Meet the Staff
Ramin Tokhi
FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
“Hi! My name is Ramin Tokhi and I am the Founder and Executive Director of Torus.
After graduating in 2019 from Portland State University with a degree in Applied Linguistics, and teaching English for five years with People-Places-Things, I decided to establish a 501(c)(3) nonprofit for several reasons.
First, I want to give back to the communities that once welcomed me as a refugee. Even though there are many challenges that refugees face in a new country, many are eternally grateful to live in a safer country and often want to express that gratitude. However, in certain cultures saying thank you is not enough, you ought to take action to express it. This is my way of expressing gratitude and appreciation.
Second, I have been teaching and coaching for many years. While doing that what I realized is that in the context of teaching and learning the fundamental purpose for language is to bring people together. By providing a space for people to simply connect with each other and by sharing their voices, we break down the barriers we imagine that keep us isolated and separate. Torus provides that space for everyone to connect and build a community through language and culture exchange!
Finally, for the past 30 years of my life, I have been on a constant transformative learning journey. Torus is another learning journey not just for me, but for others who want to navigate, learn, and transform their lives. I hope that you will join us in transforming the United States of America into a welcoming country.”
Sara Hongel Mulliner
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
“Hi everybody! My name is Sara Hongel Mulliner, and I’m currently serving as the Volunteer Coordinator for Torus.
I used to teach with our partner organization People-Places-Things back in 2018 as part of my practicum for Portland State University’s MA TESOL (Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) program. I started volunteering with Torus in April 2020 and worked with two learners during the entirety of my two years of service.
I’ve experienced the process of language and cultural immersion first-hand during a combined 10 months of living abroad. Those experiences taught me how confusing it can be to engage in life in a new country and how important it is to have allies to guide you. However, I’ve never lived long-term in another place, so I’m continuously impressed with the everyday situations that our learners navigate (employment, raising children, building friendships) - all in a new language and culture!
You can see me pictured here holding an arepa, a type of food I learned about from one of my long-term learners from Venezuela. 😊”
Daniel Yuhas
LEARNERS’ ONBOARDING SPECIALIST
“Hi! I'm Daniel Yuhas and I'm the learners' onboarding specialist at Torus.
I fell in love with teaching English when I started doing classes at Midland Library through our partner organization, People Places Things. My favorite class moment so far was getting a big group of students to do a "stop, cover, and hold on!" earthquake drill all together - that really got people moving! I met Ramin and the gang through that teaching experience and joined the board of Torus right before the pandemic hit. I got to be in the first wave of teachers as we transitioned our teaching online during the Covid lockdown, and I served as a board member for 3 years. Before I started working with Torus, I was a traveling knitting teacher, which was super fun!”
Lauren Esula
FUND DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
“Hello! My name is Lauren Esula and I am the Fund Development Specialist at Torus.
After studying Public Relations at DePaul University, it has been important that I am able to give back to the community through my work. That is why I have worked in the non-profit sector since 2015, joining the Torus community in November 2021.
I love learning about other cultures and languages. In the past, I have studied French and I have been learning Spanish for the last several years. I definitely understand how hard, and sometimes frustrating, it can be to be learning a new language, but I love how rewarding it feels after you finally start to be able to converse in a new language. I believe that cross-cultural exchange can bring about so many fulfilling interactions and experiences that help shape the way we view our community and the world! I am happy to be part of a team that shares the same values as I do, and be another ally for anyone coming to America or learning English.”
Meet the Board Members
Erika Moreno
BOARD MEMBER
Hello nice people! My name is Erika Moreno, I am super excited to be a part of Torus. I started my journey with Torus as a student in the summer of 2022, I couldn't believe that such professional classes were free. Participating in this program gave me the strength and tools to communicate better at my job. I improved my confidence because people could understand me.
I came to Portland from Mexico City 3 years ago and the aspect that I have struggled the most is the language. I work as a Career Coach working with Latino immigrants by supporting them to find better jobs and training opportunities, the biggest barrier is learning English. They feel isolated and hopeless. Thanks to Torus achieving the goal becomes real.
