Faculty and Staff

College Degree(s):

Bachelor’s Degree: Child Development, Sacramento State University

Master’s Degree: Educational Administration, National University

Work Experience:
Before coming to serve at CIS, I served at a private school in Elk Grove. I have experience as a lower elementary teacher, vice-principal, principal, and superintendent where 1400 students from grades preschool-high school attend. Following my 23 tenure at this school, 16 of which were in administration, I served as a middle school principal for two years at a private school in Woodland. I am excited to be part of CIS and have loved helping to build this program. I’ve had the privilege over my career to be trained by some of the best educators, so I’m thankful to be able to partner with teachers as we continue to grow together here at CIS. I’m very excited for next school year as we partner with the IB as a candidate school in order to more fully realize our vision as an international school.

Personal:
I was raised on a ranch in Amador County, California-- about an hour from Rocklin. I currently live in Elk Grove with my husband of 32 years. We have two children: Jonah a Sophomore at Grand Canyon University in Arizona, and Annie a Freshman at Grand Canyon University. Our children have both grown up in private school, and we as a family are proponents of private school education. We love to spend time together as a family traveling. I am so fortunate to be part of this amazing adventure here at CIS!

College Degree(s):

Bachelor’s Degree: Liberal Studies, Biola University, La Mirada CA

CA Multiple Subject Teaching Credential: Biola University

Work Experience:
I was fortunate to be able to complete student teaching in New Zealand at an International School. Prior to coming to CIS, I taught in the Dry Creek school district teaching 5th grade for three years. These past two school years, I taught our students in the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th grades.

Personal:
In my spare time, I love to travel and experience new adventures with my husband Joel. We love to try exciting things like white water rafting, hiking, flying planes, and even taking hot air balloon rides! I am a HUGE Disney fan and try to visit at least once a year. When I am not traveling, or at Disneyland, I am either reading, drinking coffee, or looking up videos of sea otters (the world’s cutest animal).

College Degree(s):

Bachelor’s Degree: Organizational Leadership, Arizona State University

Work Experience:
Before coming to CIS, I worked as a Program Manager in the manufacturing industry. I worked on designs and manufacturing processes of connectors and cables for aerospace, automotive and medical devices.

Personal:
I grew up in Orange County and moved to Roseville with my husband and our three children, Ethan (12), Eleanor (8), and Zayden (8), in 2020. We are an active family that enjoys sports, camping, and swimming.

College Degree(s):

Bachelor’s Degree: Psychology, San Jose State University

Work Experience:
Prior to coming to CIS in the 2021-2022 School Year, I taught in the Bay Area. I was an elementary school teacher at Stratford Schools for nine years, six of which were in kindergarten. I absolutely love teaching, especially the younger grades. I know the impression children get those first few years is what guides them throughout their school career, and I love making those moments special and memorable. During the past two school years here at CIS, I worked in the kindergarten and first grade classrooms supporting as an Educational Assistant.

Personal:
My family and I moved to Roseville from the Bay Area in 2020. We absolutely love this area. In my spare time I love spending time with my family. My husband, Israel, and son, Braden, and I love to be outside and take our dog, Nash, to the park and on walks. We love finding new trails to hike and explore the outdoors. I also love to bake and try new recipes. We love to both play and watch sports and enjoy cheering on our favorite teams.

College Degree(s):

Bachelor's Degree: Psychology w/minor in Child Development, Chico State University

Master's Degree:  Early Childhood Education, National University

Work Experience:
Before moving to Roseville in 2020, I taught at a private school in Los Angeles for five years where I was an assistant teacher and lead teacher in a variety of grade levels including kindergarten, second grade, fourth grade, and science. During the 2022-2023 school year I taught Kindergarten here at CIS.

Personal:
I was raised in a small town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains called Angels Camp. After graduating from Chico State, I moved to Los Angeles to see what the big city life was all about. After spending eight years in LA, I moved back to Northern California with my husband Jesse, our daughter Capri, and our son Rocco. We love our new home in Roseville, and I look forward to making California International School home as well! In my free time I enjoy reading, exercising, and learning something new (currently learning to play the piano!).

