Meet Aceneth Mercado-Franco, Bilingual Special Instructor

Aceneth Mercado-Franco is New York born and raised. Growing up in the Bronx, Spanish was her first language. She learned English in school so she could communicate with her peers, and now offers bilingual special instruction to Spanish-speaking families.

After receiving her master’s degree in early childhood education, Ace began her career in New York City as a pre-K teacher. For approximately eight years she taught in elementary classrooms from pre-K to third grade. She then taught two years of high school Spanish.

In 2018, her family moved from New York to Pennsylvania. Living in the Poconos and being surrounded by woods was quite an adjustment from city life! In 2022 she became a secondary school principal in Allentown. The commute was draining, so her family decided to move closer to the area. 

Although being an administrator keeps her quite busy, Ace joined Happy Hearts in November 2025. “I’ve always loved the early childhood age group,” she shares. “That’s what I got my master’s in, and that’s where my heart’s really at.”

She started searching for side jobs that involved special education and found a Happy Hearts posting on Indeed. “Jess and I connected, it was a match made in heaven, and here I am.”

As a special instructor, she enjoys connecting with parents and young children. “We work with such a fun age group,” she shares. “I love that I get to partner with families to coach their children through such a pivotal age in their development. It’s pretty cool that I get to be involved in this journey with them.”

When Ace isn’t working at one of her jobs, you can probably find her spending time with her family. She’s been married almost fourteen years and has three children; two of them are graduating high school this year. Her kids are involved in a lot of activities, which keeps her busy. She also enjoys crafting things with her Cricut. 

Ace offers the following advice for parents about to start early intervention for the first time: “Don't be scared of the process. Know that the therapists involved are partnering with you for your child's success. We are here to support your journey. No le tema al proceso. Sepa que sus terapeutas quieren colaborar con usted para el éxito de su hijo. Estamos aquí para apoyarlo en esta trayectoria."