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| About Our Staff |
Lighthouse is led by a diverse staff, each of whom is dedicated to helping our students meet our mission of college and the career of their choice through their unique job function and areas of expertise. Learn more about our staff below, from their education and experience to what drives them in their work.
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Arlene Aldrette, 7-12 Office Manager
Bio coming soon! |
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Melissa Barnes-Dholakia , Director of Elementary Programs
Melissa Barnes Dholakia is the Director of
Instruction for K-6 at Lighthouse Community Charter School, having joined the school in it's second year of operation and helped grow it into a leading K-12 public school in Oakland. Ms.
Barnes Dholakia has spent the past sixteen years focused
on the goal of ensuring academic excellence for all children.
For the first half of her career, she focused on mastering
the art of teaching - at the elementary, middle, and high
school levels. In the latter half, she moved on to transfer
her knowledge and lessons learned in the training of new
cadres of teachers. As an instructional leader, she has
worked with both pre-service teachers and thirty-year veterans
to develop and hone their curriculum, instruction, and assessment
practices. She holds a BA from Whitman College, an MA from
University of Oregon, and was a 2002 New Leaders for New
Schools Fellow. Ms. Barnes Dholakia grew up in Oakland and
joined Lighthouse in 2003. |
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Drea Beale , High School Humanities Teacher & Lead Teacher
Ms. Beale is in her eleventh year of teaching and her fourth year at Lighthouse. She holds a Bachelors of Arts degree from Wesleyan University and a 7 – 12th Grade Social Studies Credential. Ms. Beale states, “My goal as a teacher is to help provide a safe space for students to grow and learn. My hope is that students will learn about our world, themselves, one another, and become effective at communicating their ideas. I want to help empower students to make educated decisions and become advocates and activists in their community. I teach at Lighthouse because it is a community full of bright ideas and passionate people. Parents, students, teachers, and faculty are working together. Our students at Lighthouse are curious, dedicated, and energetic. I feel blessed to be a member of the work of the Lighthouse community. The best practices in teaching and learning are happening in our school, In addition, we are a school where character, kindness and respect are valued. Lighthouse is a family, as well as a school.” When she is not teaching and learning, you might find her adventuring, reading, traveling, knitting, laughing, or watching the Boston Red Sox. |
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Oscar Bermeo, K-6 Office Manager
Bio coming soon! |
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Jeannie Bruland, Home Language Program Coordinator
A third generation teacher, Jeannie Bruland is in her eleventh year of teaching in the Bay Area, having taught students from kindergarten to college. She currently serves as the Home Language Coordinator at Lighthouse, where she works to create curriculum to develop students’ native and second languages. Jeannie received her B.A. in Urban Studies and Spanish from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and received her Spanish bilingual CLAD credential from San Francisco State University. Jeannie is also a certified GLAD Key Trainer and serves as a GLAD coach. She teaches because she believes in the power of education to help students understand and change the world. When she is not teaching, Jeannie enjoys reading and traveling. |
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Sheila Castellanos, 7-12 Lunch Program Coordinator
Bio coming soon! |
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Courtney Cerefice , 7-12 Counselor
Ms. Cerefice is in her first year at Lighthouse, having worked in the counseling field throughout the bay area. She was born and raised in Alameda, a graduate of Encinal High School. She holds her BS in Social and Behavioral Sciences from CSU Monterey Bay, her MA in Education with a focus on Developmental Studies from UC Santa Barbara, and her credential in Pupil Personnel Services and Marriage and Family Therapy from Saint Mary's College in Moraga. When not counseling students, she spends time with her husband and two-year-old daughter. She also dances with a performing company in Alameda. |
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Leova Cuevas, K-6 Lunch Program Coordinator
Bio coming soon! |
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Tony Cuevas, 7-12 After School Program Coordinator
Bio coming soon! |
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Adriana Diaz, 7-8 Fitness Teacher
Ms. Diaz is in her first year of teaching Middle School Physical Education. Previous to joining the Lighthouse Community, she worked for the Boys and Girls Club of Rohnert Park where she was a Program Director for a school site. A Collegiate Athlete at Sonoma State University, Ms. Diaz received her Bachelors degree in Human Development with a minor in Psychology. She has also coached soccer and has done many soccer camps for the past ten years. Outside of working with children, Ms. Diaz enjoys playing soccer, reading, hikes in the Oakland Hills and being with her family. |
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Jaya Duffin, Kindergarten Teacher
Ms. Duffin comes to Lighthouse with three years of experience as a Kindergarten teacher, working in both Montessori and urban district settings. Most recently, she worked at Millsmont Academy here in Oakland. When a team of teachers from Millsmont attending a training at our school, Jaya was inspired by the collaboration and dedication she saw in our teachers and decided she wanted to try and join our team. We are quite excited that she did, as she brings demonstrated success in supporting and accelerating the development of English Language Learners – last year 95% of her students met the end of year reading benchmark for Kindergarten and 65% exceeded it. Jaya brings the energy and enthusiasm to engage our students, along with the high expectations and structures to support them in their growth. |
