Frau Schmid was born and raised in Switzerland. Growing up, she was exposed to the four languages of Switzerland. This early exposure to multiple languages has been a driving force in her career and personal life. After moving to Chicago for graduate school and meeting her husband, Frau Schmid began working as an Adjunct Professor in the Chicago area. She has taught at several universities and colleges. In addition to her teaching and mentoring work, Frau Schmid has been an active member of the DANK family for the past 18 years, first as a teacher and now as co-director. When she is not teaching or working, she loves spending time outdoors, biking, hiking, and exploring nature.

Frau Hallal was born in Germany and has lived in Japan and the United States. She grew up speaking German and Japanese and loves art, music, and traveling. Her son is a happy DANK student and loves the exposure to German. She is excited to be a new member of the DANK team.

Frau Mueller was born and raised in Arlington Heights, and lives there now with her husband and 3 children, who all have been or are current Dank students.   She first lived in Germany for a full year exchange program in college and developed her love for the language and the culture. After returning to live in Chicago, she sought out a job that could bring her back to Germany.  She moved with her husband to Frankfurt and spent 4 years there enjoying many travel adventures and the local culture.  A third move back to Germany included her two oldest children, which was an exciting opportunity for them to start picking up the language at an early age.  This is her second year teaching the 2nd-3rd grade class.

Frau Radons is from Flensburg in Schleswig-Holstein. She is fluent in German, Danish, and English. She has been with DANK for 10 years as a teacher and nine years as the DANK accountant. Frau Radons taught/teaches Levels 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Recently, she also began teaching Adult Beginners and Adult Intermediate.

Eva was born in Bonn, Germany and is a German native speaker.  As the child of a diplomat, she spent her formative years traveling and living in several European countries until she came to the US at age 14. Eva worked as a Paralegal and Ethics and Compliance specialist for 35 years until she retired in 2022. Eva is married and has 2 adult children. She loves travel and meeting people from different cultures. She also enjoys biking, cooking, and trying new cuisines.

Frau Simms was born and raised in Saxony, in the east of Germany. Early on, she discovered her passion for the English language, art, and other cultures, as well as working with children. Nicole’s perfect day starts by waking up early for a cup of tea, being silly with her three kids, working on DIY projects with her husband, and going for a stroll or a bike ride. Frau Simms is a new teacher at DANK.