Our faculty and staff are experts in their respective fields and enthusiastic collaborators who enjoy sharing their deep content knowledge and research interests with the community. Members of our team model what it means to be a life-long learner and work to ensure that students discover their passions and develop the skills they need to pursue them. As members of a lab school, we never stop learning, and we never stop innovating to create the highest quality learning experiences for our students!
STEM Specialist
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Shin is an engineer, musician, and educator from Tokyo, Japan. He is excited to return to teaching after a stint in industry.
Shin’s engineering career has spanned many disciplines. He has worked on projects such as the ATHLETE lunar rover, the LauncherOne satellite launch vehicle, Google Fi, and the Riffit text-to-music algorithm. He also taught engineering at Synergy Academies in Los Angeles, and has spent many weekends playing Calypso music at the Six Flags theme park.
Teaching has always remained Shin’s favorite activity. He loves seeing the students build their skills and confidence, and he enjoys learning new things alongside the students every day.
Shin resides in Sunnyvale with his wife. In his spare time, he likes to compose music and study the Thai language. He holds a B.S. in aerospace engineering from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Humanities Specialist & Grade 3 Advisor
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Rasha was born in the Middle East and immigrated, with her family, to the United States as a child. After receiving a degree in Anthropology, Rasha decided to move back to the Middle East to delve into the rich culture. While there, she taught for several years at an international school while simultaneously working with the UNHCR to provide sustenance and support for Iraqi refugees. Having taught overseas and in the Bay Area, Rasha has over fourteen years of classroom teaching experience. She views her classroom as an experiential, imaginative workshop where students are consistently inspired and creating.
Rasha loves swimming, strolling through the redwoods, and spending time with family and friends.
Director of College Counseling
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Brennan Barnard, M.Ed, is the Director of College Counseling and Alumni and the College Admissions Program Advisor with Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He was also the founding Director of College Counseling for US Performance Academy, an online independent high school for elite athletes.During over two decades in education Brennan has worked as a teacher, coach, dorm parent, admission officer, counselor and administrator at a number of independent high schools and colleges. He has counseled Olympians, thespians, artists, cadets, social workers, engineers, philosophers, doctors, writers, lawyers and everything in between. Brennan is a member of the Advisory Board for the New Hampshire College and University Council’s New Hampshire Scholars Program and on the Executive Committee for the Character Collaborative. He presents regularly on character, athletic recruiting, mindfulness, discipline and other topics in college admission.
He has written about college admission for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Forbes.com, Thrive Global, HuffPost, Concord Monitor, Journal of College Admission, and other publications. He has also been featured in articles in the Boston Globe and Associated Press. An occasional featured guest on New Hampshire Public Radio, he has been interviewed about college admission by New England Cable News and ABC News. He also hosts a live weekly webinar series with college admission leaders. Brennan was a New England Association of College Admission Counselors Professional of the Year for 2017. He is co-author of the book, "The Truth About College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together," and a new accompanying workbook. A native of suburban Philadelphia and practicing Quaker, he is a graduate of Westtown Friends School. Brennan earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Spanish from Franklin & Marshall College and a master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from The University of Vermont. This father of two lives in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, where he is a volunteer firefighter.
Business Manager & Executive Assistant
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Born and raised in San Francisco, Jen discovered her interest in education while volunteering in her children’s classrooms. She loves being around kids and shares their enthusiasm for learning. Prior to KLS, she worked as an administrative assistant for 10 years at a Bay Area school district, where she helped facilitate the daily operations of a school site. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and two daughters, traveling, trying new restaurants, and taking long walks with her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.
Art Specialist
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French-born Marie-Helene Bauguil is a visual artist and educator with 13+ years of experience teaching fine arts to children and adults. She believes that deep inside each person, there lives an artist. She strives to create learning environments in which students allow their inner artist-self to grow and flourish. In addition to teaching studio art techniques and media, she has designed and implemented arts programs in a variety of settings, and has mentored teachers and volunteers in how to teach art. She holds a Master in Architecture and recently completed an Ed.D in Educational Leadership. When she is not working or passionately advocating for the arts and arts education, Marie-Helene enjoys meeting with friends, hiking, and gardening.