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Sara Ellberg, 1st Grade Teacher
Ms. Ellberg comes to Lighthouse with four years of experience working with English Language Learners in East Palo Alto, as both a 1st and 2nd grade teacher (she looped up with her students this past year). She has been trained in GLAD, CELL and Small Group Instruction, all of which make her not only a great match but great asset to the work we are doing here at Lighthouse. In addition to her work within her classroom, Sara also served on her district’s Literacy Committee for three years to implement best practice across the district. |
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Dawn Fregosa, High School Science Teacher
Mrs. Fregosa is a 9 year veteran teacher with 20 years experience in working with high school students. Formerly a marketing and management consultant for small businesses, she became a teacher via the Tech-2-Teachers program through Teach For America. Mrs. Fregosa is in her second year teaching here at Lighthouse Community Charter School. She believes in teaching in a very hands-on way, with lots of labs, experiments and field work as well as use of media sources and technology. Prior to teaching at LCCS, she has instructed English 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades as well as ESL for our second language learners. She also instructs the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship Class during flex time, and loves being a part of the LCCS learning community. “I want to teach students to be successful, and when they leave my class, not only do I want them to know they are smarter, but be prepared to be successful in their English, Biology and Business classes in college. The teachers here all bring pre-teaching experiences and talents to our community which makes this school unique.” Mrs. Fregosa gained her Bachelor’s degree in Communications Management from The University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio. She also earned minors in English, Fine Arts, Social work and Marketing. . She holds California credentials in English, History and Biology.
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Josefa Garcia , K-6 Custodian and Lunch Supervisor
Bio coming soon! |
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Paula Guzman, Home Language Tutor
Paula Guzman is teaching kindergarten, first and second
grade Home Language at Lighthouse. She has been a volunteer
at public schools for 17 years. She is the mother of four
daughters, two of whom attend Lighthouse. It has not been
easy for her to learn English so she can help them with
their homework. Now she is happy to be able to work in her
daughters’ school. Paula is proud to work at Lighthouse,
because she has been involved with the school in the planning
stages, attending all the planning meetings before the school
opened. When her daughter left fifth grade, she decided
she wanted her to go to Lighthouse. She looks forward to
seeing her daughters graduate from Lighthouse and go on
to college. |
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Yael Irom, 12th Grade Humanities Teacher
Ms. Irom is a native New Yorker who has recently moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to her move, she helped to found a progressive Early College High School in Manhattan. She holds a BA in Education and received a Masters in Literature from Columbia University in 2004. She is currently in her tenth year of teaching, and is in her first year as a Humanities teacher at Lighthouse. Her early years as an educator were in environmental and outdoor education, which brought her to Colorado, Hawaii, Israel, Cambodia and Uganda to teach and work. She is particularly passionate about bringing service learning and cultural experiences to her students. She was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship in 2008 to study Ancient Civilizations in the 21st Century in India and Sri Lanka, and she plans to incorporate her love of South Asian studies into her classes. When she is not correcting essays, she can be found running or spending time in the mountains with friends. |
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Clark Janklow, 5th Grade Humanities Teacher
Bio coming soon! |
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Izabella Kulesza , 7-8 Art Teacher & Crew Leader
Bio coming soon! |
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Emily Lee, 3rd Grade Teacher
Ms. Lee joined Lighthouse as a 3rd grade teacher in the 2008-09 school year, bringing a strong background in working with language learners and a commitment to collaborating with her peers in the service of children. Emily received her Masters Degree in Education from Brown University, then spent three years teaching at International Charter School in Pawtucket, RI, a dual-immersion school. She and her husband then moved to Taiwan, where she has spent the past two years teaching at Taipei American School (an international school serving American-born Chinese children and children of expatriates), as well as at an English language school for Taiwanese children. Now that she is back in the states, she is looking for a new community to join and we are thrilled she has chosen ours. |
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Stephanie Lee , High School Math Teacher
Bio coming soon! |
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Columba López, Home Language Tutor & Instructional Aide
Columba López is a Spanish Home Language teacher
at Lighthouse. She has three children at Lighthouse, in Kindergarten, 4th Grade, and 6th Grade.
