Meet Our Learning Tree Family

My name is Carol Renteria and I am a proud mother of 3 children and grandmother of 5. I have been with The Learning Tree since November of 2000 and am the Head Teacher in our school. I love working with children because it gives me the opportunity to be a part of their growth socially, emotionally, and academically. I find my career to be very rewarding and I enjoy connecting with families. In my free time I enjoy dates with my husband and spending time with my family. 

Hello! My name is Allyson Infante and I began working with The Learning Tree in my junior year of high school through my high school’s ROP program. I love to teach and I am an aspiring English teacher! I strive to teach with patience, compassion, and care. My students’ happiness and growth is what gives me joy! In my free time, I love to read, write, make art, and pick up new hobbies. I am conversational in Tagalog and Korean, and I’m currently learning ASL! 

Hello! My name is Maya Gomez and I am currently going to California State University, East Bay as a Liberal Studies major. With this major I plan on teaching abroad for my career. My love for working with kids started when I was 17 and worked at a summer camp. Through that job, I saw myself wanting to continue down the education path because it feels so fulfilling supporting a child whether it be academically or personally. I enjoy learning new languages in my free time and I know beginner ASL, Korean, and Spanish. I hope to teach and live abroad and continue learning about more cultures and languages while also teaching students. I want to be a teacher because I want to provide knowledge to the youth and make an impact. As a teacher, I want to be someone who listens, supports, and fosters a hopeful environment for my students. I am very excited to work here at the Learning Tree and already feel myself connecting with all wonderful children and teachers!

My name is Marlena Silva and I have been in the Early Childhood Field since 2008. I am a very proud grandmother of 7 and a great grandmother of 4. I love working with children because I get the chance to watch them grow and discover themselves. I believe being gentle and loving with a child gets the best response and is the approach I take in with my students in the Panda  and Teddy Rooms. 

Hello ! My name is Sophia Morales, A bit about myself is that i am Deaf, I wear a right side cochlear implant and communicate in both American Sign Language and Spoken English. I am a big advocate for the deaf community and love to sign music ! I am a passionate actor and music signer, I just love to be able to transform a song into a form of poetry with my hands! I also love traveling across the country and roadtripping with my friends living life to the fullest. I have two nephews that I love dearly, both of them are my world and i love being able to work with kids and to be a role model to all, to share my language with amazing kids brings joy to my heart! Super excited to be apart of the Learning Tree Family!  

My name is Justina Augustine and I am excited to continue my path as an educator here at The Learning Tree. Education is a lifelong passion of mine, and I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education. I believe that a strong educational foundation is crucial for a child’s growth and development, and I am dedicated to ensuring that each child in our classroom receives the nurturing and guidance they need to thrive.

My journey into the field of education began in 2016, and I have been working with children ever since and it has been a truly rewarding experience. I have had the opportunity to work with children from various backgrounds and abilities, and I’m excited to bring my expertise to our classroom and create a safe, inclusive, and stimulating environment where your child can flourish.

I firmly believe in open and transparent communication, as a CODA I know how important it is for parents to be informed

 Maribel Ibarra Saucedo, who is also Deaf, is my name. Before enrolling at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont, California, I took a mainstream class with deaf students, and I have a lot of admiration for my teacher. My teacher has twice changed my life. I joined the Learning Tree Preschool and started college for Early Childhood Studies; it’s fantastic to learn, I love to teach, and I love to help people. I’m grateful to be a part of the Learning Tree Preschool, which I feel like is a second home. My dream in life is to work with Deaf children in mainstream schools as a teacher that can support them, teach them about Deaf culture, and teach them American sign language.  

Hi! My name is Michelle and I am currently a college student who’s preparing for a bachelors in liberal arts to become an elementary school teacher. Growing up, I had the opportunity to travel to awesome countries like Hungary, Jordan, and Germany and help the children learn English. From there I realized that I wanted to do teaching as a profession! Besides working with children I also love to learn about forensics and eat yummy food. Being apart of the Learning Tree Family has allowed me to meet such an incredible group of staffs, parents, and children. I'm so thankful for each moment and memory made in the preschool and I can't wait to make more! 

Teacher Shivani is a proud Learning Tree alumni! 

We are always excited to welcome families back even as adults! 

She works as the main Teacher Aide in the Teddy Class which is our Toddler Program

Hi My name is Reese i’m a senior in highschool. I’m currently studying early childhood education 2 at mission valley rop with hopes of becoming a child psychologist in the FBI. I started at the learning tree in 2022 as an ROP intern, and then was hired on as a teachers aide in 2023. I really enjoy being around the little ones as they teach me so much about myself and i’m happy to have an impact on their lives. Being a preschool teacher comes with joys and rewards, Everyday at the Learning Tree brings a new adventure. 