English Specialist
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Brianna began her studies at Tufts University, where she ran the 2008 Boston Marathon as a member of the Marathon team, wrote theater reviews for the student newspaper, and spent her junior year reading English Literature as a Visiting Student at Pembroke College, University of Oxford.
After graduating, she spent a year teaching 10th-grade English language in Palembang, Indonesia as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. Eager to continue her studies, she then enrolled at the University of Southern California to pursue her PhD in English. Her dissertation examines the connection between dollplay, cultural practices, and narrative form in nineteenth-century Britain (you can read portions of this project in Nineteenth-Century Literature and, very soon, also in ELH).
But the best parts of her graduate studies were undoubtedly her teaching experiences. Brianna taught both composition courses and writing-intensive humanities seminars in an interdisciplinary honors program at USC during the school year and creative writing and literature courses for the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth over several summers. Outside of school, Brianna can be found camping with her rescue pup (Pilot), rereading novels by Dickens, and writing fiction reviews and essays for venues such as The Georgia Review and Public Books.
Academic Director
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Melissa is delighted to begin her fifth year at Khan Lab School. As STEM Coordinator, Melissa partners with school leaders and teachers to develop, support, and share Khan Lab School’s vision for teaching and learning. Melissa has over ten years experience teaching 2nd-7th grade math in public and private schools across the country. As Khan Lab School’s first Lower School Math Specialist, she had the unique privilege to help design the Lower School Math Program to support self-directed, personalized, mastery. Melissa is truly passionate about student-centered learning and continues to be inspired by the innovative work teachers and students are doing at Khan Lab School.
Melissa holds a M.Ed. in Elementary Education with specialization in educational technology from the University of Florida. She enjoys reading, singing, playing board games, and making her students (and colleagues) laugh.
Spanish Specialist
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Spanish Specialist
Upper School
jason@khanlabschool.org
Jason Bush is an experienced educator in the fields of Spanish language teaching, Latin American Studies, and Theatre History. After receiving his BA in Theater from University of California, Los Angeles, and his MA in Theatre Studies from California State University, Northridge, Jason decided to explore Latin American cultures during his Ph.D studies in Theatre History and Performance Studies at The Ohio State University. At Ohio State, Jason conducted extensive ethnographic research on Peruvian indigenous performance on the global stage. In the process of living and working in Peru, Jason became proficient in written and spoken Spanish. While writing his dissertation Jason decided to try his hand at teaching Spanish and he absolutely fell in love with language teaching. He has extensive classroom experience teaching Middle School and High School Spanish at Basis Independent School, Stratford School and university level Spanish at The Ohio State University and San Jose State University. In addition, Jason has developed a specialized expertise in individualized instruction in Spanish, tailoring a personalized educational experience that draws on students’ interests and preferred learning styles at AJ Tutoring, Fusion Academy, and Tilden Preparatory School. He is currently continuing his education by finishing his MA in Spanish at San Jose State University with a specialization in second language acquisition and applied linguistics. His favorite part of teaching language is helping provide students with the tools in order to express themselves in new ways, communicate to new groups of people, and explore cultures in different parts of the world.
Director of Admissions & Enrollment
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Jennifer is thrilled to serve the diverse families who explore and enroll in Khan Lab School. Jennifer is a multi-passionate lifelong learner and global citizen, who joined KLS after ten years as the head of admissions, enrollment and marketing at a bilingual international school in Silicon Valley. Prior to working at Yew Chung International School, she worked in educational roles as a teacher, instructor, administrator, researcher, writer and guide in Houston, Texas, London, UK and Haifa, Israel. She also spent her preschool years in Brazil, grew up in small town Hawaii, and studied abroad in Spain. Jennifer's diverse and eclectic experiences around the world have fueled her passion for exploring new ideas, meeting new people and discovering fresh perspectives.
Jennifer earned a BA in Psychology and Spanish from Earlham College, an MSc in Human Resource Management and Training from the University of Leicester (UK) and a Diploma in Psychology from the Open University (UK). She is a Certified Admission and Enrollment Professional (CAEP) with the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals (AISAP).
Jennifer enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, hula, period dramas, bold coffee, and a day out at a museum. She also follows European and Premier League football (Arsenal, Go Gunners!) and has been known to cheer too loudly at her two sons' soccer matches.
