Meet Our Team
Educational Team
Ara Vázquez
Hola! I’m Ara. I’m from Torreón, Mexico, and I’ve spent more than a decade working in education in New York City.
In 2018, I founded Toc Toc Spanish, which grew from programs in New York to online classes reaching children and families across four continents.
My obsession with creating a better approach to language learning has taken me pretty far—literally. I volunteered at Angolapalanta Montessori School in Fót, Hungary, exploring bilingualism within a Montessori environment, which led me to pursue my Infant-Toddler Montessori certification at West Side Montessori School in New York City.
Along the way, I helped implement the Spanish immersion program at Elite Minds Montessori in Brooklyn, while continuing to develop and teach the Toc Toc Spanish curriculum in private and public schools across Brooklyn and Queens.
I also have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, which has come in pretty handy when your vision for better education turns into an actual company. Now, after years of teaching, experimenting, learning, and refining our approach, we’re bringing it all together in Toc Toc’s first physical location in Long Island City: a place where children don’t come to learn Spanish vocabulary. They come to experiment, use their imagination, build independence, make friends, and explore the world—in Spanish.
As Founder & Executive Director, I lead Toc Toc’s educational vision, strategy, growth, and partnerships.
Founder & Executive Director
Karla González
Lead Teacher & Academic Manager
Hi! I’m Karla González. I’m from Torreón, Mexico, and Toc Toc and I actually go way back!
I started teaching Spanish with Toc Toc in 2020, first online, where I got to work with children from all over and lead some of our Arts & Crafts and Science classes—all in Spanish. A few years later, Toc Toc brought me all the way to New York, where I started teaching our students in person and got to experience a whole new side of the program.
I studied Business Administration, but teaching has always given me a way to bring together so many things I love: creativity, problem-solving, working with children, and finding different ways to help each child learn and feel successful.
Now, as Lead Teacher & Academic Manager, I get to be at the heart of Toc Toc every day. I lead our classroom and teaching team, help plan our curriculum and projects, and make sure all the little details of our day-to-day program come together—so our children can walk in, feel at home, and spend their afternoons learning, creating, exploring, and growing in Spanish.
Camila Gil
Language Programs & Family Success Manager
Hi there! I’m Camila Gil. I’m from Cali, Colombia, and I’ve always been a language nerd at heart. I speak and teach three languages: Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
I taught English and Spanish in São Paulo, Brazil, then packed my bags and taught English and Portuguese in Colombia. I even got to be part of Camp America in Illinois, working with kids and people with disabilities—such a fun and rewarding experience! After that, I spent time as an au pair in Georgia, living with a family and experiencing daily life from the inside, as part of the household.
Turns out all that traveling and teaching came from studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Foreign Languages, and here at Toc Toc, I get to bring all of that together, helping create a space where kids learn while feeling comfortable, supported, and excited to learn!
As Language Programs & Family Success Manager, I support foreign language curriculum development, family relationships, enrollment, and business development.
Mariana Ruiz
Lead Teacher (Babies and Toddlers and Preschoolers)
Hi! I’m Mariana Ruiz. I’m from Mexico, and working with young children has been a big part of my life for many years. I’m a Social Worker and Early Childhood Educator, with experience teaching in daycares and preschools, as well as working closely with children and families through childcare.
I’m also TESOL certified and have studied Child Development, and one of my favorite things about teaching languages to little ones is that learning doesn’t have to look like a lesson at all. Through music, movement, stories, games, art, and lots of play, children can begin experiencing a new language naturally.
At Toc Toc, I’m a Lead Teacher for our youngest learners, teaching Spanish in daycares and preschools in Park Slope, Brooklyn, as well as our Grown-Up & Me classes in Forest Hills, Queens. I love creating a warm environment where children feel comfortable, connected, and excited to participate—even when Spanish is completely new to them
Pilar Martinez
Spanish Musical Theatre & Performing Arts Teacher
Hi! I’m Pilar Martínez. I’m from Saltillo, Mexico, and performing has taken me all over the world—from training at Broadway Dance Center in New York and dancing in France, to performing professionally with Disney Cruise Line, Nickelodeon, and RWS Entertainment Group.
My background is in musical theatre, dance, choreography, and live entertainment, and I’ve had the opportunity to perform in productions like West Side Story, Grease, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, as well as work as a Dance Captain, Character Trainer, and Company Manager.
My story with Toc Toc started back in 2020. During the pandemic, I taught Musical Theatre and Dance with Toc Toc’s virtual Summer Camp, creating choreography and bringing performance into our Spanish program from afar.
Now I’m back with Toc Toc as our Spanish Musical Theatre & Performing Arts Teacher, helping children use Spanish in a completely different way—through movement, music, characters, storytelling, imagination, and performance.
Because sometimes the best way to find your voice in another language is to get onstage and use it.
Behind the Scenes
Val Hernández
Marketing and Admin
I’m from Chihuahua, Mexico, and I’m currently studying Marketing at Universidad La Salle. Before Toc Toc, I worked with different businesses on marketing strategy, market research, social media, and customer outreach—and even started a small business of my own. 😄
At Toc Toc, my role combines two things I really enjoy: growing a brand and figuring out how to make a business work better behind the scenes. I help with campaigns, community, and growth projects, while also building manuals, organizing documentation, and creating systems and processes that help keep Toc Toc organized as we grow.
This job has also given me the opportunity to work with a team across Mexico and New York—and even spend time with Toc Toc in New York City, which was a dream come true!
As part of Business Operations & Growth, I help turn ideas into organized, repeatable systems so Toc Toc can keep growing without losing what makes it special.
Frida Quezada
Content & Communications
Hi! I’m currently studying Marketing at Universidad La Salle in Chihuahua, Mexico, with a special love for the creative side of it. I’ve worked on branding, visual identity, web design, social media, and content creation for different brands.
At Toc Toc, I help turn our ideas and everyday classroom moments into the photos, videos, Reels, Stories, and visual content you see online—while helping keep our communications organized and on brand.
Working with Toc Toc has also given me an international perspective—and the opportunity to visit our team in New York City and see in person the stories I usually help tell from behind a screen.
At the Content & Communications department, I help bring the personality and experience of Toc Toc to life beyond the classroom.
