I pursued my education at the University of Central Florida, where I earned a Doctor of Education with a specialization in gifted education, a Master of Education in Teacher Leadership, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. My areas of research include how to maximize student success through the infusion of social-emotional learning, which includes helping students learn skills such as empathy, self-regulation, curiosity, and harmonious passion in the everyday classroom setting. My expertise also includes how to better identify and support both underachieving and dual-exceptional students, such as those who are both gifted and learning disabled or who are both gifted and on the Autism Spectrum Disorder.

I entered the field of education in order to make a positive impact on society. I have touched the lives of thousands of students from kindergarten to the graduate level having held various roles including: fifth grade teacher, high school English teacher, university professor as well as a school-based administrator in both public charter and private schools in Florida and California.

Prior to entering the field of education, I ran a graphic design business for over a decade. When not busy helping shape today’s youth and their teachers, I enjoy traveling the globe to new and exciting places, flying around the Bay Area in my single engine plane, and exploring culinary delights in my home city of San Francisco. 

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in the History of Religion and Sociology from Oberlin College in 2006. I went on to earn my Master of Arts in Teaching – Early Childhood Education from National Louis University in 2012.

Over the past 15 years, I have taught in numerous settings with students from preschool to high school. Through these experiences, I have learned that educating children is the profession that I emphatically know to be my calling. It is a privilege to have a career in educating and shaping the lives of children. 

When not teaching, I enjoy going to the gym, dancing, and traveling the globe.

I started at Futures Academy in 2019 and have worked in schools since 2011. I’ve spent the majority of my life volunteering on the side for places such as the Lindsay Wildlife Museum and the San Jose Sharks Foundation. I graduated from San Francisco State University with a BA in Communication Studies but my love for teaching really began in 2003 when I started volunteering as a Teacher’s Helper educating people about animals. In my free time I enjoy watching hockey and baseball and spending time with animals.  

I grew up attending schools in the East Bay and have been involved in the education field since attending the University of California at Santa Barbara. After graduation from there with an English degree, I pursued and received my teaching credential and taught K-8th grade for 10 years at public charter schools and other private education institutions.   

I am also a mom of three kids, and, while parenting them, I have also been very active on the parent-side of education. I have, and continue to, serve on numerous school boards and work directly with principals and superintendents as a parent representative.     

I am a huge believer that all kids have special learning abilities; all it takes is a great teacher to identify those abilities and unlock the potential that is naturally innate in them. Great teachers and schools support those abilities and encourage that love-of-learning, so it grows and fires up in kids' minds.  

I am an independent College Match & Admissions Coach who partners with private clients throughout the U.S. and the world. I serve several Futures Academy campuses with my main focus on Walnut Creek and San Mateo. I enjoy the complexity and strengths each individual brings to the college and career search and I strongly believe in the importance of finding a good “fit” between students and their prospective colleges and careers.

I have been involved in education policy at the local and statewide levels and am a frequent presenter at schools and education conferences. My education includes a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley, graduate studies in Cognitive Science at Rutgers University and a Certificate in College & Career Planning from U. C. Berkeley Extension. 

As an educator, business owner, consultant, and manager with over 25 years of service & experience in the private, franchise & public education sectors, I have been focused on the importance of education and the benefits of personalized learning throughout my career. I have spent 20 years with Sylvan Learning starting as a Director of Education, was nominated for Center Director of the year, served as a Sylvan Regional Consultant in the US and Canada, and eventually became an owner of 2 Sylvan Learning Centers in San Francisco and Marin County. I have extensive knowledge of the academic arena from both a public and private viewpoint.

I have my Master’s Degree in Adult Education and Program Planning and a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential from San Francisco State University. I graduated Magna Cum Laude with my Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Loyola University in New Orleans.

Living in San Francisco allows me to pursue my passion as a “foodie” as well as take advantage of the beautiful Bay Area for nature hikes, museums, music, weekend getaways, wine country and more!

Ashley’s goal is to empower students to achieve success. She designs and manages programs that promote student engagement, persistence, and leadership. This includes training and coaching staff in the fulfillment of our obligations within these programs. Using student-centered decision making, Ashley assesses and refines programs to ensure high quality learning. Program outcomes are presented to members of our Futures Advisory Board, consisting of valuable parents, students, and teachers. 

