Sharing our Enthusiasm for Life, Culture and Language

Our Team

Immersion Island is staffed with passionate lovers of Spanish and French language and culture who love to share their experience and knowledge with all our campers. We have exceptional communication skills, are dedicated to providing children with a memorable and fun camp experience, and support Immersion Island’s overall philosophy and goals.  Here are only a few of the many awesome folks who help make camps happen!

Jennifer de Lima/ founder and Director

This is Jennifer’s ninth year bringing Immersion Island to the community and she couldn’t be happier. As director and founder, Jennifer de Lima, was a full-time Spanish teacher in Chapel Hill schools for over twelve years.  She studied,  lived and worked in Mexico for many years,  has traveled to many Latin American countries and is married to a Brazilian and she also speaks Portuguese!  She enjoys sharing her love and enthusiasm for Spanish and all culture Latino! 

Jennifer saw the need for language immersion camps in the Chapel Hill area, even the whole South East!  So, what began as a smattering of enthusiasm and ideas sprung up as Immersion Island!

When not immersed on the Island, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family, watching rom-coms in all languages and walking.

Kata de Lima / program Coordinator & counselor

Kata spent her early years in Guadalajara Mexico and continued to study Spanish since moving to Chapel Hill during elementary school. She has been attending and working at Immersion Island since high school which has helped to grow her language, teaching and program coordinator skills.

Kata graduated from Salem College in 2018 with a major in Women’s Studies with a concentration in Advocacy. She interned at the Rape Crisis Center and is passionate about women and gender education and rights.

She loves Latin music and culture and sharing that with others as well as spending time with friends, family and her dogs.

Suzanne Ryan/French Camp Director

Madame Ryan (AKA Tante Suzanne) was born in Ottawa, Canada and grew up speaking French. Her family moved to Rochester, N.Y. when she was 9½. She lived and taught there until the spring of 2004 when her husband started a business in Chapel Hill. They have two sons.

Madame Ryan’s undergraduate work in French and Education was done at the University of Miami. She earned her Master’s in French from Middlebury College which included a year in Paris at the Université de Nanterre (Paris X). Madame Ryan also attended Nazareth College to earn a Master’s in Education. Since moving to North Carolina, she has received an ESL add-on licensure from NC State. She taught at Wakefield High School until she retired in 2012.