Yoli Raicovich

Biography

I grew up in a Spanish-speaking home, and from an early age I understood how powerful language can be in connecting people. I’m passionate about preserving my family’s first language and sharing it with others to help open new doors and experiences. I’m a bit of grammar nerd; I earned a perfect score on the Spanish SAT back in the day!

My love for languages led me to major in Spanish and Italian Studies at UC Santa Barbara. I also spent a wonderful year abroad in Bologna, Italy, taking university classes completely in Italian. While in Italy, I worked at a high school teaching English and discovered how much I loved helping students learn new languages. When I returned home, I joined a nonprofit where I oversaw the Youth Program and had the chance to work closely with children and teenagers—a role that deepened my commitment to mentorship.

I later earned my Master’s in Education from UCSB with an emphasis in Pedagogy, then taught Spanish for three years in Santa Barbara at all levels, both as a world language and as a heritage language. I am now in my sixth year as an educator. I am passionate about making language learning fun, engaging, and connected to everyday life. My goal is for students to feel confident speaking and proud of how much they’re growing as communicators.

When I’m not teaching, you can usually find me hiking with my husband and our two dogs or at the dog beach, trying (and sometimes failing!) to read on my Kindle.