Head of Operations & Technology
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Head of Operations and Technology
Administration
chi-ray@khanlabschool.org
Chi-Ray graduated from Stanford University with B.A. and M.S. degrees in Biomechanical Engineering. He spent a few years applying his studies as General Manager for a local company, prototyping and manufacturing coronary stents. Soon, he decided to pursue his interest in system thinking, and he became an operations generalist for small-to-mid-sized organizations. Chi-Ray has held a number of roles similar to what he does at KLS, including serving as Director of Operations, Technology, and Facilities at a large church in Boston; working as Program Director for the Digital Media Academy at Stanford; and most recently, working as Director of IT and Employee Services at One Kings Lane (the online home goods retailer). In his spare time, Chi-Ray has been known to lead scouts, root for the New England Patriots, play banjo, listen to country music, wish he had a pick-up truck, and dream of seeing the U.S. on an extended RV trip with his wife, Erica, and kids, Timothy and Megan. You'd never guess he was born in Boston and raised in L.A. Chi-Ray has been a member of the KLS team since its founding in 2014.
Spanish Specialist
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Lara has worked in education teaching Spanish for three years, and has spent one year as a bilingual school social worker/community interpreter in her home state of Michigan. Her linguistic studies have brought her to lexically diverse countries such as Peru, the Dominican Republic, México, and Spain.
Upon returning from her most recent study abroad in Madrid (2019), she finished her master's degree in Spanish Linguistics at Middlebury College in Vermont. From there, she called Northern Massachusetts home where she taught high school Spanish, ran an Art Club, taught students how to ferment their own vegetables, and occasionally took students backpacking through the Green Mountains of Vermont.
Fall 2021 is Lara's first year with KLS, and she looks forward to nurturing student's natural curiosity for language as well as watching them grow in the language she loves.
STEM 2/3 Specialist
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After dedicating a year of service to AmeriCorps in Washington, D.C. writing curriculum for an after-school program in Title I schools, Julia joined KLS as an Associate Teacher with Independence Level 1. Julia spent her first year at KLS honing her teaching craft under the guidance of mentors. She began teaching first-grade math content, going on to become an advisor and math specialist. Julia strongly believes in empowering student voice and prides herself in being dependable and trustworthy for her students. Julia's teaching style involves discussion-based lessons and game and project-based investigations. She finds most excitement in teaching when she is collaborating with students and fellow staff members.
When not at school or commuting to and from San Francisco, Julia is an avid cyclist and a Bananagrams champion.
Executive Director
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Executive Director
Administration
kim@khanlabschool.org
With more than two decades of experience in school, research, and business environments, Kim leads KLS. Most recently, she was the Chief of Academics at US Performance Academy — an online middle-high school for elite athletes. During her career, she has held key leadership roles and led strategic initiatives at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, National Sports Academy, Emergent Academy and LRN. She has also been a consultant for a diverse set of companies and organizations. Kim holds a B.S. in Physics from Marlboro College, an M.S. in Astrophysics from the University of Arizona, and an M.Ed from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Kim and her husband love traveling, hiking, kayaking and trying to keep up with their four children.
Kindergarten Teacher
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Hannah McDonald was born and raised in the Bay Area. She joined Khan Lab School in the fall of 2020 as an IL1 Teacher and she is thrilled to be part of the team. Hannah graduated from San Jose State University with a BA in Behavioral Sciences. This year she completed her student teaching requirement for a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and Masters of Education. She is especially interested in progressing her knowledge in the teaching of reading and writing among English Language Learners.
Hannah has a background in teaching therapeutic horseback riding lessons, working with occupational therapists, as a teacher's aide, and most recently taught music at a community center for many years. In her free time, Hannah loves to spend time on the trails with her horse, Lily, exercise, and write.
History Specialist
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Originally from MetroWest Boston, Kate spent the last 9 years in Washington DC. After graduating from American University with a BA in History and Secondary Education, she taught sixth, seventh, and eighth grade history in DC public schools for five years. As a teacher in Washington DC, Kate coached her students through the National History Day curriculum, a student centered research project and competition.
Kate aims to create a classroom where students can have joyful and authentic learning experiences. Outside of school, Kate enjoys reading, playing cozy video games, and making friends with every cat she meets.