Ashley dedicated several years in higher education as an administrator and psychology lecturer. She has a bachelor’s degree in human development from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Harvard University.

June is the Director of School Quality serving all 16 + campuses in California. Prior to Futures Academy,  June was a center director for Sylvan Learning Centers, and also worked as an assistant director for an after-school program. June has over 10 years of experience working with students of all grade levels. She has a passion for education and believes each and every student deserves a chance to reach his or her fullest potential. She received her Bachelor’s of Arts in Liberal Studies/Teacher Education from Dominican University of California, and her multiple subjects teaching credential from California State, Los Angeles.

My career trajectory never included teaching. I had planned to get my Bachelor's degree in biology and go to work in a laboratory. Like all good discoveries, teaching was a happy accident. I now know the sheer joy of being in front of a class of students and watching their eyes light up when a concept makes sense. In addition to teaching, I play the flute in the East Bay Symphonic Band that meets at Chabot College and enjoy performing in community theater. I plan to begin work on my Master's in Education soon.

I have been passionate about learning my whole life and fell in love with teaching when I was 9 years old. I studied Elementary Education at Purdue University and have taught 1st and 2nd grade at private schools on the SF Bay Peninsula. I am both a teacher and parent at Futures Academy. Through my experiences as an educator and parent of gifted children with learning challenges, I have learned that a single method of teaching does not work for everyone, which is why the one-to-one model works so well. 

As the Guided Study Teacher, I am not only helping students develop study skills, but also discovering their different learning styles and challenges. Then I advocate for them with their learning team and also teach them how to advocate for themselves. In the process, the students become independent learners with positive study habits. 

When I am not at school, I like to relax in my backyard with a book or strategy game. My husband is an engineer, and we have two sons, a dog and 3 cats. One son loves mountain biking and the other is a soccer star. 

Fun Fact: I taught ballroom dancing while at college.

My bachelor’s degree is in Biology from the University of California, Riverside (UCR). After receiving my degree, I was a substitute teacher for 6 months before becoming a biology teacher intern in the inland empire of Southern California. After one year of internship, I obtained my full teaching credential through UCR while continuing to teach middle school life science and physical science for the next 6 years.

Changing directions to help a friend start a business, I went to school to get a better understanding of the business world and obtained a Master’s in Business Administration, with an emphasis on international finance. Staying in the private sector for a few years, I ultimately landed at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA working as a suite specialist. While working at a Major League Ballpark was amazing and a blast during each season, it did not fulfill my career ambitions.

Now, I am changing tracks back to the career that I had the most passion for, which is education. I have a real drive to help students understand the sciences and the world overall, while always following my personal motto: “Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return.” Giving myself to the love of science and sharing that love with every student possible is why I love working at Futures Academy.

I grew up in San Francisco and have moved at least 9 times in my adult life before returning to the Bay Area. I have been a teacher in California as well as in Greeley, CO. I have taught English/Language Arts to middle schoolers in both states. I also taught English as a Second Language to both high school and middle school students in Richmond, CA. I have been tutoring classmates since my first year of high school.

In addition to teaching, I enjoy gardening, reading, writing and playing video games. I am known to bake and hang out with my dog. I am a self-described nerd.

Fun fact: I had Rick Riordan as a teacher for 6th through 8th grade.

My bachelor’s degree is in education, and I spent the first eight years after graduation teaching at the elementary level, from kindergarten to third grade. In 1978, I had the opportunity to teach at the Hong Kong International School. Not only did this mean living halfway around the world, I would be teaching English, speech, and theater arts in the senior high school as well as heading the drama department. I also coached the high school’s tennis team.

Returning to the US, I finished a master’s degree in English language and literature. I taught high school full-time and part-time at a community college. After twenty years of teaching, I wanted to avoid burnout, so took what I planned to be a brief sabbatical with work in various aspects of publishing. This intended sideline lasted a couple of decades.  

The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget believed there was a strong connection between delight and learning, and I agree. One of his more famous quotes is, “What we see changes what we know. What we know changes what we see.”  I interpret this as classrooms needing to be places where the balance between asking and discovering is always changing. The best teachers know when to step in and help, or step back and observe. When students feel safe and supported, they gradually discover lines of inquiry. 