She’s been supporting Lighthouse since before it was
established. This is her third year teaching Spanish as
a Home Language. Columba went to Santa Monica College, where
she took child development classes |
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Laura Kretschmar, Founding Teacher, 6th Grade Math/Science Teacher, and K-6 Lead Teacher in Math
Laura is in her eleventh year of teaching and has been at Lighthouse from its inception as a founding teacher. She holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Geology from Middlebury College and a Masters degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has a California Single Subject Credential in Geosciences and is California HOUSSE certified in both Math and Science. Prior to teaching at Lighthouse, Laura taught in New Orleans, Louisiana through Teach For America and the Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School in Devens, Massachusetts. Laura has also advised and taught beginning teachers for Teach For America at their summer institutes in Houston, Texas. About teaching and learning, Ms. Kretschmar states, “My goal as a teacher is to give students meaningful opportunities and learning experiences that will challenge, inspire, and most importantly, prepare them for college or a career of their choice. I teach at Lighthouse because I believe through our mission and strengths of all community members, we will make the world a better, brighter place.” Laura also manages the Alex Graf Memorial Scholarship Fund at Lighthouse, in memory of her cousin Alex Graf. The fund seeks to provide selected students from Lighthouse with scholarships to help finance higher education. |
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Yvonne Moultrie, 2nd Grade Teacher
Yvonne Moultrie has been an educator for eleven years. She is new to Lighthouse and new to Oakland, hailing from San Diego, CA. Ms. Moultrie completed her undergraduate coursework at the University of San Diego, and recently earned a Masters Degree at San Diego State University. She has participated throughout the years as a cooperating teacher in teacher training programs in San Diego. Ms. Moultrie has primarily worked with students in the first, second, and third grades. She also briefly worked as an adjunct faculty member at San Diego State University in a summer bridge program for incoming freshmen. Ms. Moultrie enjoys teaching math, science, and music. Ms. Moultrie’s endeavor in education is “to encourage students to find personal empowerment through expression, creativity, and independence.” In addition to being a classroom teacher, Ms. Moultrie has also taught the violin and cello to beginning instrumentalists. |
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Maritza Ortiz, Executive Assistant
Maritza Ortiz has worked at Lighthouse for four years, starting as the Office Manager for the High School and then moving into the role of Executive Assistant for K-12. Ms. Ortiz's work focuses on budgeting, purchasing, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. Prior to Lighthouse, she worked for five years at the Oakland Museum of California in the Education Department as a Program Aide and Historian. This enabled her to work with children from all over Oakland in various school programs, exhibits, and events. She participated in the Latino History Project, which was a pilot project to have youth research, interview and document the history of Latinos in the East Bay and also has had installations for the Days of the Dead exhibit as well as serving on the Days of the Dead Committee. |
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Eesuu Orundide , High School Art Teacher
Bio coming soon! |
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Kate Parman, 5-8 Literacy Coach & Interventionist
Bio coming soon! |
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Ana Pedroza, K-6 Custodian and Lunch Supervisor
Bio coming soon! |
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Gilberta Piedra, Home Language Tutor
Ms. Piedra is a Spanish Home Language teacher at
Lighthouse. She also teaches in the After School Program
and helps at lunch and recess. She is the mother of four
Lighthouse students: Lisa, in 2nd Grade, Karla in 4th Grade, Julio in 8th Grade and Tania in 10th Grade. She
has been at Lighthouse for five years, but has worked more
than seven years as a volunteer in different schools. Now
she is very proud to belong to the Lighthouse community
because she has the opportunity to work with her children’s
teachers and be friends with all the school staff and other
students’ parents. She works at Lighthouse because
she believes that education is the best future for our children.
