Meet Our Staff

I graduated from high school in Oceanside. In 2009 I received my associate Teacher permit from Cabrillo College and I have completed several certifications as well as many ECE classes.

I have been working with children for over 25 years. My experience first began when I raised my younger siblings. I was the owner of a preschool for 6 years, a nanny, worked in child care centers, and w/ special needs children.

I have two boys that keep me quite busy. If I’m not traveling for sports activities, and I find the time, my personal hobbies and interests include scrapbooking and spending time with friends

Hello! My name is Suzie, and I am so grateful to be at Coastal Community Preschool and share my days with your beautiful children. I have been teaching young children for 35 years in a variety of places, with one of the most interesting locations being at an orphanage in Zambia for two summers. This has caused me to have a tender spot in my heart for all things Africa!
I am a proud and blessed mom of my son, Galen, who is a recent graduate of Seattle Pacific University, and an avid photographer. I am also a mama to my four-legged son, Surfer! He takes me on lots of long walks in our beautiful Santa Cruz area and keeps me company while I enjoy one of my favorite hobbies of reading historical novels.
The preschool years are such a magical, joyful, emotional, and wonderful time in childhood, and also in parenthood. It is my honor to travel the journey with each of you! Children are amazing, and it is such a gift to work alongside them every day.
Thank you for welcoming me into the Coastal Community Preschool family!

 I graduated from Santa Cruz High School in 2017. I am currently attending Cabrillo College where I am well on my way to obtaining my associate degree in early childhood education. In addition to pursuing my degree, I am also in the process of obtaining my teaching certification and anti-bias certification from Cabrillo.

My passion for working with children began in childhood around the age of 10 when I worked as a babysitter for family friends. When I was 15 years old I did volunteer work as a captain for Cowells Junior Guards. I had the opportunity to work with children in a beach setting as a volunteer lifeguard. The summer after, I started my first real job as a lifeguard and swim instructor. After a year of employment I was able to instruct little guards. Both being a swim instructor and little guard instructor put me in a position where I was able to get to know the children in my care and develop a relationship with them. Jumping forwards I had my first experience in an official classroom as a substitute teacher’s assistant for Head Start. During my summers, I have been fortunate enough to spend time as a nanny for a family in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

As a person I love being outside. My favorite outdoor activity is surfing, with hiking coming in as a close second. I am very grateful to have grown up in Santa Cruz surrounded by the ocean and forest. When I’m inside you can find me doing something crafty. I enjoy everything from jewelry and candle making to woodworking and almost everything in between.

Hi everyone, my name is Beth and I am excited to join the team at Coastal Community Preschool. In 2019, when our youngest was in high school, I decided to return to school to test the waters with one ECE class and was hooked! I have since continued my education taking 3-4 classes a semester and 2 during summer sessions. I have earned my Child Development Associate Teacher certificate through Cerro Coso and am on track to earn my Master Teacher certificate as well as my AS in Child Human Development this fall. I just can’t get enough and look forward to continuing my education through classes and collaborating with coworkers here at CCP.

As our boys were growing up, I was an active volunteer in school, sports, and scouts so I was surrounded by various age groups for many years. As they got older, I realized I especially enjoyed working with the very young and decided to seek out career opportunities. In 2019 I started work as a teacher’s aide with a variety of age groups from 2–5 year-olds. Within a few months, I was promoted to a teaching position working with toddlers, ages 18-24 months, and I have spent the last three years enjoying every minute of my day. I love the connections I make with both the children and their families I work with.

I can be found outside when I have time to spend with my family, friends, or by myself. I love camping, hiking, kayaking (am a novice), gardening, and going barefoot. Our two dogs, Ajax and Sidekick will usually be by my side. My other passion is reading everything from cookbooks to suspense to children’s books and beyond. One of my favorite children’s books is The Whole Night Through by David Frampton. The words are lyrical, but what I find most fascinating is that the illustrations are made from woodcuts that he carved and then painted to create each page.

I began with the Pre-K age group over thirty years ago in a co-op preschool with my own children. When my oldest child went to college, 15 years ago, I started teaching in early childhood education where I enjoy developing curriculum and helping students reach their full potential. I taught Pre-K for over 10 years in Carlsbad, California and I have taught 3- 5 year old children in play-based and Reggio-inspired programs.

In continuing my education I have earned ECE units from several community colleges over the years including a Certificate of Achievement in Child Development Associate Teacher from MiraCosta College. Additionally, I have taught art at a non-profit program called StudioAce and I have volunteered throughout my teaching career at numerous non-profits.

When I’m not in the classroom, I enjoy traveling, photography, gardening, riding my bike, and eating delicious food. I also love trying new restaurants, going to the beach, museums, art galleries, and spending time with my two adorable grandsons!

Hello, my name is Laura. My educational background includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Science as well as an Associate of Science degree at Cabrillo Community College.

I have worked in a variety of setting with children ages ranging 12months to 13 years old. These include an after school program, Cabrillo’s Children Center & Lab School, Santa Cruz Montessori (Aptos), Teachers assistant at Vine Hill Elementary.  I have coached youth sports, basketball, t-ball & soccer. In addition, I homeschooled my three children up to middle school & high school ages.

