Maria del Rocio Diaz
Director, McKinney Campus

Maria ("Rocio") was born in Bogota, Colombia, and holds a degree in graphic design from Centro de Diseño Taller Cinco. After moving to the U.S., she discovered Spanish Schoolhouse and began her SSH career as a teacher in 2005. Rocio has led the McKinney school as the director since 2012.

Rocio has always had a special connection with children and says that working in the Spanish Schoolhouse environment has been the perfect experience. She believes the most effective method of teaching is to encourage children's natural interest in exploration and discovery of new things, creating a lifelong love of learning. Because of the changing world we live in, Rocio feels that knowing the Spanish language and understanding the Hispanic culture is a gift that can help to develop even more skills throughout a person's life. Her goal is to create a comfortable and warm environment where students can play, learn and be happy.

Ann Mena
Owner, McKinney Campus

Ann was born and raised in New Mexico and holds a master's degree from Stanford University with a minor in Spanish. Ann originally started the McKinney Spanish Schoolhouse because of her lifelong love of learning, working with children and making a difference in the lives of others. Her children graduated from the Spanish Schoolhouse program, and it was through her experience as a parent that she learned about and grew to love Spanish Schoolhouse. With a passion for education, and experience raising bilingual children, she is thrilled to bring the program to local families as an owner of the McKinney campus.

Ann has seen firsthand that the SSH Spanish immersion preschool and kindergarten program provides for a traditional preschool education while also immersing students in both the Spanish language and the Hispanic culture. Her goal is to do everything possible to prepare the students to enter their next stage of learning. When they graduate from Spanish Schoolhouse, they will have increased confidence in themselves, knowledge of a second language, and an experience that they will always look back on with fond memories.