She teaches Spanish, because she believes that it is important
for children to continue knowing their language and their
culture. |
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Lola Prieto, Instructional Aide
Ms. Prieto has been teaching for eight years and has been at Lighthouse for seven years. Previously, Ms. Prieto worked in a day care center. Ms. Prieto states, “My goal as a teacher is to keep studying and becoming better as a teacher and also as a person. To help children in anything and with anything that I can. I teach at Lighthouse because I think Lighthouse is a very good school that helps not only children, but also families like mine to reach goals and to set new ones and complete them.” When Ms. Prieto is not teaching and learning, she enjoys being with her family, cooking, and most of all spending time outside with them. Ms. Prieto has both of her children enrolled at Lighthouse. |
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Benjamin Seay, 4th Grade Teacher
Bio coming soon! |
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Stephen Sexton, Founder & Director of Secondary Programs
Mr. Sexton is Director of Instruction for 7-12 at Lighthouse Community
Charter School. Mr. Sexton has taught in urban, rural, and
suburban communities and has worked as an instructional
leader in many capacities. Getting his start in education
through the national teacher corps, Teach for America, Mr.
Sexton taught science for two years in the Watts community
of Los Angeles at Gompers Middle School. Continuing to build
upon his teaching experience, he taught math, science, and
technology at the Francis W. Parker Essential School and
Regional Teacher Center where he worked under the tutelage
of Ted and Nancy Sizer. Through Teach for America, Mr. Sexton
worked as a mentor and advisor to incoming teachers and
as a school director for three consecutive summers at the
TFA Summer Institute. He has also worked as the Director
of Curriculum for Teach for America. In this position, he
wrote and implemented a comprehensive and rigorous curriculum
for at least 1,000 new Teach for America teachers. In addition,
Mr. Sexton served as the After School Coordinator and Community
Liaison at ASCEND, one of the first new autonomous schools
to open in Oakland. |
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Jessica Siebert, Kindergarten Teacher, BTSA Coach & K-2 Leadership Team Liason
Ms. Siebert is in her fifth year of teaching and her fourth year at Lighthouse. She holds a Bachelors of Arts degree in Environmental Studies from Sonoma State University, a Masters of Arts in Teaching from the University of San Francisco and a California Multiple Subject K - 8 Credential. Before coming to Lighthouse, Ms. Siebert served two years as a full-time classroom intern and taught for one year at the East Bay Conservation Corps Charter School. She also worked in several non-profits in San Francisco doing development and marketing work. Ms. Siebert states, “My goal as a teacher is to help create positive social change by giving children every opportunity I can to help them be strong, positive members of our community. I teach at Lighthouse because the staff and teachers truly care about all of the students and their families and as a teacher I feel supported to do my very best.” When she is not teaching and learning, she likes to spend time road biking and working in her garden. |
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Jenna Stauffer, Founder & Director of Strategic
Development
Jenna Stauffer has been an educator for twelve years and was a member of the founding team of Lighthouse. In her position at Lighthouse, Ms. Stauffer is responsible for financial management, operations, facility development, community outreach, and fundraising. She was a Teach for America corps member in Los Angeles in 1995 where she taught middle school science and leadership after which she served as Lead Teacher at a start-up, parent-run private school in upstate New York. She received her M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2000 and then became the Lead Developer of the Lighthouse Community Charter School coordinating and managing the school’s start-up and charter approval process. "When we set out to start Lighthouse, we envisioned a community school where children and youth are known well and their needs are met, where they are pushed to great heights through a rigorous curriculum, where families are welcome and involved, and where teachers collaborate and learn. Our vision is being realized and our hope is that we make a positive impact on the future of children, Oakland, and even the world." Ms. Stauffer is the mother to Ruby and wife to Steve Sexton, Director of Secondary Programs at Lighthouse. When not at Lighthouse, she spends her time focused on her family, entertaining friends, and gardening. |
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Megan Stoehr, 10th Grade Humanities Teacher
Ms. Stoehr is a New England native who is enjoying her second year in California and at Lighthouse. She is in her fifth year of teaching humanities and her eighth year of educating young people. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Middlebury College, where she studied Latin American Politics and Spanish language. Ms. Stoehr also earned a Master of Education degree from Salem State College and is credentialed to teach Social Sciences in grades 7-12 in the State of California. Ms. Stoehr enjoys bringing her experience from her first two careers, as a preschool teacher and a rock climbing instructor into her humanities and crew classrooms. When asked why she teaches, Ms. Stoehr said, “It makes me feel happy and fulfilled everyday and I enjoy bringing my joy in life and passion for learning and self improvement to my students.” |
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Angela Tam, Instructional Aide
Bio coming soon! |
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Theresa Tam, Home Language & After School Program Tutor
Ms. Tam is the mother of a sixth grader and third grader at Lighthouse.
