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Samantha completed a degree in Child Development at Chico State University in 1997. After graduation, she moved to the Bay Area to continue her education and to teach preschool at Hoover Children's Center in San Mateo. In December of 1999, Samantha earned her teaching credential and for the next five years went on to teach Kindergarten at Westlake Elementary School and The Hilldale School, both in Daly City. Samantha holds a California Child Development Permit and enjoys continued professional development through a variety of different Bay Area and National organizations. Being at the beginning of a child's educational path is both inspiring and rewarding to Samantha. Sweet Peas was created shortly after the birth of her first son as Samantha decided to create a family based preschool where children are both nurtured and stimulated, a place where she would want her own children to be if they were in someone else's care. Her vision to offer this kind of nurturing learning environment was what inspired her to create multiple locations for Sweet Peas and she feels very blessed to work with so many wonderful families throughout their children's formative years.

Annette Medrano (she/her/hers) is a native Californian who received her Bachelor of Arts in Child Development from Whittier College in Southern California. She has had the opportunity to teach in Germany, Spain and Los Angeles before finding her passion in the educational management industry in the San Francisco bay area. Annette is entering her sixteenth year of early childhood education and has experience in program management, mentoring, leadership development and community engagement. Annette strives to make a lasting impact in the lives of her staff, students and community by fostering compassion and intellectual curiosity, igniting imagination and instilling a love of learning. In her spare time, Annette enjoys spending time outside with her husband and two daughters, getting up early for a sunrise trail run in the Marin Headlands, and being enthralled by the latest thriller novel.

Adri is a recent Chico State graduate with her BA in Child Development and minors in family relations and psychology. Adri truly loved learning about the many aspects of a child’s development and is so excited to continue to utilize her knowledge in her work at Sweet Peas Too. She has been a family nanny, psychology tutor, daycare assistant, and has loved her time spent as an infant and toddler center intern most of all. Her favorite part of working with children is watching their curiosity and growth. No matter the age of the child, they have a lot to teach us grown ups! Adri wants to contribute to a high quality and fun learning environment for all the Sweet Peas children! Adri loves arts and crafts, spending time outdoors, and with animals. She is excited to incorporate her interests into her teaching and guiding the children each day!

Selena loves working with young children and seeing them learn and grow. She is currently attending SFSU and majoring in Child Development. As a teacher, she believes she has the opportunity to make a significant impact on children's lives and help them develop a strong foundation for future academic and social successes. In her time as a teacher, she has developed a teaching philosophy that focuses on creating a safe and nurturing environment where children can learn and grow. She believes that toddlers learn best through hands-on experiences and positive interactions with their peers and caregivers. She strives to create a classroom environment that encourages exploration, imagination, and curiosity. When she is not teaching, she enjoys being active, either hiking or going to the gym. She loves exploring San Francisco and her all time favorite past-time is going to the movies and eating popcorn!

As the eldest of four children and the daughter of an early childhood educator, Charlotte comes to Sweet Peas with a wide variety of both personal and professional experience working with children. She spent several years as an educator at a natural science summer camp in Big Sur and last year served as an Extended Day teacher for kindergarteners at the San Francisco Friends School. Charlotte has worked with children and young adults with special needs at a supported living service and has a heart for making education and learning accessible and equitable. She studied International Relations at UC Davis and is currently obtaining early childhood education credits at CCSF. She’s interested in how the experiences people have early in life impact how they engage in the world and she’s honored to play a role in children’s formative early years. She loves to see the wonder and delight children get from imaginary and sensory play and facilitating a child’s growth and learning through play brings her great joy. In her free time, Charlotte enjoys hiking, reading, backpacking, exploring the city, and taking her corgi to the dog park.

Jennifer raised all three of her children and loved seeing each of them develop into their own unique selves. Helping them become independent and confident was a joy and it drew her toward her path as a teacher. She now has two beautiful grandchildren that continue to inspire her love of children. She is a dedicated, passionate, fun, loving, caring, and energetic person who simply loves being with children, engaging with them during art, crafting, dancing, or listening to music or playing educational games! She believes that every child is a unique human with wonderful potential. Jennifer is currently taking Early Childhood Education courses in order to further her career in a field which she loves and has a passion for. Her ultimate goal is to help children grow, develop and reach their highest potential. During her free time, Jennifer loves to spend time with her family and friends and all her beloved pets. She loves crafting, comedy shows, concerts, museums and travel.

Elaine was born and raised in San Francisco. She graduated with a BA in psychology from UC Merced. She’s had experiences working with children in various ages such as working as an intern at a summer program called Aim High, infant assistant teacher at a Montessori school, and working with children with autism as a behavioral interventionist. She is interested in learning more about child development and early education and is currently taking classes at CCSF. One thing she loves about the field is watching each child slowly grow and develop their own personalities. She is excited to work with everyone at Sweet Peas Too. In her free time, she enjoys watching Japanese animations, cooking, and exploring the city.”

Anahi’s passion of working with children started 6 years ago and she especially loves seeing the development from infants to toddlers. She believes we learn something from each and every child and building relationships is the foundation of teaching. As an educator, she believes we become their role models and its extremely important to be present and involved in their play. She is looking forward to continuing to expand her education at CCSF in child development. In her free time, she enjoys reading, gardening, crafting, knitting, as well as creating memories with family and friends.

Julia was born and raised in Santa Cruz and is currently attending SF State, majoring in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Special Education. She found the love of working with children as a dance teacher where she grew up dancing for the majority of her life. She started teaching and working with children ages 2-18. While doing that, she found an interest in teaching more than dance by volunteering at her old elementary school, working at a preschool /camp during the year, babysitting for friends and family around the area, and being in a classroom setting. She is passionate about learning about the development of children and how students learn differently. She loves learning about inclusivity in education and wants to incorporate that into her teaching. Her favorite thing about working with children is seeing how they grow and their
unique differences and bubbly personalities. She loves going to the beach, surfing, and trying out new recipes in her free time.

Kaitlin was born and raised in New York and recently moved to the Bay in pursuit of her Master's degree in School Counseling at Saint Mary's College of California. Kaitlin earned her Bachelors in Early Childhood Education and has always had a passion for working with young children. Besides their parents, she believes that educators have the most influence on children's development, and she takes a lot of pride in being a part of shaping their experiences and personalities. Kaitlin has experience with children starting with volunteering at a bowling alley from a young age to working as a sleepaway camp counselor before she began working with the special needs population as a paraprofessional and teacher's aide at a charter school. She is excited for this opportunity at Sweet Peas and in California and looks forward to exploring San Francisco as her new home away from home. Her passions include music, movies, nature, and ultimately being able to connect with friends.

Sophia is a Northern California native who graduated from University of California Santa Barbara with a bachelor's degree in art history in 2023. She is relatively new to the San Francisco area and is looking forward to getting to know the city and community better. She has been working with children since her teenage years and was a full time nanny throughout college for a family with three children. She is currently seeking an Early Childhood Development major at CCSF. . She is passionate about self expression through art, painting, drawing, fitness, nature and working with children of all ages. She is very excited to be part of the Sweet Peas team and have the privilege of working with the children in their early developmental stages.