Meet the Language Department
Madeline Alford, Exploring Spanish and Spanish 1 Teacher; Department Chair
madeline.alford@cottonwoodclassical.org
Ms. Alford is originally from Oregon, but she has been living in New Mexico for 9 years. Ms. Alford studied Secondary Education and Spanish at the University of New Mexico, as well as Foreign Language Teaching at Michigan State University. This year, she will be teaching Exploring Spanish and Spanish I at CCPS. Ms. Alford loves to travel! She has traveled to 51 countries and counting… including study abroad programs in Quito, Ecuador and Cusco, Peru.
Mike Ziemniak, Exploring French and IB French
michael.ziemniak@cottonwoodclassical.org
Mike Ziemniak is the teacher of Exploring French and IB French Ab Initio 1 & 2 at CCPS. He learned French while living in Geneva, Switzerland, and has experience teaching in Missouri, Colorado, and most recently, Abu Dhabi, UAE. He enjoys travel, skiing, hiking, and spending time with his dog, Clover. His classroom philosophy is centered on communicative language usage and input-heavy lessons. He aims to foster a lifelong love of language learning and cultural understanding in his students.
Marcia Elliot, Spanish Teacher
marcia.elliott@cottonwoodclassical.org
Mrs. Elliott is an educator with over 20 years of experience working with students in Chile, Arizona, and New Mexico. She brings to the students a wealth of experience as a native Spanish teacher with international expertise. She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in English Language and Literature in Education from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso in Chile. She earned her Master’s in Gender and Cultural Studies from Universidad de Chile. Her diverse background enables Mrs. Elliott to foster cultural understanding and inclusive practices, creating a supportive learning environment for all students. It is in her second year at CCPS, teaching Heritage 8th and 9th, Spanish II, and IB Spanish A Year 2.
Melissa Torres, Spanish 2 and IB Spanish Teacher; ELL Coordinator
melissa.torres@cottonwoodclassical.org
Melissa Torres is in her 22nd year of teaching Spanish. She is originally from Nebraska, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Spanish Education. She completed a Master’s degree at the University of New Mexico in Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies. Melissa has studied abroad at El Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, in Queretaro, Mexico and at the University of Salamanca, in Salamanca, Spain. She has taught in Nebraska and New Mexico, both in public and private schools. Melissa currently teaches Spanish III, IB Spanish B Year 1, and is the ELL Coordinator.
Russel Friedman, IB Spanish Teacher
russel.friedman@cottonwoodclassical.org
Originally from the DC area, by way of Ecuador and Kansas, Mr. Friedman found his way to Albuquerque in 2012. He spends his free time enjoying and exploring the beautiful New Mexico outdoors with his wife and four children. For the 2024/25 school year, he will be teaching 10th grade Heritage Spanish, 11th grade IB Spanish – Language A, 12th grade IB Spanish – Language B, and be serving as the Heritage Language Coordinator. This will be his fourth year at CCPS.
Dolores Jensen, Spanish Teacher
dolores.jensen@cottonwoodclassical.org
Sra. Jensen has been teaching for 40+ years. She grew up in Belen, NM and left to go to NMSU in Las Cruces, receiving a BS in Secondary Education with endorsements n Spanish, Bilingual Ed, TESOL, and ELA and stayed there for 40 years. She returned to Albuquerque and taught for APS for 11 years and is now happily teaching Spanish and EL classes at CCPS.
Jenna Griffin, Exploring French Teacher
jenna.griffin@cottonwoodclassical.org
This is MME Griffin’s first year of teaching Exploring French (6/7) at CCPS! Like her students, she began studying French in middle school. After graduating from Calvin University with a B.A. in French and English, she spent a year in France teaching English as a middle and high school language assistant. She spent the next 6 years in the Jiu Valley, Romania, helping to run an after-school rock climbing and educational support program for children and teens—so she also speaks Romanian!
Leah Blankenship, Spanish I & Spanish II Teacher
leah.blankenship@cottonwoodclassical.org
Leah Blankenship teaches Spanish I and Spanish II. She learned Spanish while abroad in Spain, Bolivia, and Mexico–and from her excellent high school teacher! She enjoys playing with her children, gardening with native plants and learning to play the guitar. This is her first year at CCPS.
Natalia Torres, Spanish I & Spanish III Teacher
natalia.torres@cottonwoodclassical.org
Natalia Torres grew up in the Midwest. She lived in various places in Mexico and California prior to moving to Albuquerque, NM. Natalia is passionate about teaching students Spanish and helping them to foster a cross-cultural understanding and appreciation of Spanish-speaking communities. For the 2024-2025 academic year, Natalia will be teaching Spanish I and Spanish III.
