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At NicerFL, our mission is to ensure that every newcomer seeking a brighter future would be welcomed not just with guidance, but with true friendship. Someone to walk alongside them, offering encouragement, advice, and support as they navigated the complexities of starting a new life.
Our programs are based upon the availability and amount of mentors we have. Fill out a form to get started.
Our programs are based upon the availability and amount of mentors we have. Fill out a form to get started.
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Fill out a newcomer interest form to get started.
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Second step here.
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Third step here.
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Fourth step here.
Our Team
Dr. Maya Lane was born in the small city of Vida in Bulgaria and went to the English language high school there, where she learned English. Her love for the English language led her to complete a Master's degree in English Language and Literature and become and English teacher in 1989. Her career in the United States started in California where she taught high school English and English as a second language at the Los Angeles Unified School District and SIATech Charter School, San Diego. At SIATech, she incorporated technology and modified the English high school curriculum for students whose first language is not English and for students with disabilities. Dr. Lane was elected Teacher of the Year for SIATech San Diego in 2011. When she moved to Florida with her family, she taught English for Academic Purposes courses at the University of South Florida and State College of Florida. Dr. Lane also conducted extensive research in education and wrote a dissertation on differentiated strategies used with diverse learners, earning her doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership in 2014. She published two books: "Fun with English ABC" and "English Dictations with Word-Formation activities". Dr. Lane has a son and a daughter, and an adorable 4-year old grandson.
Petya Getsova is a high-performing, strategic-thinking career Public Policy & Administration professional with experience in the not for profit sectors. She has worked in Government and has facilitated State of Florida Leadership Forums, organized numerous charity events and networked with many local non-profits. Highly skilled at relationship building with clients and across organizations and teams; exceptional writing, presenting, and interpersonal communication skills. Adept at assessing needs, generating options, and implementing solutions in collaboration with clients and stakeholders. Petya grew up in Varna, the Sea Capital of Bulgaria and moved to U.S.A. when she was 19-years old to San Diego, California. In 2010 she moved to St. Petersburg, Florida and in 2015 obtained a B.S. Degree in Public Policy and Administration from St. Petersburg College with high honors and was one of the featured graduates. Petya is very passionate about helping immigrants succeed.
As a graduate of Comenius University in Central Europe and Anaheim University in California, Dr. Haga is a result-oriented professional with international experience in teaching English in Europe and the United States with native-like fluency in Czech, Slovak, Hungarian, and English. She holds an MA and an EdD in TESOL. She started her teaching career as a high school English as a Foreign Language teacher and teacher trainer in the former Czechoslovakia and Hungary. After moving to the USA, she has worked as a college professor at State College of Florida, Sarasota-Bradenton, where she taught all levels of English for Academic Purposes; as an English language instructor at the University of South Florida's English Language Program in Tampa and as a high school ESOL teacher in the Sarasota county school system. Her research interests include student motivation, second language acquisition, and new learning and teaching strategies in ESL and EFL. In the past few years, she presented her research results at numerous prestigious TESOL conferences, and she co-authored an article with Dr. Hayo Reinders: Saga, E., & Reinders, H. (2021). "Bad, really really bad: ESL Learners' Emotions and Emotion Regulation in Response to Native Speaker Feedback. Special Issue of English Teaching and Learning.