Sonia is grateful to be returning to Khan Lab School for her fourth year as the Level 1 Lead. Prior to KLS, Sonia worked as a school-based occupational therapist in Bay Area public and charter schools (K-5) for 15 years, where she helped support diverse learners. Her experiences include tutoring ESL students, teaching reading in after-school programs, and homeschooling her two children. Combining her expertise in child development and a passion for education, Sonia helped launch the Khan Academy Early Explorers Summer Program in 2013. It is her joy to cultivate children’s love of learning through creativity and personal connection. She is excited to be part of growing Khan Lab School’s mission through the development of her students and a collaborative team.  In addition to being creative in the classroom, Sonia enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, laughing with friends, baking, gardening, traveling, and sitting down with a good book. Sonia has been a member of the KLS team since its founding in 2014.

Theresa joined KLS in 2018 as the Head of Communications with a 14-year track-record in deploying impactful marketing strategies and developing lasting brands for startups and schools. She earned her master’s degree in Global Communications from the American University of Paris and also brings over a 5 years of leadership in admissions and higher education marketing.

Theresa led global outreach strategy for Stanford University's undergraduate admissions office while also directing marketing strategy for a medical-device startup (Lift Labs, creators of Liftware). Most recently she served as Director of Open Enrollment for Singularity University where she launched a new education program for executives on the future of learning. Theresa is passionate about education, diversity, and community and in her spare time continues to design experiences and advise brand strategy for startups and nonprofits. Theresa and her husband both grew up in the Bay Area and on the weekends enjoy taking their son on local adventures such as the zoo, steam train, museums, and hiking in the redwoods. As the daughter of two teachers, Theresa is thrilled to be part of a community dedicated to student-focused learning.

With a lifelong passion to impact education, Cailin is thrilled to be a member of the Khan Lab School team. Prior to KLS, Cailin worked for Rocketship Education, a charter school management organization with 18 elementary schools across the country. At Rocketship, Cailin was on the national business team, where she played a critical role in developing and managing systems for the non-instructional elements of the network’s schools, ranging from overseeing and optimizing the organizations’ participation in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program to expanding Rocketship’s health screening services.

A long-time Bay Area resident (she went to high school down the street from KLS!), Cailin ventured east for college. She graduated magna cum laude from Boston College’s Lynch School of Education with a degree in Human Development and minor in English. While at BC, Cailin was a three-year board member of the Festival of Friendship, an event for special needs children in the greater Boston area.

Outside of her professional pursuits, Cailin is a member of the Spinsters of San Francisco, a young women’s professional and philanthropic organization. In 2017, she completed a term as Board Director where she led all volunteering operations and partnerships and established standards for how to evaluate which non-profit organization will receive Spinsters’ annual fundraising totals. Cailin loves to travel, cook, explore the culinary scene of San Francisco, and spend time with her friends, family, and 130-pound labrador, Jake.

Rachel believes that relationships are the foundation to growth and success in the classroom and is excited to be a part of a team that places students at the center of all choices. Rachel’s passion for teaching was developed early while teaching dance in her hometown in Southern California. While earning her B.A. in Psychology at UC San Diego, she continued developing her interest in education as a mentor in various San Diego public schools and as a tutor at a progressive school in La Jolla, California. Her studies as an undergraduate student motivated her to join Teach For America as a Las Vegas Valley Corps Member in 2012 and she has been committed to developing strong readers and joyful learners ever since! During her two years in Las Vegas, she taught 3rd grade and earned her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from UNLV.  In 2014, Rachel moved to the Bay Area and has spent the past four years in various roles at Rocketship Public Schools: 3rd and 4th grade Humanities Teacher, Planning Specialist, and most recently, Manager on the Humanities Team supporting teachers through curriculum and professional development. In her free time, she enjoys taking tap and yoga classes, learning to play the piano, listening to podcasts, and spending time with her rabbit, dog, and cat!  

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Superior, Kelsey earned her bachelor’s in Elementary Education while playing for the varsity basketball team. Her athletic experience exposed her to the world of international teaching, and Kelsey embarked on a four-year teaching career overseas, certified to deliver England's National Curriculum. In Prague, the Czech Republic, and Qatar, she taught students of all ages and learned about the local cultures. She began her master’s program in 2015 in Mallorca, Spain, and she is currently pursuing a degree and certification in English as a Second Language. Since childhood, Kelsey has loved being a part of the education scene – she built makeshift classrooms in the basement of her home where all the neighborhood children would come together to learn. You could say she’s always been a believer in the mixed-aged, “one room schoolhouse” shared learning experience. She loves helping others find their passions within academics and personal pursuits. Kelsey is especially excited to join the team at KLS, a place that is providing meaningful, purposeful, relevant, and respectful teaching/learning experiences to students and families. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping, museums, music, and spending time with family and friends. She also enjoys cheering on the Golden State Warriors, which makes working in the Bay Area an even more exciting opportunity! 

