Meet Our LCPs
Our language conversation partners (LCPs) are excited to meet you to have unstructured and structured conversations in your target language, practice oral drills, and meet someone new who is fluent in the language. Read about our LCPs that host sessions in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish.
Want to meet with one of our LCPs? Schedule an appointment here.
Arabic LCPs
Yasser Jamal
Ahlan! I'm Yasser Jamal, a third-year Symbolic Systems major with a minor in Math. Growing up, I was privileged to acquire fluency in a range of languages, including Arabic, English, and Somali. As a result, I developed a deep passion for everything language-related. Through the LCP program, I am excited to extend this passion to you.
Chinese LCPs
Tianshu Luo
Hey! I am Tianshu from Shanghai, China. I was born in a small city in Henan, and then moved to Shanghai with my family before elementary school. I went to Long Island, New York for high school, and then moved to CA. Besides mandarin, I also speak two dialects in Chinese, Henanese and Shanghainese. I love hiking running, and cooking. I can't wait to meet and have a great conversation with you!
Ting Lin
Hi, I’m Ting Lin (she/her)! I’m currently a senior majoring in Linguistics and coterming in Computer Science. I grew up between Markham, Canada, and Guangzhou, China. Apart from Mandarin, I also speak Cantonese with my family. In my free time, I read a lot of fiction, make zines and write. I’d love to meet and talk to you!
French LCPs
Elisa Ponte
Hi! My name is Elisa and I am a sophomore planning on majoring in chemical engineering. I grew up speaking French at home and spent a couple of years in Paris. In my free time I enjoy getting outside, drawing and doing anything spontaneous. I'm excited to meet you and can't wait to learn more about you as we chat.
Julia Johannsen
Hi!! My name is Julia Johannsen and I am a senior studying Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology. I grew up moving around Africa and Europe for my parent's work and spent much time in France. French was my first language, as my mother and her family are French, and I grew up speaking it at home and school. In my free time I like to run and listen to music or hang out with friends. I can't wait to help you grow your language skills and chat!
Maleah Webster
Hello! My name is Maleah (she/her) and this is my third year as an LCP. I am a Senior from the Chicago area. I major in International Relations and minor in Translation Studies/CSRE. I've studied Korean and French both for 6+ years. Outside of classes I spend my time cooking, reading, painting, and watching my favorite Youtube channels. I can’t wait to get to know y’all through LCP and to support you in your language-learning journey!
Maroua Bezzaoui
Hey there! I am Maroua, a Frosh from Casablanca, Morocco. I was born and raised in Casablanca by Amazigh ( native North African) parents from a small town named Figuig. I studied French dramatic arts for 10 years of my life so theatre and French language are very close to my heart. In addition to French, I also speak Arabic ( my first language) and Tmazight (Berber). I love reading fiction and watching soap operas. I Am looking forward to chatting with you in such a fun language!
Souady Diané
Hey there! I'm Souady, a rising Junior studying economics. As an international student from Côte d'Ivoire, I bring a unique perspective to our French language sessions. My mission? To support you with all my might! I absolutely love the idea of supporting other peers through academic challenges, and being a Language Conversation Partner allows me to do just that.French is more than just words—it's a doorway to exploring diverse cultures and building meaningful connections. As a native speaker, I know all the little quirks and intricacies of the language and can share insider tips to boost your fluency. From practicing conversation skills to expanding vocabulary, we'll make sure you gain the confidence to speak french. When I'm not diving into economics or unlocking the secrets of French, you'll find me exploring the world of art, losing myself in captivating books, or indulging in delicious cuisines. These passions of mine open up endless possibilities for cultural exchanges and lively conversations during our time together.I am beyond thrilled to join the Stanford community as your Language Conversation Partner.I can't wait to meet you and support you in your French language journey!