I believe many humans want to make meaningful contributions to their culture. For me, teaching is second in importance only to being a responsible parent. Language, literature, and the humanities are my passion, and I see teaching as a way to help guide the future. If my students become more precise writers and more thoughtful readers, then my work has worth. 

I was born and raised in the East Bay. I studied political science at the University of Tennessee and then obtained my teaching credential at UC Berkeley. I have been teaching for three years and spent most of that time helping students in custody obtain their High School Diploma. I love teaching and helping tailor lessons to student's individual learning styles.

When I am not at school, I am either selling real estate in the east bay, doing yoga or snowboarding. My favorite subjects are Government and History.

I have been in the education field for about 10 years. Prior to teaching, I worked as a pediatric nurse. My teaching career began after living in China for a year, with my son. Outside of my own job teaching ESL at a University in China, I volunteered at my son's International School, which I enjoyed very much. Upon returning to America, I obtained my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. 

I enjoy teaching one-to-one because it allows me to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of individual students. I also value building compassionate, one-to-one relationships with students while using a holistic approach to meet all the needs of a student. With every class I teach, I incorporate life skills that will support the student as she/he moves through life.

I embrace learning as reflected in my education as well as in my travels. Connecting with people while traveling, who have diverse origins and who think differently than myself, sparks an insatiable curiosity that I have about life and the meaning we can give to it. I have three undergraduate degrees in Chemistry, Psychology and Nursing and three graduate degrees in Molecular Biology, Nursing and Teaching English as a Second Language.  

Health, exercise, nutrition, and personal growth is very important to me. While living in Boulder, CO, I embraced yoga and obtained a Yoga Teaching Credential. I am passionate about travel, adventure, and cultural diversity, which inspired me to journey to every continent, except Antarctica. With a backpack, I relish the connections I have made while traveling, and I look forward to continuing my journeys in the future. I love the natural world, and, in my free time, I am running, hiking, skiing, kayaking, or doing yoga at Muir Beach. At the same time, I enjoy reading a good book while listening to music. By far, my most precious time is being with my 21-one-year old son, who recently graduated from college, and is working as a software engineer in the valley. 

I hold a Bachelor's degree in Pure Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley. I also have a Master's degree in Teaching - Secondary Mathematics from the University of Southern California. For the past decade, I have instructed students of all levels, both in a traditional classroom setting, as well as private tutoring. With a love for mathematics and a desire to make the subject attainable for all, it is my goal to help each student discover their mathematical capabilities and to break through any fear or intimidation they feel about the subject. 

I completed my undergraduate and graduate degrees (BA, MA) in history at the University of California, Berkeley. My wife and I opened several beloved bakeries in Berkeley before selling them. I am currently the minority partner in a local co-working space in downtown Berkeley. I live with my wife Kate and our rescued pitbull, Brad Pit, in the Oakland Hills.

I am a Bay Area native and hold a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Chico. Having worked in the higher education publishing field for eleven years, I later found joy and fulfillment while working with students in elementary and middle school as an aide, tutor, and teacher for the past ten years. I enjoy creating and teaching fun and interesting lessons for students of all abilities, so that they may grow in confidence and experience a love of learning.  There is nothing more gratifying than to see the positive changes in students as they grasp new concepts and become more knowledgeable and independent.

In my free time I can be found with my husband and two children at the beach, hiking with my dog, reading, gardening, or painting. 

My love for teaching began at 10 years old. After serving 20 years in the US Navy Reserve and several other adventures, I earned my BA and teaching credential from Holy Names University in Oakland, CA. I particularly enjoy helping create new, innovative and dynamic curriculum that meets the needs of students.

I grew up here in Walnut Creek, California! I graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2019 with a BS in biology, and then worked in biotech for two years as a researcher in protein isolation. My teaching experience ranges from swim coach to Jewish Day School instructor to private tutor. It is such an honor to witness the "ah-ha!" moment of learning. It is my belief that school is place not only for instruction of curriculum, but also a place for students to learn about themselves, their relationships, and the world at large. Thus, as an educator I strive to encourage learning beyond textbooks. 

I am a native Californian - I graduated from UC Davis, earned my teaching credential at Sacramento State, and a GATE (gifted and talented education) certificate from San Diego State Extension.  

