States with her family at the beginning of 2022 and since then she has focused on continuing her passion for teaching. She is a mechanical engineer with diplomas in University Education and a master’s in Mathematics Education. Her experience in teaching began in 2012, when she was appointed to the Colombian Department of Education as a high school math teacher. She taught at the High School level until she moved out of the country. Since moving to Georgia, she has become a paraprofessional in the Oconee County School District, helping teach young people and kids with special needs.

Caroline Schneider, Spanish instructor

Caroline Schneider is a Spanish instructor at Casa de Amistad and the University of Georgia. She is originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and Linguistics. She relocated to Athens in 2022 to pursue an M.A. in Linguistics at UGA, which she completed in May 2024. While in her undergraduate and graduate studies, Caroline gained experience teaching and assisting in ESL, Linguistics, and Spanish courses. When she isn’t teaching, she loves visiting local cafes and working out.

Our interns

Tessa Cianfaglione, Outreach & community liaison intern

Gabi Mota, Grant Writing & Fundraising intern

Gabi Mota is a senior at UGA studying International Affairs and Public Relations. She was born in Brasilia, Brazil, and moved to the U.S. almost 10 years ago. For the past two years, she has been involved with the organization Students for Latinx Empowerment at UGA, where she previously served as the PR chair and is now the president. Gabi has fallen in love with working with the Hispanic community through her work with Students for Latinx Empowerment.

Aratrika Kar, Volunteer liaison intern

Aratrika Kar is a fourth year student at UGA studying psychology and Spanish on the pre-med track. She is so excited to join Casa de Amistad as an intern this year! Last year, she had an amazing time interacting with students and fellow volunteers during conversation classes and building meaningful relationships with such an important part of the Athens community. Through this internship, Aratrika hopes to strengthen these relationships and broaden her experience by immersing herself in Spanish culture.

Chloe Savan, Volunteer intern

Chloe is a graduate student at the University of Georgia working on her master’s in journalism. In her undergrad years, she majored in journalism and minored in Spanish and business. In her free time, Chloe likes to read, bake cookies, and watch sitcoms with her friends. Chloe began volunteering with Casa de Amistad in May 2023 and spent the summer renovating Casa’s website. She’s passionate about Casa’s mission and loves the opportunity to practice her Spanish!