College Degree(s):

Bachelor’s Degree: Elementary Education with a concentration in Early Childhood Education, Pensacola Christian College

Work Experience:
I discovered my passion for teaching when I began teaching a preschool, English immersion class in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I went into this experience with the goal of saving up enough money to put myself through veterinary school. However, it wasn’t long until I realized how much I loved both children as well as teaching and decided to pursue a career in education. After receiving my bachelor’s degree in education, I taught both preschool and kindergarten at a private school in LA for five years. Last year I moved to the Sacramento area and taught first grade at a private school. I am so excited to begin teaching first grade at CIS for the 2023-2024 school year!

Personal:
I was born in a small town in central California. At the age of seven my parents decided to move to Cambodia for full-time missions’ work. I feel so thankful to have had this opportunity to grow up in a small, Southeast Asian country! As I mentioned previously, it was there that I learned of my love for education. For me, the saying “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” rings so true! I can’t imagine a more fulfilling job than pouring into the lives of littles ones and watching them learn and grow day by day. In my spare time, I enjoy activities such as reading, kayaking, paddle boarding, and hiking. However, my all-time favorite activity is traveling! My biggest bucket list items are to visit each of the seven continents and each of the seven wonders of the world.

College Degree(s):

Bachelor’s Degree: Liberal Studies, Biola University, La Mirada CA

CA Multiple Subject Teaching Credential: Biola University

Work Experience:
This upcoming school year will be my fourth year of teaching Second Grade! Right before I landed in second grade, I substitute taught in multiple school districts in El Dorado County as well as in Eureka and Roseville District. For my student teaching experience, I had the unforgettable opportunity to work at the International School of Como in Fino Mornasco, Italy in the fall and winter of 2018. I also participated in a volunteer internship at a local Ecuadorian Spanish speaking school during my time studying abroad in South America. In the summer of 2018, I taught art, science, and physical education for a TK - Kindergarten combo class at an innovation summer program, called Galileo Innovation Camps for Kids. During some summers, I taught swimming lessons through the Placerville Recreation Department for four years, which was a complete joy! In the 2022-2023 School Year I taught second grade here at CIS!

 Personal:
In my spare time I love to hike, indoor rock climb, paddle board, swim, and spend time at the beach or the lake with my husband Andrew, my family, and friends. I also love to spend time with my two bunnies Cinnabun and Moose! I am passionate about learning about other cultures and countries, traveling, and going on local adventures in beautiful California!

Third Grade Teacher:

We have students on the waiting list for this class, so should we have a large enough class we will open this grade level. We are exploring candidates for this position as well.

College Degree(s):

Bachelor’s Degree: Child Development

CA Multiple Subject Teaching Credential: CSU Chico

Work Experience:
This year will be my third year of teaching. Prior to coming to CIS, I worked in the Roseville City School District teaching fifth grade in an online classroom. Previously I taught in both fifth grade and first grade classrooms while at Chico State, teaching both in person and online. Last year I taught third Grade here at CIS.

Personal:
I grew up in the Roseville/Rocklin area and then moved away for college. After finishing my teaching credential, I moved back to Rocklin to start teaching. In my spare time I enjoy indoor cycling, reading a good book, and going for walks with my dog Stefan. I also love traveling with my family and exploring new places.

College Degree(s):

Bachelor’s Degree: Early Childhood / Primary, Christian Heritage College, Brisbane Australia

Teaching Degree: Australia

Work Experience:
Prior to coming to CIS this school year where I worked alongside Mrs. Lara with the 4th-6th grade classes and as a Makerspace teacher. I taught for six years in grades 2-4 at the following places in London, England: Wilberforce Primary School where my role was to work with small groups of students and improve their gaps in understanding and knowledge within the curriculum, particularly numeracy and literacy; Middle Row Primary School, which is a school known for its diversity and motivating life-long learning; Ashburnham Community School, which is known for its multicultural diversity. I was proud to be involved in the new restructuring of the school and becoming a part of the new creative curriculum; and Yeading Junior School, which is a state school situated in a low socio-economic area within London. This opportunity allowed me to work with students who needed more support. I also worked at Natomas Park Elementary School, where I was given an internship opportunity to teach with a third-grade class. My goal was to gain experience and to learn how other educational systems vary by country. Through all my experiences, one of my goals as a teacher has been to establish an energetic, lively environment where children get excited about learning by using a diverse range of strategies which appeal to the students to keep them engaged.

