MEET OUR TEAM
Maria Rachidi
Director
Maria Rachidi is the founder and director of the East Bay Hungarian Educational Group. She moved to the United States over 15 years ago and served as the Public Relations Director for the Hungarian Tourism Board in NYC prior to moving to California in 2015.
Maria's drive to found the Hungarian school was born out of necessity. Shortly after moving to Walnut Creek with her family, she sought out Hungarian institutions that would help her expose her children to their Hungarian heritage but soon realized there were no suitable programs available in the vicinity. Drawing on her prior experience in organizing the Hungarian community in NYC, she founded the school with the help and dedication of many members of the Bay Area’s Hungarian community.
In addition to her involvement with the school, Maria is also engaged with the sister city program and continues to serve as a liaison between Walnut Creek and the Hungarian city of Siofok.
Maria holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from New York University, and a bachelor’s degree in media and Journalism from Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest.
Erika Pazmandi Hagen
Teacher
Erika has been the principal of the East Bay Hungarian Educational Group for many years in the past. She was in charge of building the curriculum for the children and the adult education here. She is currently teaching the beginner, intermediate and advanced adult classes. Erika got her teaching diploma of Hungarian Literature and History in Hungary and she became a ceramics high school teacher and master sculptor here in the USA. Besides teaching, she also works as a sculptor and ceramic artist from her Benicia, CA studio.
Evelin Wilson
Teacher
Evelin Wilson grew up in Hungary and moved to the United States when she was 18. She's married and has a 1-year-old son. She loves teaching young kids and passing on the love of her Hungarian heritage and language.
Monika Anderson
Website Manager
Monika is a marketing manager, a website designer and a brand strategist who is passionate about elevating the digital presence of small businesses. She started Kameleon Digital Marketing in 2016 after noticing that many small-business owners don’t have the time, knowledge, or desire to keep their online presence up to date. Monika builds visually pleasing, responsive websites, optimized for multiple devices such as smartphones, tablets, and desktops. She helps them consistently create valuable content for their social media pages, websites, and newsletters. She has two adult sons, and she is based in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, where she lives with her husband, Paul, and she enjoys the great outdoors, and traveling to explore new places.
BOARD MEMBERS
1.
Maria Rachidi - President
2.
Erica Dénes - Treasurer
3.
Elise Jordan - Secretary
4.
Cornelia Baranyi
5.
Tamas Jackovics