Math Specialist
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Lower School Specialist (Grade 1)
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Since 2008, Jessica has dedicated her career to expanding her knowledge of the student body. Teaching everything from after-school programs to summer school, from pre-K through fifth grade, she thoroughly enjoys being in the classroom and seeing life through curious children’s eyes. Jessica earned her bachelor’s degree from California State University, East Bay in Human Development with concentration in Childhood Development. Throughout her education and experience, she discovered the importance in catering to each child’s individual learning style. Keeping this in mind, her lessons are tailored to ensure that all these needs have been met. Jessica’s goal as a teacher is to inspire children and foster a positive learning community. She is dedicated to creating a nurturing classroom setting with high expectations of both academic and social skills in students. Jessica has mentored a group of teachers in a pilot writing program, as well as new teachers in various grade levels as a veteran teacher. During the pandemic, she was a pioneer teacher in an online academy subset school for families that chose to opt in, which gave her plenty of experience with online educational tools. This helped students branch out from solely pencil and paper and become creative with their learning approach.
Outside of the classroom, Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband, being a boy mom of 2, going to her father’s horse ranch for some fresh country air, and creating fun projects of all kinds with her Cricut machine.
Office Administrator & Executive Assistant
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Math Specialist
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Math Specialist
Upper School
tooba@khanlabschool.org
With a lifelong passion for teaching and education, Tooba is excited to be a part of KLS. She received her Bachelor’s in Business and Information Technology (BBIT) followed by her Masters in Business and Economics from University of Reading (U.K). Her Masters dissertation was on “Competition in the Airline Industry: International Airline Alliances and Low Cost Carriers”, where she did an extensive research by using various mathematical and statistical modeling techniques and tools such as E-views and SPSS to prove her hypothesis. She was also part of “UK Women Entrepreneurship Project” which empowers and supports women entrepreneurs throughout the United Kingdom.
Prior to joining KLS, Tooba worked in UK’s leading private schools for 11+ years, thus bringing a wealth of UK’s educational practices to KLS. Tooba has worked as a lecturer for A-levels (High School) in Business and Economics. She was also involved in teaching Pre-calculus and Calculus courses in mathematics. Aside from work, Tooba enjoys cooking, baking, and spending time with her two kids.
Outer Wellness Specialist & Athletics Coordinator
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Kindergarten Associate Teacher
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Jayme is so excited to join KLS and try out all the fun things in the Bay Area! She is originally from Taiwan, the home of her favorite food—bubble tea—but she came to the United States to study at Teachers College, Columbia University in the City of New York, where she got her master's degree in TESOL. She has four years of experience teaching ESL to young kids and adults and would love to do it as a lifelong career.
She enjoys cooking and baking in her free time and loves going for walks on weekends. Her dream is to open a pet-friendly sit-down bubble tea shop.
Creative Director
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After obtaining her Master's degree in graphic design, Alana worked as a designer on the global marketing team at IDEO. She art directed visual assets that brought their project stories to life through design and photography. This provoked a transition from design to photography and she's been photographing food, product, and lifestyle projects ever since.
When she's not behind the camera, you’ll find her chasing around her three little ones,
Extended Day & Summer Program Director
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Director of Admissions & Enrollment
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Director of Admissions & Enrollment
Upper School Administration
david@khanlabschool.org
David graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with both a M.A in South Asian Studies and M.S. in Urban & Regional Planning. Always a ‘Badger,’ David also served as Director of Global Engagement at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Office of the Vice Provost (International), where he helped build a new university in Kazakhstan and hosted Chinese Olympic medal winners for a special sports management program.
Since arriving in the Bay Area a few years ago, David has been leading global recruitment and admissions at UC Santa Cruz. With a passion for expanding access to high quality education for secondary school students around the world, David has also led US State Department-funded programs at AFS, co-chaired a new conference in India for college admissions officers and high school counselors, negotiated with the College Board to allow the first public high schools in China to offer AP coursework and served as a consultant for Chegg.com and The Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University.
Science Specialist
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Born and raised in the heart of San Francisco, Leo is excited to lead the Middle School Integrated Science program. Having taught overseas for the past decade, his educational experience includes leading hands-on inquiry programs in collaboration with GEMS at the Lawrence Hall of Science and the MAD Science Program. He combines his passion for Molecular & Cell Biology as an undergrad at UC Berkeley with his research through Neuroscience whenever possible while in the classroom. After receiving his Masters in Urban Education at the University of Southern California he quickly transitioned to leading flip-learning, AP, IB, and STE(A)M initiatives at various International Schools throughout Taiwan. He has served as a K-12 classroom teacher, student advisor, technology coordinator, Google Educator, and Department Head. His favorite lessons are those where students’ exhaust their imagination and driven by their curiosity. If not in the classroom, one can often find Leo cycling or running through trailheads in the Bay Area or dabbling in gastronomy.
