About Banyan Global Learning

Seth Fleischauer is a graduate of Princeton University, Queens College School of Education, and the New York City Teaching Fellows Program. He taught in NYC public schools and in Taiwan before founding Banyan Global Learning in 2008 and establishing its unique distance learning model. Since then, he has enjoyed watching Banyan grow as it expanded its programs and services with a team of dozens of excellent educators on multiple continents. In addition to Banyan, he has a podcast on bringing consciousness to education.

Seth loves positive change, both internal and external. He enjoys sports, horticulture, food, pop culture, and humor. He lives in Portland, Oregon but still loves the New York Mets.

Courtney is the lead manager for the overall instructional design for Banyan and its partnership with Tsai Hsing School in Taiwan. She is also the lead for the development and implementation of live virtual programs.

Originally from Montana, she is now based in Ridgefield, WA. After graduating with a degree in Multilingual/Multicultural Education from Arizona State University, Courtney has since worked in various ESL/EFL classrooms in the United States, Costa Rica, Taiwan and China.

When Courtney is not in the classroom, she enjoys playing music, travel, all types of adventurous outdoor activities and spending time with her family and friends.

Mara is both an international student and an international teacher! Born and raised in New York, Mara graduated from The University at Albany in May 2014 with a degree in Marketing and Communications and double minor in Psychology and Sociology. In February 2017, She moved to Prague, Czech Republic to become an ESL teacher. After almost two years abroad, she moved to Florida to be closer to family. Mara spent three years teaching kindergarten and STEAM at the elementary level, and now works as a Preschool Pathways Teacher at Primrose. In her free time, she volunteers for Make-A-Wish and at her local YMCA. She earned her Masters in Educational Leadership at Barry University in August of 2021.

Mara joined Banyan in 2021 as a junior high distance learning teacher for the Learning Live program. She also supports the team with market research will help host live virtual programs for students around the world.

Mara is most fulfilled while traveling and connecting with strangers around the world. Her greatest passion is people; learning about others and their cultures first hand. She is a strong advocate for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.

Fun fact: Mara loves to collect funky and unique earrings.

Katrina is a TESOL specialist who has been teaching for almost 20 years.  She’s taught in Canada, the US, South Korea, Japan, and Saudi Arabia and has also worked in educational management and assessment for many years. At Banyan, Katrina works with the curriculum development team to lead and support a variety of projects. She also supports the leadership team in human resources, recruiting, organizational structure, planning, and wherever else support is needed.

Katrina holds a MS in Educational Learning Design and Technology, an MA in Teaching (ESOL), teaching qualifications in Canada and the UK (OCELT/DELTA), and a PGC in Arts Administration and Cultural Management.

Favourite things include knitting, stitching, using the Oxford comma, soaking in onsens, and travelling with her adventure-kitty, scaredy-dog, and fun-husband.

Kris is a puppetry specialist with a passion for deep feelings and puppets. She has spent her life entertaining. Her teaching goal is to get her audience to laugh together. Kris has been working in education since 1988.

Kris graduated from East West College of the Healing Arts as a Licensed Massage Therapist. She also has a BS in General Studies Social Science Option from Portland State University.

Kris joined Banyan in 2019 as a puppetry specialist, offering an SEL program called Bird That Wants to Fly. Kris and her special puppets have been an important part of other SEL programs that teach children the magic of puppet making and puppetry.

Kris works with other puppetry groups, like Pacific Puppetry and Puppeteers of America, who “build a community of people who celebrate puppet theatre.”

Kris likes to sing, dance and roam woods near lakes in Oregon.

Robyn is an educator, administrator, and mentor. She earned a Masters in Elementary Education, a BS in Child and Family Studies, a Minor in Studio Art, a Minor in Education, and a Certification in Early Childhood Education all from the University of New Hamsphire.