Gabrielle is excited to start her first year as a Level 5 Advisor for KLS.  After studying advertising, math, and religion at Lee University she found herself wanting to wrap all of her interest into one and pursue a career in education.  TEACH Charlotte offered her a lateral entry path into the classroom in 2012. Since then Gabrielle has taught pre-algebra and algebra for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools and was also a founding 6th grade math teacher and secondary math specialist for KIPP DC. During her time in college Gabrielle was one of the 10 million individuals that benefited from Khan Academy’s online video library and is convinced that it was her saving grace to deeply understand calculus. She is thrilled to be a part of the advising and math team at KLS and glad to continue to be a teacher and a student.

As the daughter of a naval meteorologist Gabrielle spent half of her childhood in Europe and the other half in the States.  She is still figuring out how to acquire her dual citizenship from her birth country of Italy so that she may one day play for them in the Olympics, contingent on her event being either ultimate frisbee or hide-and-go-seek. Gabrielle loves to learn about other cultures and is always looking to add eclectic dishes to her rolodex of recipes.

During her free time Gabrielle can be found painting her own version of the Rorschach test, drawing geometric compositions, or designing duct tape wallets.  Live music is her niche and rock shows are her achilles heel. She and her husband love to explore and are always open to suggestions for great camping or fishing spots.

Jacob was born and raised in San Francisco and first performed music professionally at 15. After seeking a BA in Music Performance at UCSC, he pursued a MOM at SF State University with an emphasis in Music History. He has toured and recorded with some top artists in the field including Nicki Minaj, Zap Mama and Chris Isaak, scored movies and theater productions. In between performances and recordings, Jacob taught at Universities in US and Canada and helped to design the music curriculum for Waldorf elementary and middle school.  He is passionate about music education and excited to become a member of the Khan Lab School team.

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, baked, and spending time with her two kids.

Melissa helps students make giant leaps in learning by maximizing student engagement and ownership of the learning process. While earning her master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Florida, Melissa gained a keen interest in blended learning and technology. Her research into educational technology led her to complete a pilot internship with Florida Virtual School and become a counselor for UF’s Digital Kids Tech Camp. Upon graduating, Melissa returned to her hometown of Tampa, FL where she taught for seven years in Title 1 elementary schools. Melissa began her career as a second grade teacher for predominantly low-income students, the majority of whom spoke English as a second language. She researched and incorporated alternative teaching methods, such as inductive teaching and project-based learning, to continually encourage critical thinking and discussion in the classroom. After two years, she transferred to Dunbar Elementary, an inner-city magnet school focused on medical and scientific exploration. Melissa taught second grade and gifted Math and Science before eventually becoming a fifth grade Math and Science instructor. In this role, Melissa challenged students to learn through engagement in authentic and open-ended problems they are likely to face in the future. This problem-based, student-centered approach to teaching and learning fostered 100% active participation and mastery of standards. Melissa recently spent a year in the Philippines, where she had the opportunity to learn more about her heritage and assist in opening a school for children in rural Leyte. When Melissa isn't learning something new with students, she enjoys playing the ukulele, going on adventures, and winning at board games. She is most excited about collaborating with students in her day-to-day work. 

Raquel hails from Madrid, Spain. She worked with the European Space Agency (ESA) for twelve years in projects related to Earth Observation as a Quality Assurance manager. She believes in quality for everything in life; be it products, processes or relationships. Raquel has always been interested in education. As a result, she got a degree from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid which allowed her to teach in the public school system in Spain.  While working as an engineer for ESA,  she volunteered with the Spanish Red Cross, teaching Spanish language and culture to immigrant children. She soon realized the big impact that this work had on both her and the children, and she felt passionate about it. She enrolled in the Faculty of Psychology at UNED and started on a new degree until she moved to California five years ago. At this time, she is a few credits away from finishing her degree.

Since moving to the Bay Area, she has been teaching Spanish at Stanford University as a volunteer at the Bechtel International Center. She has also been tutoring elementary, middle and high schoolers as well as teaching professional adults to learn or improve their Spanish skills. In her free time, Raquel enjoys discovering the National Parks (she hiked Half Dome in Yosemite last year) and learning about their flora and fauna. In the last five years she and her family have visited seventeen National Parks in the U.S. Her daughter Lucía has proudly become a Junior Ranger at each of them. She loves nature and she is saddened to see the environment destroyed without any care about the impact that it may have in the present and in the future. Apart from hiking and biking, she loves singing and having fun with friends around a table, chatting during the “sobremesa” (that wonderful cell phone-free situation where you keep talking after the meal has ended with people with whom you shared your lunch or dinner).

A native of Los Altos, Saloni interned with KLS during the summer of 2016 and joined the team full-time in the summer of 2017. In addition to coordinating Extended Day, Saloni also teaches Art for Independence Levels 5 & 6. She graduated from Scripps College with a B.A. in Fine Art and a minor in Digital Media Studies, and her paintings have won multiple regional and national awards. Outside of visual arts and education, Saloni enjoys singing, playing her guitar, hiking, and traveling with her family.