She teaches Cantonese Home Language. She also teaches in
the After School Program and helps at lunch and recess.
This is her fifth year working at Lighthouse. She is from
Canton, China. She likes to teach Home Language because
she thinks it is very important that students know their
own languages so they can communicate with their families
and understand their own culture. |
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Dana Thiercof, 5th Grade Math & Science Teacher
Dana Thiercof is in her second year at Lighthouse and ninth year in education. When she joined Americorps after High School, she realized that her calling was to teach. Over the next eight years she earned an AA in Bilingual/ Bicultural studies, a BA in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Ethnic Studies, a Masters degree in Education, and a bilingual teaching credential. She has worked in literacy and outdoor education settings, after school programs, and has created and implemented conflict management and violence prevention curricula. Dana teaches at Lighthouse because, "I can look to my colleagues for support and inspiration, knowing that I am fortunate to work with such an outstanding and dedicated group of individuals." Outside of school Dana loves to be outside, enjoys cooking and eating, spending time with friends and family, traveling and learning about other cultures through their architecture, food, music, and language. She has recently traveled to México, Peru, and Italy, and has set a goal to leave the United States at least once per year.
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Heather Thompson, K-6 Literacy Specialist
Ms. Thompson is in her eleventh year of teaching and has taught at Lighthouse for six years as a part of the founding team. She received her Bachelors degree from Linfield College and her teaching certificate from University of Texas Pan American. Ms. Thompson holds a California K – 8 Multiple Subject Clear Credential and a Masters of Arts in Education, Language, Literacy, and Culture from the University of California – Berkeley. In addition to teaching at Lighthouse, Ms. Thompson has facilitated professional development for literacy teachers in the Expeditionary Learning Schools network. Ms. Thompson states, “I believe that every child in the city of Oakland deserves an excellent, free, public education. I work every day to ensure that all of our students are achieving proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, listening, to ensure that they develop their abilities as critical thinkers, and to give them a sense that they can change the world. I teach at Lighthouse because at Lighthouse I have the freedom to use my professional knowledge to meet each student’s needs.” When she is not teaching and learning, you can find Ms. Thompson knitting and cheering for the Oakland A’s! |
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Joyce Walton, K-6 Resource Specialist
Ms. Walton has been a teacher for over 35 years. This is her fourth year providing special education services to Lighthouse students. Ms. Walton’s background includes a BA in sociology from UC Berkeley, MA in math/science education from Fresno Pacific College, learning handicapped certificate from SFSU and professional educational therapist certification through UC Santa Cruz. She organized, coordinated and taught a general education program in a Berkeley nonprofit cooperative school for 16 years and a special day class for 11 years in San Bruno, as well as a private educational therapy practice for several years before coming to Lighthouse. Ms. Walton states, "It is my experience that each child is unique and can learn successfully when attention is given to individual needs. My job on the Lighthouse team is to help make that possible." When not at school, Ms. Walton enjoys traveling and getting together with family, which includes 13 grandchildren. |
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Joshua Weintraub, College & Career Counselor
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Joshua decided to attend Brown University where he majored in Sociology and Anthropology. After graduating from Brown in 1997, Joshua received a fellowship to teach high school in South Africa for a year. This experience fortified his passion for teaching, appreciation of cultural diversity and commitment to social justice. Upon his return to the United States, Joshua entered a teaching credential program at Cal State Hayward (now Cal State East Bay). After teaching in public secondary schools in Richmond and Oakland for five years, Joshua received a Cultural Ambassadorial Scholarship from the Oakland Rotary Club to study Spanish in Morelia, Mexico in fall 2003. Immediately following this experience, Joshua volunteered for an educational non-profit in rural Guatemala for 5 months. Back in the Bay Area again, Joshua entered a Master’s Program in Educational Leadership at UC Berkeley and was hired to help coordinate the high school program at Lighthouse Community Charter School. Joshua has worked at Lighthouse for the last 5 years as a teacher, administrator and currently as the school’s College Advisor and Internship Coordinator. |
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Jessie Williams, K-1 Art Teacher
Bio coming soon! |
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Deanna Wojcik, 7th Grade Humanities Teacher
Bio coming soon! |
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Kimiko Woolley , K-6 After School Program Coordinator
Bio coming soon! |
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Hilary Yamtich, High School Math Teacher
Bio coming soon! |
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Hamu Yaropa, K-4 Music Teacher
Bio coming soon! |
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