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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.

JohnPaul Meza, but most people call him JP, was born and raised in San Francisco, so he's very proud to call this city his home. He began working with children back in 2015 when he was just 18 years old and exploring career options, and as he started to learn more about childcare he really enjoyed it and knew he wanted to make this a career! He started taking classes at CCSF to expand his knowledge of Child Development. He has worked in a variety of childcare settings, including the YMCA and Live Oak School and after taking a break and exploring some other career paths, he’s decided Early Childhood is what he enjoys the most! He is currently working toward a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Studies and looks forward to supporting families and children. He enjoys being outdoors and exploring new places. He also enjoys spending time with family and friends, enjoying quiet time while laughing and enjoying good food, because he’s learned it’s important to appreciate and cherish every moment you get with your loved ones. He's a self taught drummer, and started playing drums at the church growing up and fell in love with it, and since then every weekend he’s been playing drums at church/events.

May graduated from Cal State East Bay in 2023, receiving her BA in Human Development with a concentration in Childhood Development. While at Cal State East Bay, she participated in the College Corps Fellows program in which she was placed in community-based organization working in K-12 education, climate action, and food security, which was a very gratifying experience for her! It allowed her to learn and grow alongside the students and communities that she supported. May also worked as a mentor/coach for students on the autism spectrum attending CSU East Bay. She discovered that by helping students build the confidence to navigate social, academic, and emotional challenges, she developedd a deeper appreciation for resilience, the power of mentorship itself, and an understanding of neurodiversity. After graduation, May worked at a Montessori Children’s Program in the East Bay with their toddlers and twos and enjoyed the experience of learning the Montessori Pedagogy as well as thoroughly enjoying the age group. In her family, May has always been the person who cares for family members when they are in need, always attuned to the needs of those around her. May has a natural gift for caring for children, blending patience, empathy, and creativity into everything she does. May’s favorite animal is a polar bear; she enjoys the outdoors, the ocean, yoga, and ice cream. 

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.

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.

Jane graduated in 2023 from Gonzaga University with a Bachelor in Psychology and minor in Communications. She spent the last year working as a preschool teacher in Seattle but before that always found herself with kids whether that be as a camp counselor, toddler co teacher or babysitting. Alongside teaching the past year she was a social emotional play based learning coach at the local elementary schools. She is hoping to bring her experience focusing on SEL into Sweet Peas classrooms. She recently moved back for the Bay, where she grew up, to join Sweet Peas! She loves how each and every day brings a new challenge and opportunity to grow our learning from the kids. She admires the kids fearlessness and innate curiosity. Outside of work she loves to hike, play tennis, cook and rollerblade!

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.

Jackie is a proud mother of two energetic boys, which has deepened her passion for working with children and supporting their growth and development. She believes that every child is unique and has something special to teach us, and she really enjoys building meaningful relationships with both children and their families. Jackie attended CCSF, where she earned credits in child development, and she is eager to continue her education to further her understanding and skills. Jackie previously held a few different roles at a childcare program in Rohnert Park where she was able to explore her passion for connecting and supporting children at this early stage of their development. Joining Sweet Peas, she remains dedicated to creating a nurturing and engaging environment where children feel safe, valued, and inspired to explore. In her free time, Jackie enjoys crocheting, reading, and expressing her creativity through art. She is excited to be part of the Sweet Peas family and looks forward to getting to know you and your little ones!