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SUNSHINE STATE TESOL OF FLORIDA- Home
- Membership
- Executive Board
Nicole Hammond President (2026) Dr. Nicole Hammond is an Associate Professor at Seminole State College of Florida where she teaches EAP, ESOL, and ELI courses for the Center for English Language Studies. She received her MA and her Ph.D. in TESOL from UCF and has been teaching English to international adults since 2002. Her research interests are second language pronunciation/accents and technology in the language classroom. She has experience teaching both language learners and language teachers, but her passion is teaching applied second language to adults. In addition to ESL teaching, she has conducted EFL teacher training workshops in Ecuador, Japan, Brazil, and Costa Rica. She is a regular presenter at regional and international TESOL conferences.
Christine Kassover received her Bachelor's degree in humanities from FAU and her Master's in communication from the University of Miami. Committed to FAU, she served as president of the FAU National Alumni Association for two terms and was a founding member of the Parliament of Owls. Christine has over 10 years experience as an adult second-language English instructor and tutor at FAU, Palm Beach State College and Boca Raton Community High School. She holds training certifications from both the College Board and the College Reading and Learning Association.
Secretary Laura Bell is a dedicated educator specializing in pre-service teacher education in her role as ESOL Coordinator and Clinical Professor at Florida State University's School of Teacher Education. She believes that when we boil it all down, effective teaching begins with relationships. Connection between student and teacher and student to student is essential to a flourishing learning space. Laura holds an Ed.S. degree in Curriculum & Instruction with a focus on ESOL, an M.S. in Multilingual Multicultural Education, and a TESOL Certificate. Prior to work at FSU, Laura taught in intensive English programs for adult language learners at various universities and colleges in Florida. Her professional experiences also include teaching English as a foreign language in Tokyo, Japan and Iquitos, Peru to both K12 and adult learners.  Daria PoliakovaTreasurer (2026-2028) Daria Poliakova is an ESOL instructor and teacher educator with over 14 years of experience working with multilingual learners in Europe and the United States. She currently teaches adult ESOL at Florida State College at Jacksonville and is a doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of North Florida.Daria’s work centers on beginning-level adult ESOL learners and the everyday classroom decisions teachers make when working with multilingual students with emerging English. She is especially interested in ESOL infusion in teacher preparation, practitioner-generated knowledge, and instructional approaches that prioritize participation, meaning-making, and learner voice in low-level classrooms. She may be reached at Daria.Poliakova@fscj.edu. |
1st Vice President / President (2027) Dr. Katya Goussakova, is a tenured Professor EAP at Seminole State College of Florida. She holds a Ph.D. in Education/TESOL from UCF. Her scholarly interests are corpus linguistics, data-driven learning, and the integration of AI tools in ESL writing and grammar instruction. Dr. Goussakova served as a VP and President on the Central Florida TESOL board, as a Treasurer on the SSTESOL Board, and as a member of TESOL International’s Nominating Committee. Her professional dedication has been recognized with NISOD Excellence Awards. In 2019, to honor outstanding adult ESOL learners in Florida, Dr. Goussakova Scholarship Award was established.  Carla Huck Carla Huck is the Manager of Academic Quality for American College of Education. She has worked in the TESOL field for over 25 years as a teacher, instructional coach, non-profit executive, and professor. Dr. Huck earned her Ed.D. in Higher Education Leadership at Florida Gulf Coast University, her M.A. in TESOL at New York University, her M.Ed. in Urban Education Policy and Administration from Fordham University, and her B.A. in International Studies at Middlebury College. She presents her research frequently at national and international conferences, with a focus on equitable policies and practices for multilingual learners and instructional design innovation in online learning environments. She can be reached at cbhuck@gmail.com.
Robyn Percy-Socha M.A., M.S., is a senior English and ESL professor with more than 24 years of experience in higher education, curriculum development, and multilingual student success. She serves as Course Director of ESL and Academic Writing at Full Sail University, where she leads writing curriculum redesign, integrates AI literacy into composition pedagogy, and develops faculty training initiatives focused on digital learning and academic rigor. Robyn currently serves on the Executive Board of Sunshine State TESOL of Florida as Exhibitor Liaison and is the former President of Central Florida TESOL. Throughout her leadership roles, she has coordinated professional conferences, supported statewide collaboration across K–12 and higher education, and advocated for high standards in English language instruction. She has presented at state and international TESOL conferences on grammar pedagogy, culturally responsive writing instruction, and maintaining human connection in digital learning environments. Robyn remains committed to advancing the field through innovation, collaboration, and community-building across Florida’s TESOL networks. |
Christine Kassover
Laura Bell
Katya Goussakova
Robyn Percy-SochaEx-Officio board / Ad-Hoc Board Members
Dr. Tony Erben Past President Co-Editor, SSTESOL Press |
Past President Awards and Scholarships Committee Member Advocacy Committee Member Dr. Arlene Costello served as Bureau Chief of the Student Achievement Through Language Acquisition (SALA) of the Florida Department of Education and a member of the WIDA Executive Board and Professional Learning Subcommittee. She is also the Founder of the Center for Advocacy, Language and Academic Achievement (CALAA), the only Center for Advocacy in Florida. Dr. Costello is the recipient of the 2022 SSTESOL Presidential Award in Leadership and Service. She served as a Program Specialist and instructor in the Intensive English Program of the International Affairs Office of the University of West Florida and as a Teacher on Special Assignment for the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Gifted Programs for the School District of Escambia County. Arlene also previously taught at the International School in Okinawa, Japan, and at the Navy Campus for Achievement in Sicily, Italy. Her research centers on gifted learning opportunities for English Language Learners, English Language development and proficiency, and policy development. |
Arlene Costello
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