Robyn founded, owned, and directed a school business for 11 years in Portland, Oregon. She earned the highest 5 STAR accreditation from the Quality Rating System in Oregon. She taught in an elementary classroom for 7 years in New Hampshire and was a distance learning teacher for kindergarteners in Tsai Hsing. She also teaches piano privately with students of all ages. She has a passion for bringing her artistic creativity and worldly experiences into her teaching communities and guiding best practices with educators, parents, and young learners. 

Robyn enjoys exploring nature, swimming, kayaking, creating art, playing piano, and singing. She loves her family and being a mom to 2 amazing children and dog.

Vanduncan is a classically trained actor from Boston. He went to AMDA College and Conservatory where he received his BFA in acting. He has been in several National commercials, worked alongside Emmy Winners’ Sterling K. Brown, and is represented by CESD. Along with the performing arts, he is a skilled portrait photographer and an avid reader. He is hoping to bring all these skills and more to each performance.

After graduating with her Bachelors in English and Secondary Education from Northeastern University in 2017, Anika has been teaching English Language Arts in Boston and Costa Rica for the past 4 years. She has taught every grade from 6 – 12 except for grade 10, but her favorite is 8th and 9th. This year, Anika is completing her master’s in Human Development and Education with a focus on Language and Literacy Development in Cambridge, MA.

She is also working towards her second license in English as a Second Language.

When she is not joking around with her students or grading essays, Anika loves hiking, baking cookies, watching RuPaul’s Drag Race, snuggling her beloved cats Peanut Butter and Jelly, and hanging out with her fiance, Giancarlo.

Emily has been teaching since 2009 and has taught in Thailand, Taiwan, and her home state of Minnesota. Her favorite age is middle school.

She has a Masters degree in K-12 Education with a dual focus and licensure in K-12 Art and K-12 ELL. She also has a dual Bachelors degree in Fine Art and Art History

She enjoys working in various art forms, baking, mixology, sailing, being outside, board games, comics, and science fiction/fantasy.

Nancy earned her BS in Music Education and Elementary Education and an MS in Elementary Education at the University of New Mexico. She started her 17 year teaching career in New Mexico before moving to Oregon. She has taught kindergartners through 6 graders. She has taught general education, music education, and intervention education in the public school setting. Now, she has the privilege of supporting educators and students around the world with Banyan Global Learning.

Nancy is a classically trained violinist who enjoys playing and singing with local groups.  Nancy enjoys crocheting, camping, kayaking, and traveling with her husband, young daughter, and their chihuahua, Skippy. 

Lila attended The American Musical Dramatic Academy in Los Angeles, California, earning a B.A. Lila is an actress, activist and model. She has over 6 years of volunteering as a student teacher under her belt.

Lila joined Banyan in 2020 as a kindergarten distance learning teacher. She was also a co-host of Banyan’s after-school Student Activism Club, helping young learners make sense of current events.

Lila is now on board with Banyan’s engaging Digital Citizenship series for young learners. Through this, Lila has become one of Banyan’s specially trained puppeteers, and is available to support these fun programs. She also supports administrative tasks, content development and creation, and teaching when more hands are needed.

Lila likes to practice yoga, salsa dance and get lost on YouTube!

Nimene is a recent graduate of NYU Tisch Drama. She is a Bi-Coastal artist. She speaks 3 and a half languages and has worked with Lincoln Center Theater, Second Stage Theater, and was a casting intern for the medical drama ‘New Amsterdam’ on NBC. 

She has studied and performed at UCB Theater, Groundlings, and she is a Story Pirate who transforms stories written by kids, and turns them into sketch comedy and songs. As a Story Pirate, she possesses the titles: producer, songwriter, and main cast member on ‘The Story Pirates podcast’. She is also host of the new iHeartRadio podcast History Remixed produced by Questlove and Jonathon Glickman. 

Most recently, she can be seen sweating from places she didn’t know could sweat while dancing at The Playground LA, riding her bike around Brooklyn, and on season 2 of That Damn Michael Che on HBO Max, and season 5 of Inside Amy Schumer on Paramount+.