Irakasleak ezagutu
Meet the Teachers
Madalen Bieter Lete
Irakaslea // Teacher & NABO Euskara Co-CoordinatorMadalen Bieter Boise Idahokoa da eta txikia zenetik Euskaraz hitz egiten zuen etxekoekin eta gero Boiseko Ikastolan. Boise State Unibersitaten zegon bitartean Basque Minor-a lortu zuen eta horren bidez Maizpide Barnetegian eta Gipuzkuako hainbat Euskaltegietan ikasi du Euskara. Madalen oso inplikatuta dago bere euskal komunitatean. Hileroko afari batean aurkituko duzu, Oinkari Dantza Taldearekin musika jotzen, edo eszenatokian Hori bai! erromeria taldearekin. 2022an hasi zen NABO Euskararekin Hasierako lehenengo ta bigarren urteko klaseak ematen eta 2025aen hasi zen koordinatzaile lan postuan Mikaela Goikoetxearekin batera.
Madalen Bieter is from Boise, Idaho and grew up speaking Euskara with her family at home and then at the Boiseko Ikastola, the first Basque preschool in the US. During her undergraduate studies at Boise State University, she obtained a Basque Studies Minor. Through that experience, she was able to study Euskara at Maizpide Barnetegia and in several Euskaltegis of Gipuzkoa. Madalen is very involved in the Basque community of Boise. You might catch her at a monthly dinner, playing music for the Oinkari Dantza Taldea, or on stage with Hori bai! a new erromeria band. in 2022 she began teaching beginner Euskara with NABO and in 2025 she took the role of Coordinator with Mikaela Goikoetxea.
Mikaela DePoyster-Goikoetxea
Irakaslea // Teacher & NABO Euskara Co-CoordinatorMikaela DePoyster-Goikoetxea Rock Springs, Wyomingen jaio zen, eta harro dago Euskaldun Berria izateko. Mikaelak zerotik ikasi zuen Euskara NABO Euskara klase batzuk hartuz, eta Maizpide Barnetegian ikasiz. 2 urte Euskal Herrian pasatu ondoren, C1 ziurtagiria lortu zuen, eta Wyomingera itzuli zen. NABO Euskara irakaslea izan da 2024ko udazekenetik, eta NABO Euskara Koordinatzaile postua hartu zuen 2025ean. NABO Euskaratik kanpo, Mikaelak musika irakasten du lehen hezkuntzako eskola batean, eta NABO Musika Zuzendaria da 2020tik.
Mikaela DePoyster-Goikoetxea is a Wyoming native from Rock Springs, and a proud “Euskaldun Berria” (“new Basque speaker”). Inspired by her love of Basque language and culture instilled in her by her aita who immigrated to the US from Nafarroa, Mikaela learned Euskara from zero through a few NABO Euskara Zoom courses and 2 years of intensive study at Maizpide Barnetegia in Lazkao, Gipuzkoa, earning a C1 level certificate in Euskara. Mikaela has been a teacher for NABO Euskara since Fall of 2024, and began her journey as Co-Coordinator for NABO Euskara in early 2025. By day, she works as a K-5 Elementary Music Teacher in Green River, Wyoming, and also has served as NABO’s Music Programs Director since 2020.
Current Teachers
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Aurtengo Irakasleak
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Current Teachers 〰️ Aurtengo Irakasleak 〰️
Zoe Bray
Irakaslea // TeacherZoe Bray is an artist currently based in Maine, USA. She first moved to the United States from Europe to work as professor at the Center for Basque Studies of the University of Nevada, Reno. She is French Basque on her mother’s side, but although her grandmother spoke Basque, she did not pass the language on to her children or grandchildren.
As Zoe’s family moved around Europe during her childhood, her exposure to Basque was limited to visits to the Basque Country during school holidays. Later, while studying at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and then in Florence, Italy, Zoe found ways to spend more time in the Basque Country. She took intensive Basque-language courses, first with HABE at Maizpide in Lazkao, then with AEK in Urepel, and eventually attended evening classes in Hendaye and Bayonne.
Zoe is still far from fluent in Basque, but she is delighted to share what she has learned with beginners.
Iratxe Ezkurza
Irakaslea // TeacherIratxe Eskurza was born and raised in Ezkerraldea (Bizkaia), in the Basque Country, where Euskara was not the primary language. Born during the transition to democracy, at a time when Ikastolak were beginning to flourish, she started learning Euskara at just two years old and went on to complete all her education—including medical school—in Euskara.