Associate Teacher (Grade 1)
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Sujata Mahesh is excited to be a part of the team at KLS. She has her Masters Degree in Social
Work with a specialization in family and child welfare. She also has her certification from De
Anza College in Early Childhood Education.She has always been passionate about working with children and believes that children learn through observation, exploration, and collaboration - both inside the classroom and outside.
Sujata is classically trained in music and dance. She is passionate about Ancient History and
Archaeology and often spends time reading about it. When she is not working, she loves to spend time with her family at home.
STEM Specialist (Grade 6)
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Originally from Chicago, IL, Jaclyn joins the KLS community with over ten years of teaching experience. She has collaborated with both lower school and middle school students. In 2012, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and has also obtained her master’s degree in Teaching and Learning, with a specialization in STEM Education. She holds teaching credentials in Illinois and California. This year Jaclyn will serve as a sixth grade STEM Specialist in our Lower School. She is excited to empower her students to have voice and choice in their learning.
Outside of the classroom, Jaclyn coaches club volleyball and enjoys the outdoors. She also loves exploring new places with her dog, Henry.
Maintenance
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History Specialist
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Director of Student Wellbeing
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Mikki taught 9-12 grade English for 24 years at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino. Her classes included Speech and Debate, English Language Learners, and Advanced Placement English. At Monta Vista she founded programs such as the New Student Support Program, Art and Literature Course, and the Life Skills Summer Camp for graduating seniors. She joined Khan Lab School for two years as Level 4 and Level 5 Advisor and as Upper School Administrative Assistant. For the next two years she ventured to Oxford Day Academy in East Palo Alto as their Founding High School English Instructor and Staff Coordinator. She is grateful to return to Khan Lab School to continue to challenge and widen her practice, and to support the growth of the school community. Her work history demonstrates consistent passion for education, innovative creativity, and giving the underdog a voice. She currently plays several roles at KLS, including Humanities Coordinator, Teacher Development Specialist, and English Teacher.
In addition to working for students, Mikki enjoys reading, hiking, laughing with friends, and hanging out with her three children who continually grow love and wisdom in her life.
Outer Wellness & Basketball Coach
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In her personal athletics college career, she played volleyball for De Anza College in 2003 and 2005 and finished with two Coast Conference championships. She played softball in 2004, and finished her college sports career in 2006 with Cal State University - East Bay.
Coaching has been an integral part of her life. She enjoys teaching and coaching sports, and being able to positively impact athletes in their sports: showing them that sports is more than just a game, it’s a community, a commitment to a whole, and a life of connections.
Office Administrator & Executive Assistant
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Isela excitedly began her journey with Khan Lab School just before the 2021-22 school year. With 7 years of service at Kehillah Jewish High School and 10 years at the Ravenswood City School District, Isela comes to KLS with an extensive background working in school communities. In addition to being a key school-to-family resource for our high school program, Isela supports our office operations and event planning.
Outside of work, Isela enjoys spending quality time with her husband Sal and two boys, Adrian and Antonio, and has a goal to begin traveling to a different country once a year.
Director of Strategic Marketing
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Lizzie's career started in finance working for a variety of small and start up companies in the Boston area. Following that, she spent over 15 years in the ski industry in resort planning, development, commercial leasing and real estate marketing, living in small mountain towns in the northeast and Idaho. While west, she provided business and strategic marketing services for small companies and a private school. Lizzie then worked with Overabove, a strategic marketing firm in Essex, CT. While they work within a range of industries including travel & leisure and casino gaming, she has a particular focus in Real Estate (resort and urban communities) and independent school education. Lizzie joined Khan Lab School in 2022 where she creates market strategies in collaboration with the Administration.