I taught at North Davis Elementary, in Davis, from 1996 - 2018.  After leaving the classroom and moving out of Davis, I enjoyed working as (1) a history presenter to 4th/5th/6th graders and (2) a Studies Weekly curriculum trainer for teachers - until the shelter-in-place orders started in March 2020.  

Whenever I hear from former students or their parents, they always mention my sense of humor, fun-loving personality, and my “whole child” approach to teaching.  Being able to teach one-to-one at Futures is absolutely perfect for me!

At home, I enjoy quilting, playing backgammon with my husband (also a teacher at Futures) and cuddling with our pups Sadie Sue (Great Dane), Cantina (black Lab who is a career change from Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael), and Keith (the 10 pound Chihuahua who barks the most!)

Fun Fact:  Fridays and Saturdays I AM “the student” - I am learning to be a dog groomer while working/interning at Paw Spa in Suisun.

I graduated from Saint Mary's College of CA with a Bachelor's in Cultural and Hispanic Studies with a concentration in Spanish along with a minor in Women's and Gender Studies. I also have an Associates in Psychology.

From a young age I had a passion for Spanish, History, and culture. As a daughter of a father from Guatemala, I had learned Spanish when I was a child which would lead me to want to teach Spanish and share my affection for the language and Hispanic culture. My love for learning has brought me to teaching. I have a passion for working with students one-to-one and being a positive figure for them. I hope to get a Master's degree soon and continue working in Education.

I graduated from The Bishop's School, La Jolla, California and then attended Mount Holyoke College, where I double majored in Physics and Astronomy. Upon graduation, I worked in a gas shock tube engineering laboratory at University of California, San Diego. I later received a master's in applied mathematics as well as a doctoral degree in Mathematics from University of California, San Diego. I completed postdoctoral training at University of California, Berkeley through a University of California President's postdoctoral fellowship and a National Science Foundation postdoctoral fellowship. I've taught at University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles, California State University, East Bay, California State University at Fresno, San Diego State University, University of California, Santa Cruz Extension, Chabot College, and Mesa Junior College in San Diego. I also have a master's in Cell and Molecular Biology from San Francisco State University and a master's in Biomolecular Engineering from University of California, Santa Cruz. 

I enjoy books, film, art and music and spending time with my family.

I grew up in San Diego and went to UCSD. After college I moved to San Francisco and worked for Accenture, a large multi-national IT consulting firm for five years. After that I started my own business, an IT staffing agency. I expanded it into general temporary staffing for various skills under the name TeamPersona and ran it for 25 years. I won multiple awards including one of the largest woman-owned businesses in the Bay Area and Hispanic Business Woman of the Year.

I also raised six kids – five boys and one girl, many of whom had learning challenges, emotional issues and varying educational needs. As a result, my children attended several different schools: Fusion Academy, De La Salle, Carondelet, Las Lomas, Livermore High School, Vineyard Independent School and Tilden. I found that one size education does not fit all and everyone has their own unique path in life. As a parent, I believe we are given a seed and we are to water it and give it sunshine – we don’t get to choose if we are raising a dandelion, a daisy or a rose! So my children took me on challenging and exciting new journeys as we explored what made them happy.

I spent many years teaching Junior Achievement, many years leading both Boy & Girl Scout troops, and many years homeschooling one of my children. I secretly had always wanted to pursue a career in Education, because I believe Education is central to solving our world’s ailments. I am pursuing further studies in Education to learn more about various teaching modalities. I am excited about the opportunity to make an impact in the lives of children, society’s most important asset.

Fun fact: I am currently the Scoutmaster of an all-girl “Boy Scout” troop; BSA recently became co-ed!

I am a veteran teacher, with more than 30 years of experience teaching and tutoring middle school and high school students. I grew up in Massachusetts, came to California in 1978, earned a degree in Mathematics from St. Mary's College, and have held a CA Teaching Credential in Mathematics continuously since 1983. When I'm not teaching, I enjoy hiking, learning to play the piano, listening to music, singing in a choir and playing with my two grandchildren.

I studied fine arts at CSU East Bay and graduated with a BFA in 2007. I am a painter that draws inspiration from science fiction and surrealism. I have taught at Root Division, the Junior Center of Art and Science, and the Ichen Art Academy. I possess ten years of experience teaching art to children and adults.