Peggy Esselman, HETO Founder and Director
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Peggy holds a degree in Elementary Education and spent two years working and teaching within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis as a second grade and junior high teacher. During her second year of teaching she traveled to Honduras for the first time and later the following year began HETO. Her role with HETO is large and varied. She is responsible for fundraising, promoting community awareness of HETO, coordinating and leading the Teachers in Action teacher trip to Honduras each year, and supervising the collection of school supplies. Besides her work with HETO, she works full-time for School on Wheels, a non-profit dedicated to enhancing the educational opportunities for children experiencing homelessness.
Suzi Lyons Abell, Board President
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Suzi became involved in HETO 5 years ago when she traveled to Honduras for the first time. Since then she has been back to Honduras and other Central American countries several more times and integrates her experiences into her art classroom at St. Joan of Arc School. Suzi has her B.A. in Art from Marian College and her M.A. in Curriculum Writing & Instruction from the University of Indianapolis. She serves as the Art Teacher, Director of Curriculum, and Marketing Coordinator for St. Joan of Arc School. She has taught at the high school level where she has taken her students abroad to study and she has served Art With A Heart as a teacher and site coordinator. She is a Lilly Teacher Creativity Fellow and has been awarded the Mother Theodore Guerin Excellence in Education Award from the Archdioceses of Indianapolis.
Lindsay Alessandrini, Board Secretary and Teacher Liaison
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After receiving her B.S. in Secondary Education (Spanish) with a Computer Endorsement from Indiana University, Lindsay went on to earn her M.A. in Teaching and Learning from Nova Southeastern University and is currently a Spanish teacher and the World Language Department Chair at Zionsville Community High School. Lindsay traveled with the HETO Teacher Trip in February 2007, where she team-taught three different lessons in the HETO schools in Spanish. Upon her return to Zionsville, Lindsay founded the Operation: Honduras Club with the help of approximately 25 dedicated students. The students involved in the club raise money for HETO, collect school supplies for the Honduran schools, and participate in activities centered around helping their two adopted Honduran schools – Francisco Morazán (Quiscamote) and Flor Azul. Lindsay lives in Noblesville with her husband and is the mother of two young sons.
Nina Rodriguez, Director of Honduran Operations
Peggy Barnes, Director at Large
