Meet the iD & Instituto Staff
Our all adult staff members are experts in delivering the highest caliber Spanish exchange programs available. Below you’ll find the team that will be delivering the iD Teen Study Abroad Program in Spain. Staff consists of dedicated and experienced digital video filmmaking experts (instruction taught in English), native, licensed Spanish instructors (classes taught in Spanish and English), bilingual chaperones, tour guides and activities coordinators, and experienced program management staff…all passionate about making this Spanish program the memory of a lifetime.
Kevin Painchaud
I have been working with iD Tech Camps since its inception (this will be my 10th season working as iD’s Chief
Digital Video Guru). When Pete (iD’s CEO) asked me to lead the Spain program 5 years ago, I did so without
hesitation. I had traveled to Spain on several occasions previously, and fell in love with the country, as
so many travelers and students do. I actually visited Pete when he was working abroad in Madrid, Barcelona
and Sevilla. He had lived in southern Spain as a student, and later went to work in Spain. He is fluent,
and the best tour guide someone could have. He formed friendships and contacts in Spain—and that ultimately
evolved into the iD Spain program. While visiting Pete for the first time in Spain, we went on several cultural
excursions, and Spain and the lifestyle got in my blood. I say it all the time, “This is my dream job!” I
get to combine my Digital Video expertise (along with a team of other filmmaking experts) and teach our students
documentary filmmaking in a beautiful Spanish beach town. What more can I ask? We truly feel this program can
be the turning point in many teens’ lives, and we look forward to sharing the opportunity. When I’m not
teaching in Spain, I am busy as the owner of a Hollywood-based movie production and design firm. I am an expert
in Apple Final Cut Pro, and numerous other editing and special effects applications. I love walking each
student through the filmmaking process—and the way it ties in with their cultural experience outside the
digital video lab. Seeing what each student creates in two and half weeks is truly amazing—and we hope each student
feels this is one of the best experiences of their lives.
David Hirsch
I graduated from Brown University with a bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Economics. After graduation, I moved to New York, where I spent two years working on Wall Street for Goldman Sachs as a bank investor. After these two years, a group of bankers decided to leave the business. I joined them and, continuing as a bank investor, spent a while in Los Angeles and Florida. It was then that I made a decision which changed my life completely; I decided to give myself a break from work and traveled to Spain to learn something about a different language and culture. From the first day I arrived in Seville I felt at home. I started to study Spanish and ended up creating a program for foreign students at another private school. I directed this program for seven years before I founded the MundoLengua program. Although I speak Spanish fluently, I identify with our students who often arrive in Spain apprehensive and excited. Like many of our students, when I arrived in Spain for the first time I didn't speak Spanish and I had never lived outside of the United States. One of the aspects which I most value of our program is the opportunity to meet our students, spend time with them and, above all, make them feel comfortable while they learn more about the Spanish language and culture.
Stefanie Kempf
I was born in Zurich, Switzerland but as a child I lived and studied for four years in Cameroon, Africa. From that point I began to value the importance of traveling and living in other countries to learn about different cultures. I also realized the importance of learning languages (one of my strongest passions) to fully enjoy living in other countries. After I finished a few classes on photography in Switzerland, I decided to spend a year in Marseilles, France studying French and working with 12- to 16-year-old students. I returned to Switzerland, where I started working at a private photography studio while I was finishing some classes on marketing and business administration. My stay in Switzerland saw itself interrupted by a number of trips abroad: I lived four months in Manchester, UK and in Dublin, Ireland, where I worked and studied English. In both cities I stayed with families to learn more about the countries' culture. Later, I decided to move to Spain to study and work. I've dedicated the last five years to developing and promoting immersion programs for American, German and Canadian students at another private Spanish language school. Because of this, I bring to MundoLengua my experience organizing programs for Canadians and Europeans and the ability to speak five languages fluently, as well as my passion for meeting people from around the world. I also have the opportunity to share my experiences in other countries with the students who participate in our programs.
Rocío Cobo
I graduated from the University of Seville with a BA in English. My interest in traveling to other countries and learning languages has brought me to participate in immersion programs at various levels. I studied in Edinburgh, UK, Colchester, UK and Munster, Germany. I also studied in London, where I stayed with an English family for a year and began to give Spanish classes. Since 1998, I have taught Spanish classes to adults as well as high school and college students. I've spent the last three years working as the Assistant Academic Director in another private Spanish language school and as Assistant Director for a program for college students in Seville (Universities of Michigan, Cornell, and Pennsylvania). Currently, I direct the Academic Department of our program for university students. I finished my masters in the English department of the University of Pennsylvania and completed research for my doctorate in African-American literature and music. Given that I'm interested in music, literature, and culture, I always try to incorporate these aspects in my Spanish classes and I use them as an incentive for the students to participate actively. I have always set myself a goal: make even the most timid student feel comfortable in class and enjoy speaking in Spanish.
Yaye Baena
I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Arabic from the University of Seville. While I was finishing the degree, I spent two summers in Tunis to improve my speaking skills and research one of my passions: literature written by Arab women. After graduation, I spent a year in Damascus (Syria) studying Arabic in the university and continuing my literary research. Currently I am finishing my doctorate in Arabic literature at the University of Seville. My passion for Arabic literature has brought me to translate a book from Arabic to Spanish about a Syrian writer named Colette Bahna and to develop a comparative study about this Syrian author and the Isabel Allende. During the last five years I have also worked as the coordinator and professor for high school students at a private Spanish language school. As I came into contact with foreign students and above all with American students, I made learning English one of my goals and I moved to the United States for a year to get to better know this new language. I lived a year in Williamsburg, Virginia, where I worked at The College of William and Mary as the Spanish House tutor and a Spanish teacher. When I returned to Spain I formed part of the MundoLengua team and currently, in addition to teaching Spanish language and culture, I direct the Academic Department of our program for high school students. It is truly a job which brings me pleasure as I love to watch how the students simultaneously learn and enjoy their experiences in a foreign country.
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