Lower School Director
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Lower School Director
Lower School Administration
jessica@khanlabschool.org
Originally from a small town in Wisconsin, Jessica graduated from college in Minnesota and then her adventurous spirit brought her West. First to Portland, Oregon, then to Santa Barbara, and finally to the Bay Area. While in Portland, Jessica volunteered for a year of service as part of the AmeriCorps program which then led to pursuing her Masters degree in Public Health at Portland State University. After working in program development and implementing community-based programs in the non-profit public health sector for several years Jessica eventually settled in the Bay Area. It was here that Jessica decided to shift her career and pursue a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. While gaining the clinical experience required for obtaining licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) Jessica discovered she was most interested in working with children and families by working in a counseling capacity in several different schools from San Francisco to San Jose and in between. Jessica finds school-based mental health services to be a particularly effective way to connect with children, adolescents, and families in order to promote a holistic approach to supporting students. She looks forward to continuing to support the development and implementation of social and emotional learning at KLS and believes that cultivating and nurturing relationships is foundational. Jessica has provided school based counseling support for the past several years and in 2016 became a licensed MFT. Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband and two young children, cooking, traveling, reading, hiking, cheering on the Green Bay Packers, and exploring all of the amazing food and experiences the Bay Area has to offer.
Humanities Consultant
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Art Specialist and Innovation Hub Coordinator
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Lejoi attended the Rhode Island School of Design where she received both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Fine Arts. She was a Design Director for the fashion and home furnishing industry making, producing, selling, and designing custom fabric for 15 years. Although it was extremely rewarding work Lejoi craved more artistic self-expression. Seven years ago she founded Brave Chick, an online artisanal jewelry company, and serves as the creative director designing and selling one-of-a-kind jewelry.
In 2018, while running Brave Chick, Lejoi began teaching painting, sculpture, jewelry making and textiles at the Community School of Music & Arts in Silicon Valley to children and adults. Lejoi’s teaching philosophy is based on cultivating and supporting visual literacy with the goal of instilling in children (and adults) the value of art education to become well-rounded, competent, and confident individuals.
English Specialist
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Originally from New York, Michelle earned her first Bachelors degree in Textile Development and Marketing from the Fashion Institute of Technology. After working in the fashion industry in New York City for 5 years she decided to make a change and follow her lifelong dream of becoming an educator. Michelle graduated with her second Bachelor's degree from Stony Brook University in English Education along with earning her New York State teaching certification. She is passionate about using literature to guide students in their growth not only in academics, but also in their social emotional skills.
In her free time she enjoys watching football, going to concerts, and exploring the West Coast.
Humanities Specialist & Grade 2 Advisor
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Shannon is a Bay Area native who has dedicated her teaching career to early childhood education, working in a variety of settings primarily with children ages 3 to 8 years old. She earned her BA in Liberal Studies and completed her Multiple Subject Credential coursework at San Jose State University. During her tenure with the Diocese of San Jose, Shannon was certificated in Blended Learning through Santa Clara University’s Academy of Blended Learning. She helped to implement, manage, and produce a school-wide theater arts program as well as direct annual musicals in her classroom. Shannon is beyond excited to be a part of the KLS team and looks forward to collaborating, designing and implementing instruction, and sharing favorite picture books with her class. When not creating engaging learning experiences for her students, Shannon enjoys gardening, cooking, catching comedy shows and theatrical productions with her family, supporting her daughter on both the stage and soccer field, and collecting smashed pennies and two-dollar bills.
Humanities Specialist & Grade 5 Advisor
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Arden is thrilled to join KLS’s student-centered learning environment. Arden is originally from Philadelphia and graduated from Davidson College in North Carolina. Her professional experience centers on experiential education. She has spent extended periods of time in India; and led Field Studies programs in Tanzania, Cambodia, Vietnam, France, and the US. She also worked for the School For Field Studies in Cambodia, where she facilitated environmental science research, managed student life, and led experiential learning opportunities. Next, Arden also enjoyed her role as the Lead Teacher and Program Coordinator at The Traveling School, a nomadic U.S. school that travels throughout Southern Africa: where students learn from the world around them, camp every night, and become change-makers. There, Arden taught Global Studies and History. Most recently, Arden was an Associate Teacher at Greene Street Friends School in Philadelphia, a school grounded in social justice and Quaker values.
Arden enjoys traveling, hiking, camping, and just about anything outdoors! She also loves ramen and making dumplings.
