Lindsey Stapel
President
In 2005 Lindsey began her career with Futura Language Professionals as a Spanish teacher, serving the Madison area schools for two years. Lindsey cultivated her interest in Spanish education while studying at the University of Wisconsin Madison and during the study abroad experience in Oaxaca, Mexico with volunteer opportunities at a bilingual Elementary school. This opportunity not only enhanced her language skills, but also inspired her love of the Mexican culture. It was there that she realized her desire to spread the goals of second language acquisition, primarily Spanish, in the United States. Lindsey graduated with Distinction from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in Spanish and Latin American, Caribbean, and Iberian Studies.
Lindsey has also traveled, volunteered, and studied at Escuela La Union, in Antigua, Guatemala as well as traveling to Costa Rica and Puerto Rico. In 2013, Lindsey was promoted to the leadership role as the Director for Futura working alongside the President and founder to oversee management as well as coordinating company goals and strategies. Lindsey has continued to grow Futura’s programs in Wisconsin, Minnesota and live virtual settings on a mission to provide dynamic and enriching language learning opportunities. As a co-writer on the curriculum development team, Lindsey continued to develop theme-based Vamos lessons for Elementary students, cultural resources, and a comprehensive adult curriculum.
As of September 2020, Lindsey took over ownership of Futura Language Professionals and is driven to continue promoting the company’s mission through quality Spanish education programs. As a mother of two Elementary age children, she values the opportunity to provide Spanish courses to students sparking their love of language learning and fostering cultural awareness. She continues to gain travel, language, and cultural experiences with her husband during recent visits to Chichén Itzá in Mexico and Machu Picchu in Peru.
Telephone: 414-793-9698
Email: LindseyM@FuturaAdventures.com
Sandy O’Keefe
Program Manager for Wisconsin and Minnesota
Sandy joined Futura Language Professionals in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her education emphasized the importance of introducing children to diverse cultural experiences early on, helping them grow into confident, well-rounded individuals with a deeper appreciation for life.
Sandy is a skilled administrative and marketing professional with over two decades of experience working directly with children and their families. For 13 years Sandy served as Futura’s Program Coordinator and recently advanced to the role of Program Manager, where she leads the program’s strategic direction and implementation. Sandy serves as a vital link between families and our community partners.
Outside of work, Sandy enjoys spending time with her children—her daughter is a freshman at UW-Madison, and her son is a junior in high school. Sandy and her boyfriend are annual passholders of Walt Disney World, where they love to travel!
Sandy is dedicated to early language learning, believing it plays a crucial role in connecting cultures and expanding children’s horizons.
Please contact Sandy with any questions related to our Enrichment programs:
Telephone: 262-719-9332
Email: Coordinator@FuturaAdventures.com
Juliann Hoffman
Bilingual Area Manager Minnesota Region
Juliann graduated in 2013 from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota with a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish and Sociology. She has taken every possible opportunity to travel the world and has been to many places – Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Curacao, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Panama, Uruguay, Brazil…but the most memorable moments occurred when she traveled the true country sides of Panama (and climbing the highest volcano!), Uruguay, and Brazil. Her favorite part of those trips was staying with local families, experiencing their culture and delicious food, and getting to see the side of these beautiful countries that most tourists don’t get to see!
She has spent the last 5 1/2 years working in administration for a Spanish Immersion Intercultural preschool in Minnesota. In her time there, she grew professionally while leading a team of early childhood educators . She started learning Spanish at the age of 12, and she joined Futura to be able to inspire other children to learn a second language at a young age too! Her passion for not only the Spanish language but the beautiful culture that accompanies it are what have led her to Futura.
Please contact Juliann regarding Spanish programs or employment opportunities in Minnesota:
Telephone: (952) 261-4105
Email: Juliann@FuturaAdventures.com
Darina Gaievska
Bilingual Teacher Supervisor for Minnesota
Darina joined the Futura Language Professionals corporate staff as a Bilingual Teacher Supervisor in 2024, after having taught with Futura for some time. Darina realized that she had a passion for learning languages ever since she was a child. Originally from Ukraine, she grew up speaking both Russian and Ukrainian. After her family moved to the United States at the age of 12, she quickly acquired English speaking skills to assimilate to the new environment. Afterwards, Darina went on to learn French and Spanish in High School.
Darina continued learning Spanish in Miami, both in an academic setting and with friends. She graduated from the University of Miami in 2017 and recognized her interest in remaining a lifelong learner of Spanish.
Having grown up in three different countries, Darina enjoys exploring other cultures and expanding her mind on different perspectives, ideas, traditions. She loves to learn from other people and believes that cross-cultural exchange opens horizons beyond one’s wildest imagination. Darina takes this type of mindset into her classroom as well, where she intends to learn as much from the students as they from her.
Email: Darina@FuturaAdventures.com
Andrea Ryerson
Payroll Coordinator
Andrea joined Futura Language Professionals in 2023 as the Payroll Coordinator. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for efficiency, Andrea ensures smooth payroll operations for the team. Outside of her role as payroll coordinator, she is a devoted mother of three, who enjoys watching her children pursue their various hobbies and interests. She enjoys spending her remaining free time photographing families and reading.