I feel very blessed and grateful to participate as a Board Member serving to fulfill Torus' mission.
GRACIAS
Neil Weiner
BOARD MEMBER
My name is Neil Weiner. I was born in the Bronx, New York. I graduated from Rutgers University with a major in theoretical Mathematics and then completed my master’s degree there. My doctorate in psychology followed from Arizona State University. I had a long career as a professor for graduate students, private practice therapist, and consultant for businesses and schools.
My passion has always been traveling and teaching international students. I was in the Peace Corps in Guyana, South America teaching English. Also, my wife and I taught English in Vic La Gardiole France for over a year. Our final overseas teaching involved being guests of the Chinese government to teach at Zhaoqing University and teach business English to corporations.
My present passion is writing. I have four books published and two into book agents. I am now working on a crime/mystery called The Group.
My other passion is teaching two students for Torus. I previously finished with two other students last year.
Jane Stellmach
BOARD MEMBER
“Hello (Jambo).
I'm Jane Stellmach and a board member of Torus. I cultivate meaningful collaboration through an intentional connection at the root level and I joined Torus when I was looking for a space to connect with a global community through language and culture. I was inspired by the mission to bridge gaps between people and communities and my journey at Torus started as a Swahili bilingual volunteer which then translated to hosting Swahili Meetups.
I am a medical device industry professional by day and have worked for major companies to help patients worldwide live longer healthier, and more productive lives. I am a mother of 3 world schooled children, an immigrant from Kenya, and am embracing a nomadic lifestyle here in the USA. I also enjoy helping people make healthy nutritional choices to thrive and not just survive. I am fascinated by technology and love giving back to the planet. Based on my experiences living in a 3rd world country and a 1st world country, I believe that learning new languages and developing intercultural skills are all an ongoing process and necessary for the current and future world.
I thank God for this opportunity to be part of the Torus mission as I live to serve.”
Maureen Mackey
BOARD MEMBER
Hello new friends!
Here’s me in my happyplace, the summit of Buck Mountain in the Adirondacks of upstate New York where I was born and resided for 37 years.
My Field Experience professor told me I had a shi**y attitude and I should consider being a plumber. I had no idea that most of my job would be teaching disgruntled teens how to be good standardized test takers.
I wanted to teach eager, passionate students because that is what I was. I still am. I want to create a learning experience that is joyful, challenging, communal and inspiring. I want learners to know they have an important place in this changing world.
I found the perfect fit with PEOPLE. PLACES. THINGS. and now, with TORUS. TORUS fills me with adjectives and rewards me with progress pride, new friends and most importantly, a sense that my place is HERE.
I wanted to join the TORUS BOARD to give back to a company that provide me with this wonderful teaching opportunity and to be part of what happens behind the scenes to make this possible.
Jacky Joa
SECRETARY
Hello World! My name Jacky Joa and I was so happy when the board accepted me as a Board Member at Torus in August 2022.
What excites me about joining Torus is the mission and vision of the organization. I remember when I was 6 years old, I found a book that made me fall in love with learning different languages. It was a bilingual French-English dictionary. I spent several weekends trying to read the entire dictionary for fun. At that time, I had never met anyone who spoke other languages besides English, Spanish, and Chinese. Fast forward 20 years later, I met a coworker who speaks French. When I decided to say a couple of words in French, the reaction was shocking. That moment had inspired other colleagues to learn words and phrases of different languages. People were bringing food from their home country to share with other coworkers at work. Also, we were taught how to pronounce some of the foods in their native language. Those experiences taught me the importance of how cross-cultural exchange helps break down barriers people put on themselves that keep them feeling out of place and isolated.
I am grateful to be part of this organization and help further expand Torus's mission and vision.
Katie Rozsa
TREASURER
Hello everyone! I’m Katie Rozsa and I became a Board Member at Torus in the fall of 2022. I am a practicing finance attorney and former Portland area banker.
I graduated with a double major in Arabic language and political science in 2016 but have been a foreign language learner and proponent of intercultural exchange for most of my life. Although I have been privileged to have fun, high quality, non-emergency language learning experiences, I have long known that this is not the experience that so many who come to the United States to better or save their lives have. Torus’ accessible language education is a critical part in changing the language-learning success and lives of those individuals.
