Arun Ryan |
Teacher Arun Ryan developed an interest in the German language early on, and began to study German in his native India before coming to the U.S. He completed his education here by earning an M.S. from Drexel University. He is also certified in Instructional Systems Design, and his teaching experience includes being a Six Sigma Black Belt trainer and doing private tutoring.
Arun joined German School Phoenix in 2013 and joined Arizona German Language School in 2022. He has taught all levels from beginner to advanced classes. Though he lives in Phoenix, Arun has been running the Tempe Stammtisch for several years. His favorite way to relax is to watch TV.
Dr. Melanie Laczko |
Teacher Born and raised in Germany, Dr. Melanie Laczko completed her M.A. in Translation Studies, Linguistics and Cultural Studies (German, English, Spanish) at the Johannes Gutenberg-University in Mainz where she also worked as an undergraduate and graduate assistant and visiting lecturer between 2003 and 2013 - until her move to Arizona. She started teaching German and Spanish at the high school level in 2014 and finished her Ph.D. in Foreign Language Acquisition and Pedagogy in 2015. She is currently a Modern Language teacher in the Gilbert School District.
Dr. Laczko suffers from the "Wanderlust Syndrome" - a strong desire to travel. She has been to many different countries in the world and used to work as a tour guide for Americans in Europe during Spring and Summer breaks. This is also how she met her husband. She enjoys taking her kids to Germany in the summer, is a Fußball fan (BVB) and loves the beach.
Monika Dayal |
Tutor Monika was born and raised in Cologne, Germany, where her passion for teaching took root. After earning a Masters degree in Social Pedagogy, she worked closely with foreigners to help them learn German and integrate into their new communities. In 2014 Monika Dayal moved to Arizona with her family and continued her journey as an educator.
She earned her teaching certificate from Rio Salado College in 2023 and now works as a private German tutor, guiding learners of all ages and backgrounds toward language mastery. Her personalized teaching approach makes learning German both accessible and enjoyable, whether students are beginners or advanced learners seeking to refine their skills. Outside the classroom, Monika enjoys baking, hiking Arizona’s scenic trails with her dog, and traveling with her family.
Melanie Mello |
Director Melanie Mello grew up in Germany and decided to stay in the US after completing her study abroad at California State University, Chico. She began her teaching career in 2008 and has been awarded several teaching awards since then. Melanie was one of the five finalists for American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages’ Teacher of the Year (TOY) Award 2020 after having been chosen as the Southwest Conference on Language Teaching TOY and the Arizona TOY in 2019.
When she is not coaching German teachers or presenting on topics related to teaching and learning German, Melanie spends time with her family outdoors or at the barn with her horse. Melanie is excited to direct the Arizona German Language School, and to contribute to its mission to help foster and grow the interest in the German language and its cultures here in Arizona.
Kerstin Beltran |
Substitute Teacher Kerstin Beltran is a native speaker, born and raised in Mainz, Germany. Having studied Speech and Language Pathology in Erlangen, she then worked in this field for several years specializing in therapies for children with developmental issues and special needs. In 2011, she immigrated to Gilbert, Arizona.
A few years later, 2019 she founded her own private tutoring service LogoTutor, LLC teaching German students and children with autism and behavioral issues. She worked for the German School Phoenix in 2019 where she taught Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced and Kinder student classes for one year. Expanding her resume she also provides translation services for lyrics and song notation services.
In her free time, Kerstin enjoys spending time with her husband and her teen daughter, to travel, to hike and to watch movies.