Maria Fernanda Castro-Wu Claros

College Coach and Duolingo/Toefl Tutor

At Empowered Education, Mafe guides students through every phase of the college application journey, while also preparing them for English language proficiency exams like the TOEFL and Duolingo. With a strong international background, she combines strategic coaching with test prep support to help students apply with clarity and confidence.

Mafe’s Journey

Mafe graduated from the American School of Tegucigalpa (AST) in 2017, where she earned the President’s Education Award Program distinction issued by the President of the United States. She was a member of the National Honor Society, Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, and participated in Honor Band as a flutist. She also attended the STEAM Camp at Tecnológico de Monterrey, captained her school’s volleyball team, and was named MVP.

She later received a prestigious full-tuition and living scholarship from Taiwan ICDF to complete her undergraduate studies in International Business from 2017 to 2021.

Mafe’s Educational Background

Class of 2017

High School Diploma in Science and Humanities

Class of 2021

BS. International Business

Professional Experience

Mafe’s professional journey blends education, language development, and cultural exchange. She worked as a Kindergarten and ESL Teacher at Superstar American School in Taipei, where she adapted curriculum to meet diverse learning needs, strengthened classroom management, and supported communication in both English and Chinese.

At the Global Education Center, she prepared students applying to study abroad—particularly future medical students in Spain—by coaching them in verbal and written communication for university interviews.

Her passion for service and connection extended beyond the classroom. As part of a university service-learning group, she volunteered in Wulai, an indigenous district in Taiwan, using storytelling and music to support elementary students’ English and social skills. Mafe also represented Honduras as captain in two championship-winning Copa América soccer tournaments, and played Division 1 varsity volleyball, continuing her leadership and teamwork off the field as well.

IMG_3206.JPG
b00c735c-5592-4300-9034-7c9180d3b15e.JPG
IMG_5473.JPG
IMG_8628.JPG
IMG_8736.JPG
f1d0a43c-83e9-41f2-8eea-860f1f08ac4e.JPG

What our students have to say about Maria Fernanda::

  • Ana Lucia Avila, SMU

    “I had an amazing experience working with Mafe. Her incredible suggestions truly elevated my college essay, helping me present my best self in all my applications. As an instructor, she was incredibly supportive, boosting my confidence and motivating me to trust in myself. Her kindness and enthusiasm made the college application process so much easier and less stressful. Mafe was always available to answer my questions and genuinely cared about my success. I highly recommend Mafe and Empowered to other students for their knowledge to helping you achieve your goals.”

  • Alma Gonzales, Duolingo/Toefl Course

    “I had a great experience with Maria Fernanda. She was super supportive, and I learned so much from her. She really helped me improve in the areas I struggled with the most the first time I took the exam, and thanks to her, my results improved a lot. She’s an amazing tutor; patient, kind, and always willing to help. She took the time to get to know me and understand where I needed the most help, and her support made a huge difference. I’m really grateful for her guidance!”

  • Eduardo Duron, PSAT Course

    “Empowered has helped me understand more about the PSAT, and I have learned a lot. Any questions I had were responded to immediately. Interactions with the coaches were friendly and helped me the best way possible with their patience and how they explained any questions with concepts I could grasp and understand. I recommended Empowered to all my classmates who had any questions and doubts about the PSAT and will do so for the rest of high school.”