Call us at 425-400-1241
Meet The Staff
Spain Abroad is a family-owned study abroad / GAP year program created by our family: Lily Ortiz and husband and wife team, Johnny Tock and Leanna Woodley-Tock. Together, utilizing our years of working in education and mental health, we started Spain Abroad with a vision to offer students a global, life-changing perspective.
We are currently accepting applications for:
Our Story
Leanna and Johnny
Leanna and Johnny's story began many years ago in high school in Champaign, Illinois. We were friends and even each other's Homecoming date but went our separate ways for college and beyond. We stayed in contact over the years and would had an almost yearly check in phone call with one another, but we each had very different goals and lived in different parts of the US for many years. Johnny pursued clinical counseling, getting his Master's in Illinois after a time working with students in North Carolina. Leanna spent many years in the arts in Chicago, NY, LA, and Seattle. However, our winding paths led us back together in 2014 in Hawaii. We were married in 2015 and had our daughter in 2016. And the rest...well it's a story that grows richer by the day, including traveling together to Italy, France, England, and, of course, Spain!
We consider ourselves lucky to be able to partner with someone with as much experience as Lily Ortiz to create this unique, family environment for students. A home away from home.
Lily Ortiz,
Master's in mental health counseling/
master's in public administration
Lily is our International Education Liaison, serving her ninth session as State Representative of the 21st Legislative District of Washington. She serves as the Majority Caucus Chair, is a member of the Education Committee and serves on the Education leadership team, as well as the Children’s Youth and Families Committee.
Her past experiences include serving as the Clinical Director of a mental health center, Regional Coordinator for the Board of Education, Education Adviser for the Department of Children and Family Services, and founder and former director of the CU Project, a center for Latino families and youth. Her past experiences working in her community, in the schools and child serving agencies gives her a passion to advocate for the issues families face.
Her many years also working as a high school counselor in alliance with higher education has fueled her passion that all students have access to broaden their experiences.
Johnny Tock,
Master's in clinical counseling, LmhC
Johnny is a licensed professional counselor with over 15 years experience working within a variety of therapeutic environments for teens and young adults. His experience includes: a treatment program specifically focused on internet and video game addiction, a therapeutic boarding school, group homes, a wilderness program, community mental health facilities, and a high school directly affected by trauma. Through individual, group, and family therapy, he helped guide his student’s experience in an effective way that elicited substantial growth and identity development.
Johnny strongly believes that relationship building and connection is the most important part of creating change and growth. His passion and strength can be seen in his relationships with students, colleagues and referring professionals through heightened communication, follow through, and positivity.
Johnny is excited to use his experience to support students through self-discovery and future planning.
Leanna Woodley-Tock,
Certified life-coach
Leanna is a trained and certified life-coach who looks forward to helping students find their passions in life and how to pursue them practically.
Leanna is also a professional screenwriter and actor with an extensive background in the arts and education. With over 15 years in various aspects of the entertainment industry, Leanna has a BA in Television/Screenwriting, acting training at Second City Chicago Improv School, and Meisner Acting Conservatory in Chicago and New York. Leanna also received her K-8 teaching credential in Los Angeles, was a 6th grade teacher in Hawaii, and taught screenwriting and drama to children and adults in New York and Las Vegas.
Johnny and Leanna also co-founded the nonprofit, Youth Unplugged, helping children learn the importance of technology balance and a healthy lifestyle through outdoor play camps. Due to Covid, we were unable to continue our camps and shifted our focus towards Spain Abroad.
Courtney Frederick
Resident Advisor
Courtney is taking a gap year to explore the Spain culture and lifestyle before resuming classes in the Fall where she intends to study architecture! Courtney has taken on management positions in a number of different settings, showing her ability to support others and be a part of a successful team. Courtney is passionate about art, culture, and travel. She is excited to bring her experience and enthusiasm to Spain Abroad!
Kimberly L. Davis, EdS, MBA, PCC, VCTA
Spring 2023 Life Coach
Kimberly Davis is a Professional Certified Coach and the founder of Trouvaille Travel, a conscious luxury travel company that grew out of her two prior careers as a cultural anthropologist and as a mental healthcare consultant and coach. Her passion has always focused on authentic human and cultural connection as a means to create both personal and global awareness. Whether she was working in Bolivia to explore cultural constructions of motherhood underpinning development programs, coaching executives on
creating team cohesion, or helping families and clinicians navigate the labyrinth of the US educational and mental healthcare systems, Kim always found herself inspired by how people can be creative and resourceful in solving the most intransigent and sticky problems when they have support.
She has a Masters degree in Anthropology, another in School Counseling, an EdS in Educational Psychology and an MBA for good measure. She is an ICF accredited Professional Certified Coach, with additional certifications in Executive and Personal Coaching, Parent Coaching, and Positive Psychology Well-being Coaching. Kim has worked in a wide range of environments, including public and private schools, treatment programs, large corporations, and even inside a county jail. Now, she mostly works from home, sometimes in her pajamas.
She looks forward to helping guide others to find the joy of being a “beginner” and the power of feeling “out of place” as a means to spark growth, understanding and new problem-solving capabilities.