German LCPs
Lilly Mariam Salus
Hi! I’m Lilly and I from Berlin, Germany. At Stanford I am a sophomore hoping to double-major in Data Science and East Asian Studies. In my free time I enjoy reading novels, going on hikes with friends to the dish, and rowing with the Stanford Dragonboat team. LCP tutoring really helped me improve my conversational Chinese last year, and I am very excited to meet you soon!
Italian LCPs
Giulia Scagliotti
Hello! My name is Giulia and I’m a PhD student in Civil Engineering. I was born in Casale Monferrato, a small town in northern Italy. I speak Italian, English and German. I have been in the United States since 2016 but I always enjoy spending a few weeks of the year in Italy, visiting my family and traveling. In my free time, I love cooking, gardening and hiking. I am excited to meet you and have conversations in Italian!
Rachel Dubit, Lead LCP
Hi, my name is Rachel. I was born and raised in Rockbridge County, Virginia, and I am currently in my sixth year at Stanford as a PhD candidate in the Classics department with a focus on genre, gender, and landscape in first-century Latin love poetry. I love languages in general, and Italian has a special place in my heart as one of Latin’s closest modern relatives. I have lived in Italy at various times for a total of more than two years and studied Italian for nearly a decade, and now I am excited to share my experience with you as an LCP here at Stanford!
Japanese LCPs
Mario DePavia
Hi! I'm Mario, a junior from Sugar Land, TX majoring in East Asian Studies and Computer Science. I have been studying Japanese for 9 years, a sixth of which I spent living in Japan, attending public high school, homestaying, interning, and participating in the BOSP Kyoto program. I recently received JLPT N1 certification and hope to one day run for public office in Japan. This is my fourth year tutoring in the language, and my second serving as an LCP. I look forward to meeting you!
Korean LCPs
Maleah Webster
Hello! My name is Maleah (she/her) and this is my third year as an LCP. I am a Senior from the Chicago area. I major in International Relations and minor in Translation Studies/CSRE. I've studied Korean and French both for 6+ years. Outside of classes I spend my time cooking, reading, painting, and watching my favorite Youtube channels. I can’t wait to get to know y’all through LCP and to support you in your language-learning journey!
Yoo Ra Sung
My name is Yoo Ra Sung, and I am a Junior from Honolulu, Hawaii majoring in International Relations and minoring in History. I was born in Incheon, South Korea and moved to Hawaii with my family when I was young. Besides Korean I have also studied Mandarin Chinese and have a general interest in East Asian language and culture! On campus, I am a part of SIAS (Society for International Affairs at Stanford), am an editor for the Stanford Undergraduate Law Review, and worked at the Center for Human Rights and International Justice. Among other things, I love photography, painting, bowling, writing, and watching Korean dramas on Netflix. I am excited to get to know you by conversing in Korean and look forward to supporting you in your language learning journey!
Portuguese LCP
Isa Calero Forero
Oi! My name is Isa (they/them) and I am a senior studying International Relations and co-terming in Latin American Studies. I was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador, but my family is from Cali, Colombia. I began learning Portuguese in high school, and took classes at Stanford. However, most of my learning came from taking a gap year in Brazil, and being immersed in the language and culture. I have loved learning about Brazilian culture and finding aspects of my own culture in it. Some of my hobbies include dancing in the Stanford Salseros, writing, and learning other languages like French and ASL.
Tania Flores
Oi! My name is Tania Flores, and I’m a fifth-year PhD candidate in Iberian and Latin American Cultures. Born in México and raised in California, my upbringing was binational, bicultural, and bilingual. I began learning Portuguese in the summer of 2019; I could not have imagined then the ways that the process of learning Portuguese would transform me. Today it is one of the languages I use the most in my day-to-day life. Outside of my PhD, I’m a dancer, political organizer, gardener, and poet. I can’t wait to learn more about you and chat with you about literature, music, popular culture, travel, politics, and anything else that’s of interest to you!