Today, Iratxe lives with her family in Boulder, Colorado, where she practices as an endocrinologist. After many years in the United States, she is passionate about helping keep Euskara alive and sharing the unique culture, heritage, and identity of the Basque Country with future generations in North America, including her own children, Mikel, Ane, and Naia.
Aaron Wilcox
Irakaslea // TeacherAaron grew up in Sandpoint, Idaho and eventually found himself at Boise State University for college. His love for linguistics and a good challenge brought him into the Basque Studies program at Boise State where he was quickly exposed to the generous and welcoming Basque community.
Feeling so attached, he applied for the Ateak Ireki exchange program and was gifted the opportunity to live for a month in the Basque Country with a host family, where he spent everyday going to Maizpide Barnetegia, visiting historical monuments, towns, and sites, and most importantly being exposed to all that Basque culture had to offer.
He is now continuing at Boise State with plans to graduate with a double major in Linguistics and Materials Science and Engineering with a Basque Studies minor.
Damien Kelly
Irakaslea // TeacherKaixo!
Damien naiz, Chinon jaioa baina nire bihotza Euskal Herrian dago. Urtebete nuela Andoainera, Donostiatik gertu, joan nintzen bizitzera, eta bertan bizi izan nintzen duela bi urte Chino-ra itzuli nintzen arte.
Euskara izan zen nire lehen hizkuntza, eta euskaraz ikasi nuen eskolan. Nire familiaren sustraiak Euskal Herriko bi aldeetan daude: aitonaren familia Sunbillakoa da, Nafarroan, eta amonarena Ispourekoa, Iparralden, Donibane Garaziren ondoan.
Euskara niretzat hizkuntza bat baino gehiago da; gure nortasunaren eta komunitatearen parte da. Euskara irakasteko gogoa dut, euskal komunitatea babesten eta hazten lagundu nahi dudalako.
Ilusio handiz nago Euskara irakasten hasteko, euskaldunok hain berezi egiten gaituen gauza hori —gure hizkuntza— besteekin partekatuz!
Laster arte!
Hi!
My name is Damien. I was born in Chino, California, but when I was one year old, I moved to Andoain, a town near Donostia, where I lived until returning to Chino two years ago.
Euskara was my first language, and I went to school in Euskara. My family has roots on both sides of the Basque Country: my grandfather’s family is from Sunbilla, Nafarroa, and my grandmother’s family is from Ispoure, Iparralde, a small town near Donibane Garazi.
For me, Euskara is much more than a language; it is an important part of our identity and our community. I want to teach Euskara because I want to help support and grow the Basque community and share the language that has always been such an important part of my life.
I’m really excited to begin this new chapter teaching the language that makes us Basque people so unique and sharing my love of Euskara with my students!
Laster arte! — See you soon!
Esther Ciganda
Irakaslea // Teacher
Diego Almagro Mujika
Irakaslea // TeacherDiego Almagro Mujika naiz, Donostian jaioa. Nire ama Itziarkoa zen, Gipuzkoako kostaldeko herri txiki batekoa. Euskalduna zen eta andereño izan zen. Nire aita, berriz, Valentziakoa zen eta ez zekien euskaraz. Horregatik, etxean euskara eta gaztelania batera bizi izan genituen. Euskara beti izan dut gertu, baina ez nuen etxean erabat ikasi. Horregatik, ez naiz euskaldunzaharra, ezta euskaldunberria ere.
Zuzenbideko ikasketak amaitu ondoren, euskarari heldu nion. Kulturarekiko interesak eta jakin-minak bultzatu ninduten. Irakasle onak izan nituen, eta haien bidez euskara ez ezik, euskal kultura, literatura eta historia ere ezagutu nituen.
Urte batzuk geroago euskarazko tituluak lortu nituen, eta administrazioan lanean hasi nintzenean, euskarak garrantzi handia hartu zuen nire lanbidean. Euskaraz ikastaroak eta hitzaldiak emateko aukera izan dut, batez ere zuzenbidearen arloan.
Euskara ikasteak nire sustraiak hobeto ulertzen lagundu dit, eta euskal kulturarekiko lotura sendotu dit. Administrazioan urte asko eman ondoren, berriro euskararen ikasle izatera itzuli naiz. Hasieran euskarara hurbildu ninduen euskal kulturarekiko interesa berriro gurutzatu da nire bidean, Donostiatik urruti. Etxetik urrun egon arren, euskarak etxera ekarri nau berriz, eta hasierako ilusio berarekin jarraitzen dut gaur ere.