Humanities Specialist & Grade 6 Advisor
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Justin is an educator recently relocated from Cincinnati, OH. He studied secondary education at Indiana University and has been teaching and leading programs at multiple diverse schools since 2014. He will be the Humanities teacher for the 6th grade. Justin is extremely excited to be implementing project based lessons he has experimented with at previous schools and can’t wait to incorporate them into his Humanities curriculum. He is especially looking forward to working with a diverse group of learners in a new environment and about his recent move to the Bay Area.
In his personal life Justin enjoys backpacking, climbing, summiting mountains and being on the move. He has taken up running more diligently in the recent year and is excited to be bringing that perspective as the new Cross-Country coach of the Middle and Upper Schools.
History Specialist
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History Specialist
Upper School
derek@khanlabschool.org
Derek is a teacher, researcher, and “professional student,” in the words of his friends. Born and raised in Louisiana, he earned his B.A. in history at the University of North Carolina in 2003. He then moved to France to teach elementary school students as part of the Fulbright/French Government English teaching program before returning to the United States to pursue his graduate studies at Stanford University. His research focused on memory, mythmaking, and the intersection of politics and culture in modern France. At the same time, Derek worked with undergraduates in a wide array of history and interdisciplinary courses at Stanford, serving as a teaching assistant, teaching fellow, summer instructor, and one of the first writing fellows in the history department’s “Writing in the Major” program. Now at Khan Lab School, Derek teaches history and the broader humanities as part of the Upper School team. Throughout his career and at all levels of instruction, Derek has emphasized inquiry-based instruction, often incorporating projects into his curriculum. When not in the classroom, he loves movies, podcasts, cooking, playing the drums and guitar (poorly), and reading just about anything he can get his eyes on.
STEM 4/5 Specialist
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Ruby Bustos Vinayak grew up in the Bay Area and was raised by immigrant parents. She was the first in her family to attend college and complete her undergraduate studies at UCLA, where she minored in Education. After graduating in 2014, Ruby discovered her passion for working with children and has been a teacher for eight years. She understands the impact a great education can have on a person's life and is one of the reasons she's so passionate about educating youth. Ruby most recently obtained her Masters of Arts in Education from SJSU with emphasis on Curriculum and Instructions in 2021.
During her free time, Ruby loves being outdoors, working out, traveling, and spending time with her husband and loved ones.
Chief Financial Officer
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Teacher Associate: STEM -- Upper School
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Geraint grew up in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. As a first-generation student, he studied Physics at Whitman College, where he also achieved minors in Mathematics and Race and Ethnic Studies. Geraint’s thesis in college focused on computationally modeling quantum mechanical systems, and he loves to learn about new ways to model the physical world. He is excited to teach physics and math this year and is looking forward to helping students find new ways to understand and discover STEM. He is always looking for new ways to incorporate real-world applications into the classroom.
When Geraint is outside the classroom, he enjoys hiking, playing sports, and traveling. He is also a huge fan of competitive cornhole.
Upper School Director
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David Weiner is a proven educational leader who takes a consensus building approach in implementing new initiatives and works collaboratively with all members of a community. He has over thirteen years experience working in independent schools in a variety of administrative roles, including Interim Head of Middle & Upper School, Dean of Studies, Director of College Counseling, and Registrar. He has also taught history and psychology, coached tennis and basketball, and served as an advisor at all of the schools at which he has worked. At his most recent school, Barrie, David oversaw a five year project-based learning initiative that transformed teaching and learning to become more innovative. He is also passionate about mastery-based education and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Just this past spring, he defended his dissertation on how two independent schools in the DC area responded to their schools' #BlackAt Instagram pages. He believes deeply in creating educational environments where all students feel like they belong.
He holds a BA in History and Psychology from the University of Rochester, a MS in Education with a Certificate in Leadership for Independent Schools from Johns Hopkins University, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. He currently lives in Cupertino, California with his wife, Vanessa, and two sons, Ethan and Alex. When not at school, he enjoys travel and keeping up on world events by reading publications like The Economist.
As a nonprofit organization, Khan Lab School is governed by a self-perpetuating Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees is responsible for the financial welfare of the school as well as its strategic planning.
Nayo Brooks
Kristen DiCerbo
Kim Dow
Curtis Feeny
Sal Khan
Rakhi Singh