Outside of work I like to do a lot of different physical types of things. I’ve tried boxing, cross fit and am currently running a lot, slowly but steadily. When given a chance I like to go river rafting.  

Hi I’m Maribel, I am currently earning my BA in Intensive Psychology at UCSC and I am focusing on Developmental Child Psychology. I am also a part of a speech processing research team on campus. I started taking psychology courses even in high school to better understand how we as humans function and found that learning and observing how children’s minds grow was of great interest to me.

I have always been interested in working with children and education. I want to continue my education after my Bachelors by obtaining a Master’s Degree in Family Therapy (fingers crossed!).  I am excited to join the staff here at CCP, working in Classroom 1.

I was born and raised in Santa Cruz so I make sure to visit all my favorite places in the area with my family whenever I get the chance. I love going on hikes and to the beach with friends.

I have earned my A.S Degree in Early Childhood Education from Cabrillo College where I interned in their Children’s Center for a year and then became a Head Teacher. I worked at the Family Network preschool for three years before moving to the Santa Cruz Toddler Care Center from 2004 until 2020. Additionally I worked in a home preschool from 2017-2020. I have had over 20 years of experience working with children from infant age to 5 years old.
I have three beautiful daughters that I am very proud of and I love spending time with them. I was a pastor’s kid and I enjoy going to church. My hobbies include photography and doing Word Search and board games. If I have spare time I enjoy listening to music and visiting the beach and taking in the beauty of this area.

I have a BA in psychology with an emphasis in child development, many ECE units from the Cabrillo College program and I have training and certification in Montessori education for ages 2.5-6years from The American Montessori Society.

I have been working with young children in at-home and classroom settings on and off since 1990. My first experience working with young children was as a nanny and I wanted more! I wanted to learn more about healthful practices with young children, and to gain classroom experience.

My life is quite simple and I like it that way! I enjoy walks and hikes with friends, and in the evening, streaming good shows are my small pleasures. I LOVE to de-clutter and organize when the need arises as well.

I am happy to be a part of the classroom 3 team at Coastal Community Preschool!

I graduated from Soquel High School in 1984. I continued my education at Cabrillo College where I studied early child development before earning a Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts from Sonoma State University in 1992. I earned my teaching credential from Bethany University in 1994.I hold a Cultural Language Academic Diversity (C.L.A.D.) certificate from UC Berkeley, which I earned in 2013.
I’ve worked with children my entire life. My mother owned and operated a home daycare in Santa Cruz where I gained valuable experience that I relied on throughout my teaching career in public and private schools. I’ve worked with children as young as 8 weeks and as old as Seniors in High School.

If you don’t see me at Coastal Community Preschool then you’ll find me at Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park or Twin Lakes Beach. I practice Yoga with my family on a weekly basis. And every few years I try to make it to New York City to enjoy a show on Broadway.

I am excited to be a part of CCP working as co teacher in the School-Age program!

Hello my name is Monica. My educational background includes a bachelor’s degree in English literature and Education from Rutgers University. I am currently attending grad school online part time studying marriage and family therapy with a specialization in youth therapy. 

I’ve been working with kids my whole adult life! I started volunteering for Sunday school when I was 15 and did that alongside tutoring and babysitting throughout high school. When I got to college, I started working at summer camps. This past summer I was the director the Steve & Kate’s Camp.

In my spare time, I love to cook. I’s really calming for me and I love hosing dinners and feeding my community. I also like playing with my dog, going to the beach, as well as doing arts and crafts.

I joined the CCP community in August of 2011 as a parent in Classroom 2.  I enjoyed getting involved with Spring Festival planning and being a member of the CCP Board of Directors as a way to take part in my child’s early education. In 2013 I was delighted to become a member of the staff at this wonderful preschool.

Being around the energy of children is a great joy and a fun environment to work in. My employment background is in management and administration. I have earned a BA in Social Science with a concentration in education, focusing on early childhood education. I feel working here is a great fit for my professional life as I’m able to utilize my degree and knowledge in many ways.

My daughter is now a Sophomore at Santa Cruz High School! We enjoy watching her play sports and we love traveling and biking. In my spare time I love to work in the garden as well as spend time at the beach and in nature.

kimberlee@coastalcommunitypreschool.org

I have worked in Early Childhood Education in the Santa Cruz area for over 25 years, and at  CCP since 2011, where I have been a part of Classrooms 2 and 3.  Most recently, I was promoted to Program Director. I earned my AA in Early Childhood Education along with multiple ECE certificates at Cabrillo College, and have a Child Development Site-Supervisor permit. I have also been trained in both the SEEDS literacy and Handwriting Without Tears programs. 

I have always loved working with children and am passionate about creating a learning, enriched environment that focuses on fostering a child’s self-respect and respect for others. I feel strongly about giving children the opportunity to explore and create at their own pace and to embrace cultural diversity, all the while having FUN! I have always found it rewarding to witness the progression of how a child starts to learn something and then when he/she really grasps the concept. I realize how special these early years are and the positive impact a teacher can have on their growth.  

In my spare time, I enjoy hanging out with my husband Craig, going on walks, listening to music, spending time in bookshops (I have an exceptionally large children’s book collection), as well as watching the GIANTS!

stephanie@coastalcommunitypreschool.org