Meet The Team
Kelsie Godoy
Kelsie is an artist, educator, and community builder passionate about fostering cross-cultural enrichment through the arts. An Eli Lilly Scholar, she holds a bachelor's degree from Butler University and a master's degree from the University of Maastricht (The Netherlands) and the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. She has lived, studied, and worked in the Netherlands, Greece, Spain and Chile and previously served in the Department of Foreign Language and Culture Studies at Purdue University Fort Wayne. Kelsie and her husband are raising their children in a bilingual, multicultural home and are dedicated to enriching NE Indiana through meaningful artistic, educational, and cultural experiences.
Maria Sutherland
Born and raised in Bolivia, Maria is fluent in both Spanish and English. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public and Nonprofit Administration from Grand Valley State University and has dedicated the past decade to community impact and educational initiatives. She currently serves as a DOJ-accredited representative at Catholic Charities Fort Wayne–South Bend, assisting immigrants through a variety of humanitarian cases, and is pursuing a law degree to further her advocacy as an attorney. Maria is passionate about promoting cross-cultural understanding, diversity, and bilingualism, and is honored to support the mission of Bridging Worlds.
Toni Murray
Toni is a retired educator and dedicated advocate for arts, literacy, and educational opportunities for children. She holds both a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Saint Francis and has long supported organizations that expand access to quality arts and education programs, including Project READS. An avid traveler who has visited all seven continents, Toni brings a global perspective and a lifelong commitment to fostering cultural understanding. She is honored to support the mission of Bridging Worlds through her passion for education, the arts, and community.
Elina Puckett
Elina was born in Ukraine and is bilingual in English and Russian. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Master's Degree in Library Science. She worked professionally as a systems librarian with Ivy Tech Fort Wayne before dedicating her time to raising her family. She brings a valuable multicultural perspective to the mission of Bridging Worlds. Her interests include holistic education, healthy living, felting, and fostering meaningful learning experiences for children and families.
Angela Tippmann
Angela was born and raised in Indiana and lived for more than a decade in Córdoba, Argentina; Barcelona, Spain; and Guanajuato, Mexico. She holds a BFA from Eastern Michigan University and teaches Spanish with Fort Wayne Community Schools, where she shares a passion for language, the arts, and Latin American culture with students in grades 1–8. A lifelong learner and avid traveler, Angela brings a global perspective and a deep commitment to cultural understanding through education and the arts.