After graduating from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Arts in English, Matt went on to pursue graduate studies at the University of California, Irvine, where he earned a Master of Arts in English. While at the University of California, Irvine, he taught undergraduate writing courses and developed instructional content tailored to a diverse student population that included both native English speakers and English-language learners. During this time, he also taught English as a Second Language (ESL), English for Academic Purposes (EAP), and standardized test preparation courses, including the TOEFL, IELTS, and SAT, at several well-regarded institutions across Southern California in the United States.Outside of his professional work, Matt enjoys immersing himself in books, discovering new places across Southern California, and spending time relaxing with his two cats.
Eric completed his undergraduate degree in English at the University of California, Berkeley. After graduating, he explored different careers in search of work he felt passionate about and found fulfilling. He worked in several industries, including restaurant service, mortgage, wedding photography, and health insurance. While reflecting on careers that aligned with his interests, his brother suggested teaching ESL at the community college, which immediately clicked. Although it doesn’t involve traveling, the ESL classroom brings together people from all walks of life, backgrounds, cultures, languages, and experiences—something he values because it allows him to learn about the world through his students. This led him to pursue and complete his M.A. in TESOL at Cal State Fullerton. Since then, Eric has taught in Los Angeles and is now at IEC.
In his free time, he enjoys traveling, learning new languages, and spending time with his family.
Nicole earned a Bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University. After working in various educational settings, Nicole spent two years teaching English in South Korea. Inspired by that experience, she returned to the United States to pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at The New School in New York. Since then, she has dedicated her career to English language education, spending about eight years teaching in the New York/New Jersey area in for-profit language schools and then the community college districts in the South Bronx and Jersey City. She is happy to be back in SoCal, currently teaching with IEC and Irvine Valley College.
When she's not working, Nicole loves going to the beach, traveling, and spending time with loved ones.
After graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a BA in Ethnic Studies and a minor in Japanese, Sarah began her teaching career in 2014. She has taught ages two to eighty-five while teaching in a variety of academic settings in three different countries. She taught English in Japan for six years and earned her MA from Arizona State and did a teaching internship at the Shonan Institute of Technology. After meeting her husband in the seaside of Kanagawa, Sarah then moved to his home country of Belgium to teach for four years. She returned to Orange County in the spring of 2024 to be closer to her family and has been enjoying teaching at IEC ever since!
Sarah can be found walking her dog, doing yoga, and spending time at the beach during her free time.
Sarah showed an interest in teaching since she was a teenage girl. Growing up bilingual, she used to teach French to her grandmother for fun. Little did she know that she’d follow that career path. Sarah is a proud alumna of SFSU, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business. While working with a diverse population in the Bay Area, Sarah has developed an interest in cultural awareness and foreign languages. Her experience in the tourism industry inspired her to shape new professional goals and to pursue the Master's program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages at SF State. While in grad school, Sarah designed a vocational English course and a career-readiness program for the immigrant population of Oakland, California.
When she is not teaching, cooking, or hiking, Sarah enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.