I am so honored to continue my focus on language learning and cultural exchange as a Torus Board Member.
Conall Anderson
PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD
Hello! My name is Conall. I started teaching English with People-Places-Things in July 2018 without knowing what I signed up for or anything about teaching. But I quickly realized that I loved it and wanted to keep doing it. After moving to online learning, I joined Torus in May 2020 as a volunteer. Now, I teach in-person and online group classes.
I became a board member to start giving back to the organization that gave me so many amazing opportunities and to help provide those to more teachers and learners. I want more people to get the same self-improvement I got in the last 4 years as a teacher, and more learners to be able to connect with more people!
Whitney Bannon
BOARD MEMBER
Hi everyone! I'm Whitney and I'm very excited to be a part of the Torus team! My background is in healthcare and education, and my love for taking care of and teaching others is what brought me to Torus. I hope to use my skills to help develop lesson plans and health-related content for our awesome learners and teachers.
Working in Alaska years ago I got the opportunity to teach First Aid, CPR, and other health-related courses to staff at remote nursing homes and home-health companies. I loved the work, and Alaska is a great melting-pot of cultures and languages from Alaskan Native Indian dialects to Russian, Vietnamese, Filipino, Thai, Korean, Samoan and others. I saw how under-prepared many agencies were to provide lessons in any language besides English. I found myself editing course content and looking for resources online to try and translate; back then there was not a lot available sadly.
Relocating to the "lower 48", I have the pleasure of living in a community that has about a third of the population as Spanish speaking. Working in hospitals and medical clinics I saw first-hand how scary and overwhelming it can be for a person with a sick baby, or going through an invasive medical procedure, when they don't speak English and can't understand all the complex things being done to them. Being able to learn a few phrases or pull up a translation app on the computer meant giving aid and comfort to someone when they needed it most. It was these experiences that pushed me towards becoming an ESL teacher.
I currently work in healthcare as a Certified Medical Assistant, have my BS degree and ESL certification, and am in a master's of Higher Education program with a focus on ESL and online curriculum. I also am a volunteer ESL teacher through Torus, paired with an amazing learner who has also become a friend to explore our different cultures while seeing them meet their English language goals. If you're on the fence about becoming a volunteer, just do it! It's a great experience!
Joel Sitanggang
BOARD MEMBER
“Salutations, everyone! My name is Joel Sitanggang, and I am elated to be a Torus Board member. Currently, I am a scholar pursuing a degree in the field of Psychology, but the English language has always had a salient spot in my academic heart. Hailing from the lush archipelago nation of Indonesia, I have had my fair of experiencing the vibrancy that comes with partaking in unparalleled cultures and traditions, and my penchant for international travel resulted in an acute awareness of cross-cultural exchanges even from an early age. Noting the emphasis on multicultural comprehension within Torus’ ambitions, I am genuinely honored to possess such a leading role in the advancement of the organization’s objectives.
My journey with Torus started in September 2021 when my eagerness to volunteer in the community led me to their website; joining the organization felt like a natural progression for me as an individual since my participation would consolidate my fervent interests in helping people out and my love for the English language. In terms of personal interests, I spend my days reading, participating in tabletop role-playing games, exercising at the gym, cramming for exams, and socializing with my friends.
Admittedly, I have the least experience with being a Board member among the other members, but I believe that my robust enthusiasm for constructive growth and unwavering work ethic would be substantial contributions nevertheless. Through this journey, I hope to cultivate and sharpen my skills to create greater impacts on the paradigm of language and culture. The future of cross-cultural networking grows a little brighter with each contribution from every member of Torus, so let us continue to let it shine evermore brightly!”
