Meet the World Languages Department
Mrs. Carmen Garmilla - Department Head
Carmen Garmilla has been teaching at Charlotte Catholic for 10 years. She is the World Language Department Co-Chair, and she teachers Academic Achievement Spanish 1 and AP Spanish Language and Culture. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Mexico City in Human Communication Therapy, working with any kind of communication disorders, from speech therapy to learning disabilities and autism. Mrs. Garmilla also earned her Masters Degree in Applied Linguistics in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language from the University of Jaén in Spain. As a former MACS parent, she believes in the importance of not only preparing the students academically, but giving them opportunities to discover how much they are loved by God, and ways to keep trusting in His Mercy, discovering God's plan in their lives.
Mrs. Suzanne Cona - Department Head
Mrs. Cona is a member and Co-Chair of the World Languages Department. She teaches Latin II, Honors Latin III, Honors Latin IV, and AP Latin classes
Email: smcona@charlottecatholic.org
Ms. Elva Burnham
Hello, I'm Elva Burnham, and I teach Spanish I. I'm delighted to be in my second year at CCHS, but my journey in education spans many years, with experience in bilingual programs and Dual Language Immersion (DLI) dating back to 2004. I've had the privilege of teaching in various settings, including private and public schools in both Mexico and the USA. I'm proud to share that I earned my master's degree in education from UNCW. Teaching in a Catholic school has been an incredibly rewarding experience for me. It provides a unique environment where values, ethics, and character development are integrated into the educational experience. This holistic approach to education fosters a sense of community and responsibility among students, and it's truly inspiring to be a part of it.
Mrs. Natacha Carrillo
Mrs. Carrillo is a member of the World Languages Department. She teaches Spanish II and AP Spanish Literature classes.
Email: nlcarrillo@charlottecatholic.org
Mrs. Socky Davaz
Mrs. Socorro Davaz was born and raised in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico and is a native Spanish speaker. She holds a BA in Architecture with minors in Education and Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She also holds a master’s from the Universidad de Granada in the Language and Culture of Spain. She is a certified North Carolina teacher and has taught elementary, middle-school, and high school in the Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools since 1999. In addition to her teaching duties, Mrs. Davaz is faculty adviser to the Spanish National Honor Society at Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School. She has two children, Mrs. Davaz is a member of St. Gabriel parish in Charlotte where she has lived for over thirty years.
Dr. Souhair El Fahsi
Dr. El Fashi is a member of the World Languages Department. She teaches French II, Honors French III, Honors French IV, and AP French V classes
Email: selfahsi@charlottecatholic.org
Mrs. Caroline Fiddes
Caroline Fiddes attended the University of Notre Dame and graduated with a dual degree in Spanish and Information Technology with a certification in International Business. Her passion for Spanish was sparked by traveling the Spanish speaking world including attending the Pontificia Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile in 2000. She has been blessed to be a teacher at Charlotte Catholic since 2005 and has taught all different levels through the years. She currently teaches Spanish II.
Email: ccfiddes@charlottecatholic.org
Mr. Andrew Hicks
Mr. Hicks is a member of the World Languages Department. He teaches Latin I, and Latin II
Email: alhicks@charlottecatholic.org
Ms. Julie Horiuchi
Ms. Horiuchi is a member of the World Languages Department. She teaches French I.
Email: jdhoriuchi@charlottecatholic.com
Mrs. Gabriela Palomino
Mrs. Palomino has more than 20 years of experience teaching in both college and high school settings. With a long family tradition of Catholic educators, including four aunt nuns, she is a native of Venezuela, married, and has three children—Ana, an alumna of CCHS, Alice at Holy Trinity, and Alejandro at St. Gabriel. A parishioner at St. Gabriel Church since 2006, she holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations with a minor in International Business, and three Master's degrees (International Relations, Latin American, and Spanish Literature). She strongly believes in a student-centered classroom where each individual owns their process, promoting growth and accountability. Along with Spanish classes, she also teaches Honors Latin American classes in the Social Studies Department.
Email: mgpalomino@charlottecatholic.org
Ms. Sabine Schmid-Rankin
Frau Schmid-Rankin is in her third year of teaching German at Charlotte Catholic HS and her 20th year in education. She taught German for 16 years in Gaston County. She earned her master's degree (musicology, history, and archeology) at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany and her teacher's license for German at UNC Charlotte. She loves teaching and finding creative ways to share her language and culture with her students.
Email: sischmid-rankin@charlottecatholic.org
Ms. Lauren Switzer
Lauren Switzer is very excited to be returning to Charlotte Catholic as a teacher. After graduating from CCHS in 2011, Ms. Switzer graduated from Winthrop University in 2015 with a degree in Spanish and a minor in religious studies. After graduating from Winthrop, she continued to study Spanish at New Mexico State University and graduated in 2018 with a MA in Spanish Linguistics and a minor in education with her teacher certification in world languages. Her teaching career started at St. Anne Catholic School in Rock Hill, SC, where she taught 1st-8th grade Spanish and Spanish 1 for 4 years. Then, she moved to St. Anne Catholic High School where she taught Spanish 1, 2, 3, 3 Honors for 4 years and also served as the Catholic Identity Coordinator. She also has experience teaching AP Spanish Language and Culture for 2 years and preparing students and administering the SC Seal of Biliteracy test. Outside of school, Ms. Switzer is an active member of St. Philip Neri Catholic Church in Fort Mill, SC, and she enjoys spending time with her family, her friends and her two rescue dogs. With a strong passion for Spanish and her Catholic faith, she is very excited to be teaching at CCHS and bringing the Gospel values to life in her classroom.
Email: lcswitzer@charlottecatholic.org