My name is Eron Lanie Choi but I go by “Lanie”, and native to San Francisco, CA. I moved to Santa Cruz in the beginning of the Pandemic in

2020. I have a BA in Child Development and Concentrated in School-Age and Families from San Francisco State University and AAA in Computer Business Administration. I also have a certification in Mind, Body, and Medicine as well a Site Supervisor Permit. Experienced in working with all age groups and came from a center-based Teacher, Recruiter, and Assistant Site-Supervisor. I ran my own daycare business in San Francisco as a Family Child Care Provider for nine years. I have been working with children for more than fifteen years as well being an Infant Development Specialist. Not only am I passionate about children and their development, I also find the importance in one’s mindfulness, body and spirit in healing modalities.

I have a 13-year old Siberian Husky (Alex) who is a certified therapy dog for children. As my hobby, I love to surf, skateboard, snowboard and surf train on land as an athlete and going to the beach with my fur baby. I am a foodie and love experiencing different cultures. I am excited to be on-board since there is so much potential here at L’Academy Language Immersion Preschool in Santa Cruz being surrounded by trees, nature, ocean, and animals.

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Ms. Andrea received her associates degree from Cabrillo College and has been working with preschool children since 2007. She is married and has a ten year old daughter and twin six year olds! Andrea is a very creative & happy person who brings her positive attitude to our school every day!

Her favorite part of working with children is to be able to see their individual growth and development. She likes to implement creative activities, stimulating their cognitive, social emotional, and physical development.

She looks forward to meeting your child and wants you to know that this year is going to be the best year ever!

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Ms Sequoia Ortiz is a senior at the UC Santa Cruz. With an AA degree in psychology and liberal arts, she plans on perusing a Masters in Education after graduating this June with a Bachelors in Sociology. This is my 8th year working with children! It started off as babysitting but she was quickly fascinated by child development and education so decided to turn her passion into a career.
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Ms Sequoia is a huge advocate for the immersion program as she did it myself growing up. She started dual immersion at 5 years old and had Spanish classes until she was a senior in high school. She has a Bi-literacy Seal and enjoyed the many opportunities to speak Spanish throughout her life.

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Ms. Natalie has 10 + years of experience working with infants and preschoolers. She has completed 3 ECE units and is looking to enroll in the near future to complete the necessary units and become a preschool teacher. Natalie is a mom to a 15 month old little girl. In her spare time Ms Natalie likes to spend time with her family, watch movies, and relax. She is excited to be a part of L'Academy and looks forward to many years serving the children who attend.

Ms. May has a Bachelor's Degree in Applied Linguistics & Multilingualism from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is passionate about language-centered education, language acquisition, and child development. She has been working with children for five years and is pursuing further training in Early Childhood Education to receive more ECE units to move up as Teacher.

During her free time, Ms May enjoys spending time outdoors, rock climbing, hiking and biking.

Ms Theresa has been working with children for over 30 years. She received her ECE certification from Cabrillo college and did my ECE certification.

Ms Theresa is a very proud mother of 2 children, a daughter who is 18 and a freshman at university of Irvine, and a son who is in 7th grade. When my daughter was born I opened a daycare at my house. I am very excited to get to know you and your children here at L'Academy. In my spare time I love watching my son play traveling baseball.

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After graduating from the International MBA program at Baldwin-Wallace College, Ms Jessica returned to China, where she worked in human resources for 20 years. Eight years ago, she made the move to the United States. During her time in HR, Ms Jessica discovered my passion for employee training and
coaching, which led her transition into teaching. Before joining L'Academy, she had worked as an Assistant Teacher and a Mandarin Chinese Teacher in an after-school program for students from K1 to K3.

Ms Jessica loves working with young children, seeing the joy and pride on their faces after each accomplishment brings her immense happiness. It has been a privilege to contribute to the growth and development of every child here at L'Academy, witnessing their significant milestones along the way.

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Ms Mary has been working with young children for more than thirty years. In 2003 she earned an A.S. in Early Childhood Education from Cabrillo College in Aptos, CA. In her twenties, she lived and worked in Tucson, AZ as a Montessori teacher. While living in Tucson AZ, she also completed a course in Montessori education. Ms Mary looks forward to growing socially and academically with L'Academy families and children.

Ms Mary enjoys swimming daily, taking her dogs on night-time walks and hanging out with her family. She also hikes in the redwoods and walks at the beach. Her other hobbies are reading, gardening and taking care of her pet cat named Sampson. For family time, I enjoy spending time with her three adult children and four
grandchildren, having weekly dinner with her parents.

Ms Berkley is a UCSC Student studying Applied Multilingualism in hopes to be a speech pathologist for kids one day. Language has always fascinated her due to growing up in a Spanish immersion program school. She is super excited to work in the same kind of environment that shaped her life. She looks forward to connecting with our children to build a safe and engaging second home that allows them to grow as individuals.

In her leisure time, she enjoys doing yoga, creating art, and experiencing nature.

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Meet Ms. Sophia, the newest addition to our team at L’Academy Santa Cruz. Currently in her third year at UC Santa Cruz, she is passionately pursuing a degree in studio art with aspirations to embark on a career as a tattoo artist post-graduation.

Ms. Sophia's journey into early childhood education was sparked during her teenage years when she worked as a babysitter and mother’s helper. With a deep-seated belief in the transformative power of early childhood education, Ms. Sophia finds immense joy in witnessing children blossom and flourish. She sees each day as an opportunity to contribute to their growth and development, fostering not just academic learning but also instilling values that shape them into compassionate individuals.

As she joins L’Academy Santa Cruz, Ms. Sophia is eager to continue her journey alongside the children, nurturing their curiosity and supporting them as they navigate the wonders of childhood. She is excited to be part of a community where each day brings new discoveries and milestones, and she looks forward to making a positive impact on the lives of the children she serves.

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