Hi my name is Jack and I’m a Deaf teacher’s aid here at The Learning Tree. I’m currently learning ASL and I’ve really enjoyed getting to develop my signing skills in this rich environment. I’m going to RIT to study mechanical engineering next August, until then, I hope to see you around! 

Hello! My name is Danielle Ewing, and I am thankful to teach here at The Learning Tree!

I was born and raised here in the Bay Area, and I am a proud graduate from the University of California, Berkeley.  I completed Early Childhood Education classes at Ohlone and Chabot Colleges, and I have my Age 3-6 PrePrimary Credential from American Montessori Society.

After decades of experience as a Head Teacher and Director, I am growing into a new, self-employed career.  But I sure did miss teaching!  Education will always be in my heart, and I welcomed the opportunity to join this diverse, vibrant team at this school close to home.  I started here in February 2023. I enjoy sharing all of the fun, energetic, challenging, sweet and learning moments with the children and teachers.  I love Circle time with stories, songs and games and I am always ready for Art.  The messier, the better - I love the creativity!

I'm an avid sports fan (San Jose Sharks hockey, Oakland A's baseball - while still Oakland!, Golden State Warriors and CAL Football!), I enjoy country music and fitness time outdoors.  My pride and joy are my daughter, who's a Nurse Practitioner, my cute grandson Colton and my son, who is a self-published author of 4 books!

Hello, my name is Linda Magallanes. My passion is children and I have been in child development since my early 20’s. I’m a proud mother of 3 and proud grandmother of 3. Each of my own children are World Champion Martial Artist and have been awarded and recognized by Jackie Chan, Chuck Norris, and The Cast of Bruce Lee’s Enter The Dragon. I love helping children develop and reach for the stars! In my free time, I love spending time with my wonderful husband and family. Teaching in the Teddy’s, toddler class, I really enjoy helping to start the loving and caring development process for each child. I began working at The Learning Tree in October of 2023 and I am extremely proud to be part of this amazing team and family. 

Hello, my name is Maria Fernanda Alvarez, but preferably go by Fernanda. I am deaf and use a cochlear implant on my right side for communication in ASL and spoken English. I graduated from the California School for the Deaf in Fremont. Currently, I am attending Ohlone Community College to transfer to CSUN University for my major in Early Childhood Studies. I have a lot of experience working as a volunteer at CSDF in ECE, and I really love working with these kids and the deaf community. I am so grateful to be a part of The Learning Tree Preschool, where I can teach them sign language, provide support, foster social skills, share deaf culture, and learn new things.

Hi! My name is Prisha Lakhara and I am an incoming college student this fall who will be majoring in psychology and a minor in child and youth development. I grew up in the neighborhood right next to The Learning Tree so it has been a full circle moment going from driving by the preschool to now working at it! The memories and bonds I have created with all these amazing kids has led me to the path I have chosen for my future, which I am extremely grateful for. The sound of their laughter and the conversations we share push me to be better every single day. Aside from working with kids, I am a competitive hiphop dancer and teacher. I started at a young age and am now competing at international competitions and putting on theatrical shows! Throughout my life, I aspire to use my experiences to continually advance my education and deepen my connection to dance. Additionally, I look forward to the new memories I will create with our growing Learning Tree family!

My name is Jenna and I am the owner and director of The Learning Tree Preschool. I started as a Panda teacher here in 1993 and became the Director in 2000. All 3 of my children have attended The Learning Tree and I have such fond memories of having them here with me. I look forward to my future grandchildren continuing the tradition. Child Development is definitely my life’s passion and I love knowing we make a difference in the lives of all of the families we are fortunate enough to serve. In my spare time I enjoy attending plays, concerts and traveling with my family. The Learning Tree Spirit is deep in my heart and I look forward to many more years serving our community. 

My name is Alee and I started my Learning Tree experience as a student at 2 years old in the early 90's. I later started working here in the kitchen in 2010. I eventually ended up getting my early childhood education units to be in the classroom as a teacher and be the office manager.  I have two daughters one born in the beginning of the pandemic, in 2020 and one in 2022 who was born with Microtia and Atresia and is Deaf. She wears two Ponto hearing devices to get her sound and I am in the process of learning ASL to give better access to language and ways to communicate. I am very thankful both of my kids will be coming to The Learning Tree for preschool like I did,  I am proud to be a part of The Learning Tree Family. 

My name is Katelyn and I’ve been with The Learning Tree for over 12 years. I started as an intern with the R.O.P program, officially joined as a teacher upon graduation and then transitioned to the Office position in the last few years. Working with children to help them blossom into independent, confident, and bright individuals is what makes this career my passion. I am a huge animal lover and enjoy reading, gardening, hands-on science activities, and anything to do with art.