Sabrina grew up in the center of France in the beautiful region of Burgundy. She attended the prestigious École des Beaux-Arts in Bourges, and with her diploma in hand, she left France to discover North America. During this period, she studied at Université Laval in Quebec City and obtained a bachelor's degree in visual arts and theater for kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school and a certification to teach French. Since then, she has taught in various schools in Canada as well as Denver and New York. Her experiences have enabled her to develop a solid understanding of the world of education and to develop intervention strategies as well as appropriate and effective materials for teaching and learning. During her spare time, Sabrina enjoys cooking, hiking, camping, and traveling.

Raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, Sue holds a bachelor's degree in English Language and Literature from Harvard College and a master's degree in Teaching and Curriculum from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. As a child, Sue attended a one-room school – the collaboration of a single teacher and 24 children – and has been devoted to multi-age, self-paced learning ever since. With varied experience in both public and private settings, Sue comes to KLS most recently from Whitby School in Greenwich, Connecticut, where she developed International Baccalaureate Units of Inquiry and where she helped to establish differentiated reading and writing instruction for children in grades 3-6. Sue is deeply committed to nurturing a love of reading in all children and to helping each child discover his or her own unique voice as a writer. When she’s not at school, Sue loves to spend time with her husband, Peter, and their three children. Sue is also an avid cook and gardener and an occasional artist, pianist, and singer. The Sterns moved to California in the summer of 2016 and have become outdoor enthusiasts as they continue to discover the beautiful hiking trails and beaches that make this part of the country so special. 

Derek grew up in Monroe and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the third of four children to a Texan father and French mother. In addition to a very strange accent that he’s since lost, his upbringing instilled in him a love of languages, cultures, and travel that he’s maintained to this day. Eager to leave the “Deep South” after high school, Derek went to the only slightly less southern University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He entered college a pre-med chemistry major and exited it fully embracing his passion for the humanities, earning a B.A. in history and a minor in creative writing.

After graduation Derek moved to France, where he taught English as a Second Language to elementary students from largely immigrant communities in the suburban regions outside Bordeaux. A year later he returned to the U.S. to begin his graduate education at Stanford University. In the years since, he’s earned his M.A. in history, married his lovely wife Ariel, moved back to France to conduct archival research in Paris, and then moved back to the Bay Area to work on his dissertation while Ariel earned her Master’s in Library and Information Sciences. Along the way, he’s also taught numerous history and interdisciplinary courses at Stanford: 20th century U.S. history, Modern Europe and the World, history of science, art history, and more. His research looks at memory, mythmaking, and the intersection of politics and culture in modern France.

Now that Derek has successfully taught 1st through 5th graders and freshman through senior undergraduates, he is delighted to join Khan Lab School and complete his pedagogy bingo card by teaching middle-and high-school students. In addition to the importance of STEM education in the 21 st century, he believes it is crucial for children to develop their historical, critical thinking, and writing skills in order to thrive as members of our global society. He is grateful that KLS has allowed him to join this all-important mission. When he’s not in the classroom, Derek loves movies, podcasts, cooking, playing the drums or guitar poorly, and reading just about anything he can get his eyes on.

Devin Harris, GrowFit Educator

We are happy to welcome Devin Harris as our Outer Wellness teacher. Devin has over 13 years of experience working with students. Prior to joining GrowFit, he was an outdoor education teacher and basketball coach for both elementary and middle school students. In his spare time, he enjoys being outdoors, dancing, and playing baseball. Devin is currently pursuing a degree in child development and looks forward to a long career in physical education.

Joe Callinan, GrowFit Co-Founder & CEO

Six years ago, Joe co-founded GrowFit to help provide physical education programs to schools in the Bay Area. He believes in empowering students to learn at their own pace through developmentally appropriate learning progressions. Joe's dedicated team encourages a love of fitness by creating a non-competitive environment grounded in self-improvement and mastery. As an organization, GrowFit utilizes outstanding instructors, deep research, and a focus on fundamental motor skill development to prepare students for healthy and active lives. The GrowFit curriculum incorporates significant amounts of aerobic exercise to provide students with immediate health benefits. Prior to GrowFit, Joe spent eight years working for a $4 billion dollar technology company. During that time, he was a Product Leader for QuickBooks Self-Employed and QuickBooks Financing. Joe earned his B.A. and M.A. from California Polytechnic State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

A Fresno native, Andrew is passionate about his mission in life: to enable others in their pursuit of purpose and self-determination. Joining KLS in 2018, he is excited to contribute his experiences in education, business, and design, to help pioneer a new mastery-based generation of schools.  Before KLS, Andrew worked as a management consultant, assistant researcher, restaurant waiter, and technical product manager. At Berkeley, he studied Public Policy, Computer Science, Public Health, and majored in Political Economy. At Stanford, he is currently studying Education, pursuing Business Administration, and competing on the Varsity Men’s Fencing team. Andrew is shamelessly in love with puppies. If he is not busy petting puppies, you can find him hiking throughout various National Parks on the weekends, eating ferociously, or composing musical pieces.