About us

Helping people find their voice.

Language Climber in Melville, NY provides immersive English and Spanish programs tailored to professionals and their goals, from the workplace to citizenship and the GED.

About us

Debbie Kilstein

Founder · 40 years teaching ESL & Spanish

“My mission is to guide people on their language journey — to help them belong, work better and grow their careers.”
40 yearsteaching ESL & Spanish
M.A.Stony Brook University
33 yearsIsland Trees High School
AdjunctSuffolk County Community College

Debbie holds a master's degree in Spanish, German and ESL from Stony Brook University. For 33 years she taught Spanish at Island Trees High School in Levittown, New York, and served as an adjunct professor at Suffolk County Community College.

As a job placement counselor at Temp Force, she helped Latin American workers who did not speak English find employment — the experience that inspired Language Climber's practical, workplace-first approach.

Meet our educators

Highly educated, experienced and passionate about teaching.

Our instructors bring decades of classroom experience in ESL, Spanish and adult education.

Florence Abanda

Florence earned her M.S. in School Counseling from Long Island University. She has over 20 years of experience in the education field. She currently works as a school counselor in the Valley Stream Central High School District on Long Island. She also dedicates her spare time to volunteer work and is a member of New York Cares.

Patricia Braddick

Trish earned her master's degree from Touro College in General/Special Education Early Childhood. She has 12 years of teaching experience and currently works at Roosevelt Children's Academy Charter School.

Ada Marcus

Ada has more than 40 years of teaching experience. She taught ELA in the NYC Department of Education. She earned her master's degree in Education and Reading. She has served as a volunteer for Nassau Literacy, teaching English to non-English speakers.

Jennifer Maher

Jennifer earned her MA in Education from Adelphi University. She has 25 years of teaching experience and is proficient in Spanish. She taught adult ESL for many years at Suffolk County Community College.

Shayla Sanchez

Shayla is an instructor and translator at a financial institution in South Carolina. She is fluent in Spanish and grew up in a bilingual household.

Teresa Sanchez

Teresa has been teaching for 15 years. She is bilingual and has served as a translator for people who could not speak English.

Enrique Galindo

Enrique is an experienced commercial airline pilot and has served as an aviation instructor. He was born in Spain and speaks Spanish and English fluently.

Vanessa Grajales

Vanessa earned her master's degree in Security Management from John Jay College. Her family is from Colombia and she grew up speaking Spanish and English.

Nicole Dzieciol

Nicole earned her MSEd in Special Education from Queens College. She has been teaching for 6 years and currently teaches at Roosevelt Children's Academy Charter School.

Jenna Ferrante

Jenna earned her master's degree in Childhood Special Education from Adelphi University. She has several years of teaching experience and currently works in the Hicksville School District.

Alix Cassagnol

Alix has 20 years of teaching experience with children and adults. He holds an advanced certificate in Homeland Security Management from Adelphi University. He served as an NYPD officer and, during his tenure, was a Counter-Terrorism Instructor. He also spoke to students at local schools about safety. He is a member of My Brother's Keeper.

Jacqui Lefebre

Jacqui has worked as a substitute teacher in the Volusia County Schools in Florida for over 13 years. She currently works as a paraprofessional lab facilitator in the computer lab of the Seminole County Schools.

Donna Hurley

Donna earned her M.S. in Business and Distributive Education from CUNY Baruch College. She worked for an international law firm in New York City for 10 years. She has 17 years of teaching experience and currently works in the Island Trees School District as a permanent substitute teacher.

Brenna Kovarik

Brenna earned her B.S. in Elementary Education from Florida Gulf Coast University. She has fifteen years of teaching experience. She was born in South Korea and was raised in South Florida after being adopted at 6 months old, growing up amongst a large Hispanic community. Her husband and three children are Puerto Rican. She appreciates Hispanic culture, especially the food, and has a deep love for the English language that she looks forward to sharing with adult learners.

Grace Scura

Grace earned her M.A. in Special Education and Autism at Long Island University. She served as a math teacher at Roosevelt Children's Academy Charter School and currently works as a teacher in the Bayport-Blue Point School District. She is also a fencing coach in the Sayville School District.

Amanda Scorzelli

Amanda holds an undergraduate degree in Childhood Education (Grades 1–6) and Special Education, and a master's degree in Literacy (Birth–Grade 6). With 13 years of teaching experience, she believes learning is a lifelong journey and inspires her students with the message that "knowledge is power," creating a classroom where curiosity is encouraged and every student feels empowered to learn something new every day.

Nina Nieves

Nina is a health and wellness coach and has dedicated her free time to several organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Long Island Cares and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Jean Salino Rettura

Jean earned her B.S. in Spanish Education from SUNY Stony Brook and a master's degree in Spanish Education from Queens College, CUNY. She taught for over 30 years at Walter G. O'Connell Copiague High School and has more than a decade of experience teaching ESL to adults in the Copiague Adult Education Program. She has taught English to factory workers at Prestige Cabinets and served as an adjunct ESL instructor at SUNY Farmingdale and Suffolk County Community College. Her passion for language learning makes her an invaluable part of the Language Climber team.

Julieth Rodriguez

Julieth is from Colombia. She came to the United States in 1986, at 15, without knowing any English. Today she works with special-needs children at a preschool as a head teacher assistant, helping carry out the lesson plan throughout the day.

Shamar Sanchez

Shamar earned her master's degree in ESL from Saint Peter's University in New Jersey. She has several years of teaching experience and grew up speaking Spanish and English.

Amy Seal

Amy was the Director of Corporate Training at Suffolk County Community College, where she designed and implemented workplace English programs that helped thousands of students learn English. She also taught English and earned an MBA from Dowling College.

Brianna Simeoli

Brianna earned a master's degree in English Education from Adelphi University. She has been teaching for several years and currently works at Roosevelt Children's Academy Charter School.

Laura Arkin

Laura earned a master's degree in Education from Stony Brook University. She taught third grade in the Middle Country School District, has over 20 years of teaching experience and speaks Spanish and English.

How it works

Three steps to fluency.

  1. 1Assessment

    A free placement test over the phone or by video call to find your level, your goals and the situations you need English for.

  2. 2Personalized plan

    We customize your lessons around your job, your schedule and what you need to say.

  3. 3Live practice

    Interactive online classes with role-play of the real conversations you'll face.

Training for companies

Courses built around your workplace: English for your staff or Spanish for managers, in group or individual sessions. Every company gets a custom proposal based on its team.

Request a proposal