Spanish LCPs
Ana Ximena Sosa, Lead LCP
Hola! My name is Ximena I am a junior majoring in Civil Engineering and minoring in Energy Resources Engineering. I was born in Linares, NL, Mexico and moved to South Texas when I was eight. I grew up with Spanish as my first language and continue to speak it with my family and friends. On campus, I am most involved in the Western Equestrian Team and Los Salseros de Stanford. I love speaking about life on campus, travel, classes, hobbies, your favorite books and movies, music recommendations to improve Spanish (Bad Bunny, La Rosalia, Juanes, Morat...), cooking, and pretty much anything you want to practice your vocabulary on. I can't wait to meet you!
Andrés Carranza
Hola! My name is Andrés and I am a sophomore from Bogotá, Colombia majoring in CS with a concentration in AI. I enjoy dancing a lot, especially salsa and merengue (go salseros!!), and also really like spending time in nature. I love talking about just about anything and look forward to meeting you en español :)
Isabella Barrientos
Hi! My name is Isabella Barrientos and I'm a rising sophomore planning to major in Economics. I'm from Cali, Colombia so I've spoken Spanish my whole life. I'm extremely passionate about languages (took a Gap Year in Paris), love to travel and try new foods, and am a huge adrenaline junkie. Can't wait to meet you!
Luciana Bridges
Hola! My name is Luciana (she/her), and I’m from Lima, Peru and New Orleans, Louisiana. I am a junior majoring in Psychology and minoring in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CSRE). Growing up in a bilingual and bicultural household, I had to quickly learn how to navigate switching between languages and cultures, in order to fit into both. My upbringing also gave me a love for reading, playing volleyball, baking, and treating people with kindness. In my free time, I like listening to Bad Bunny, Taylor Swift, and Harry Styles. I can’t wait to work and share my love for Spanish with you!
Lyzet Montañez Hurtado
¡Hola! I am Lyzet Montañez Hurtado (she/her/ella), a junior majoring in Political Science and minoring in Spanish/CSRE. I am a heritage Spanish speaker from Clearlake, CA and my family is from a small rancho in Michoacán, Mexico. I love to crochet, paint, propagate plants, make bracelets, decorate, among other things. I look forward to meeting you and learning about your interests! :)
Ronak Shetty
¡Hola!My name is Ronak Shetty, and I am a Sophomore at Stanford University with a background in Spanish and Portuguese language and Iberian and Latin American Cultures.I’m a global citizen and a product of colonialism. Simply put, I’m a South Asian that loves studying connections and opening doors that investigate the various similarities between the languages and cultures of South Asia, the Iberian Peninsula, and Latin America.While I did not grow up with Spanish as my first language, I’ve spent the past few years working with students who are learning Spanish as a second language. In truth, I find that second language learner (L2) students typically encounter the same struggles in communication that I once did. Therefore, I can relate well with the experiences of L2 students. As such, I’m ready to get to work with you and speak on various topics ranging from travel to favorite hobbies/pastimes. Let’s have some fun! Nos vemos :)“Cuando una puerta se cierra, otra se abre.”“When one door is closed, another is opened.”-Miguel de Cervantes (the Shakesphere of Spanish Lit :)
Silvana Alfaro
Hi! My name is Silvana and I am a sophomore from El Salvador. I love languages: Spanish is my native one, I learned English and French at school, and am now currently learning Italian. At Stanford, I am majoring in Human Biology and am very interested in Neuroscience and Psychology. In my free time I love to go on outdoor adventures like scuba diving, water skiing, and kayaking and I also love to cook savory food. I'm really excited to meet you and help you learn this wonderful language!
Valerie Hernández
Hello! My name is Valerie Hernández and I'm a Senior majoring in Symbolic Systems with a concentration in HAI. I'm from Puerto Rico, so I grew up speaking Spanish at home, in school, and around the island. Some of the things I love to do are going to concerts, trying new foods, and spending time at the beach. Excited to chat!