Personal:
Although born in Budapest, Hungary, I grew up in Brisbane, Australia. After graduating from my bachelor’s degree in 2009, my husband and I moved to London, where I gained most of my teaching experience working in various schools within the inner city of London. What was to be a 6-12 month cultural/travel the world experience, turned into seven years! After which we moved here to Rocklin for my husband Andrew's career in acoustic engineering. I have been blessed with being able to stay home and raise my three boys, Taylor (11), Jamie (9) and Milo (4), for the last few years. As a family we enjoy hiking, going up to the snow, and exploring coffee shops. My personal hobbies include crafting, ballet, coaching soccer, reading, reading and more reading! The last few months have been amazing coming back into teaching. I have felt really supported here at CIS throughout this journey, and I’m excited about the year ahead!

College Degree(s):

Bachelor’s Degree: Spanish, University of California Santa Barbara

Work Experience:
Before moving to Roseville in 2021, I worked at a private school in the bay area. There I taught middle school Spanish for 9 years and moved onto work as a vice principal and principal for a combined four years.

Personal:
I was born and raised in San Jose, California. As much as I love the bay area, I needed a change of scenery and moved here to Roseville in 2020 to be closer to family and immediately fell in love with the town. During my free time, I love taking my dogs for runs, taking hikes and adventures to different trails. I am looking forward to joining the California International School family and making lasting connections with everyone around me while teaching the students how fun learning Spanish can be.

College Degree(s):

Bachelor’s Degree: Major in History, Beijing Normal University (北京师范大学), China

Diploma in Education, La Trove University, Australia

Master’s Degree: Education, Iowa State University

Work Experience:
I began my teaching career in Beijing working at the Beijing Experimental High School as a history teacher for two years. After leaving China in 1990, I taught K-16 Chinese as a second language in New Zealand, Australia, and Japan. In 2005, I accepted a position as a lecturer for the Chinese program at Iowa State University before becoming an associate teaching professor. After moving to Sacramento in August 2022, I taught Chinese for two quarters at the University of California Davis.

Personal:
My research interests are the psychology and methodology of second language acquisition, etymological knowledge development, cognitive processing of Chinese characters, and Chinese folk culture and folklore. I received Excellence in Undergraduate Introductory Teaching Award 2017 at Iowa State University, and instructor recognition from Alpha Lambda Delta & Phi Eta Sigma Honor Societies in 2013.

I am pleased to join California International School. I am excited to dedicate my 30 years of teaching experience and educational philosophy to this wonderful school. I look forward to helping students develop their communication capabilities in another language and have an appreciation for the Chinese language and Chinese culture.

Outside of teaching, I enjoy singing at the Choir as a soprano, playing badminton, table tennis and pickleball, doing yoga and traveling.

College Degree(s):

Bachelor’s Degree: Criminal Justice; Arizona State University

Work Experience:
In the 2022-2023 School Year I was the Educational Assistant for second grade, as well as the Global Studies teacher, for many other grades. I also was a summer camp leader both this summer and last summer! I love helping the kids learn new things while always having fun!

Personal:
In my free time I am always with friends and family. Two of my favorite things to do are: to play golf and pickleball. I also love to read and travel, especially to the beach!

College Degree(s):

Bachelor’s Degree: Journalism & Biology, The College of New Jersey

Work Experience:
I have been serving as a substitute at CIS since its opening year, and I love working with the students in this small, nurturing learning environment. I am excited to be the educational assistant in kindergarten this coming school year.

I have been working in an educational capacity my entire career. For the past seven years I taught and coordinated the art program, as well as after school art clubs, at Maria Montessori Charter Academy in Rocklin. I have always pursued creative outlets, and I love teaching and experimenting with the arts with kids. Prior to this I lived on the east coast, where I worked in communications and public education for the State Park Service in the Department of Environmental Protection. I oversaw everything from museum exhibits, special events, and public programs, to press and publications. I also serve as a costumer for a local children’s theater, where I spend countless hours thrifting, sewing, and otherwise concocting costume creations.

Personal:
Born and raised on the east coast, I have lived in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia before making the move to California in 2011 with my husband, two daughters, and two dogs. I enjoy spending time with family, traveling, theater, and creating in all forms - from painting to pottery.