FORMER BOARD MEMBERS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO OUR MISSION
Sarah Mural
i (Former Board Member)
FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD
"Hi everyone! I’m Sarah Murali and I started volunteering with Torus in January of 2021. I was so excited to find an opportunity to teach English right from my own home. Before moving to Oregon, I spent a number of years leading a school for adult English language learners in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I felt so privileged to meet people from around the world, to broaden my own understanding by learning about other cultures and life experiences, and to be immersed in a supportive learning community. It was a job I loved and something I missed dearly when I moved. Now, as a stay-at-home parent, I am thrilled to be part of the Torus community and to continue my own learning journey while I also help others with theirs. I truly believe language learning and cultural exchange are profound and powerful ways to build more resilient, inclusive and vibrant communities."
Cat Phung (Former Board Member)
FORMER TREASURER
“Hi! I’m Cat Phung and I’m the Treasurer of the Torus Board. I have been involved with this non-profit since October 2020 through my work as an AmeriCorps member.
I am excited about this opportunity to work with Torus because I understand the importance of having support while immersed in a new culture. I lived abroad in Paraguay and am very humbled to have met country nationals that were willing to share their culture and home with me. I am also very grateful to the supportive teachers that taught me Spanish and Guarani. They have made my experience living abroad the best adventure of my life.
I believe cross-cultural exchange is an important part of every community. I am grateful to be involved with Torus and celebrate our multicultural and multilingual communities.”
Madoka Yamaji (Former Board Member)
FORMER SECRETARY
Hello everyone! My name is Madoka Yamaji. I’m honored to be serving as a board member at Torus and continue seeing the organization grows. I joined Torus in February 2021 as one of the English tutors and soon started Japanese meetup to connect people who want to study Japanese language and its culture all over the world. Planning and facilitating the group was my pleasure and joy as I could see people connected through their passion of learning language and culture even in the midst of pandemic. Since I could improve my English and teaching skill through my involvement at Torus, now I’d like to give back to the organization by sharing my experience and knowledge so that we could serve more people in the US and around the world.
I love meeting new people, learning new language and its culture and expand my knowledge and experience. Torus helps people meet new people, learn new languages and cultures and provide opportunities to learn and grow. I’m thrilled to start my second journey at Torus and support the organization pursuing its mission.
Jim Labbe (Former Board Member)
FORMER SECRETARY
“Hi, I am Jim Labbe Torus Board member and Secretary. How do we create a world where everyone celebrates their own and others’ culture while having a deep sense of belonging to a multicultural and multilingual society? I don’t know yet but that’s what excites and inspires me to be part of the Torus team. I met Ramin many years ago in my drive to overcome monolingualism and learn the Russian language. I participated in his multi-ethnic Russian language classes where I got a taste of the transformative language exchanges that are the heart of Torus’s mission and vision.”
Ryan Weisenfeld (Former Board Member)
FORMER SECRETARY
“Hi! I'm Ryan Weisenfeld, Torus Board member and volunteer. I am a midwest native and have been living and working in Portland since 2016. I became interested in language learning while studying Japanese. My experience inspired me to enroll in a Tefl program with the hopes of teaching English abroad. Joining Torus helped me gain experience teaching and ultimately, find a community of people that share a passion for language learning and cultural exchange. The experiences with my learners and fellow teachers has been nothing short of transformative.
I believe that our future depends on our ability to empathize, understand, and connect with one another. And I believe that the best place to start is within our own communities, exploring and learning from the rich diversity that surrounds us. I’m thrilled for this opportunity to be part of the Torus mission and can’t wait to see what the journey holds.”
Amanda Greenvoss (Former Board Member)
I started volunteering in 2017 teaching English to parents at Kelly Elementary School and Rockwood Library. I instantly fell in love with it – it combined my fascination with language, my interest in diverse cultures, and my desire to make a more welcoming community. My goal in every class was to get everyone to laugh together (even if it was at my expense).
I have been teaching online with Torus since April of 2020. While I would prefer to be in a room laughing with a group of learners, my students and I have taken advantage of the benefits of one-on-one time and have been able to really focus on their specific interests and connect on a more personal level.
Volunteering teaching English has inspired me so much that I have decided to pursue it as a career – I started in PSU’s Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Master’s Program in Fall of 2020. I want to spend the rest of my working years teaching English and making connections with people from around the world.