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Our Laguna Honda Team

Luisa Baj

Luisa Baj

Director

Ruby Fung

Assistant Director of Preschool

Stephanie Gnean

Assistant Director of Infant/Toddler

Destiney Jackson

Upper Preschool Teacher

Sofia Frankel - Lower Preschool Teacher

Sofia Frankel

Lower Preschool Teacher

Georyana Morales

Toddler Teacher

Julissa Vargas-Mendoza

Lead Infant Teacher

Katie Ou

Lead Infant Teacher

Yvonne Ma

Yvonne Ma

Infant Teacher

Sara Bahadori

Infant Teacher’s Aide

Evelyn Aguilar

Infant Teacher’s Aide

Vivian Lee

Facility Assistant

NOTE:

At Meaningful Beginnings, we undergo an extensive interview process and only hire the best educators in the Early Childhood Education field.

Our teacher’s are required to undergo a Caregiver Background Check as mandated by the state of California. All staff must submit their fingerprints and get clearance.

Teachers are required to have at least 12 early childhood education (ECE) units or willing to take classes. If a teacher currently does not have any ECE units, they are considered teacher’s aides and must be under the supervision of a fully qualified teacher. All employees are required to submit immunization records and undergo a health screening including a TB test.

Teachers must also get their CPR and First-Aid certification, complete mandated reporter training and pest management training, and ensure that they stay-up-to-date.

Administrators, such as the director and assistant director, are required to take the Health, Safety, Nutrition, and Lead Poisoning Prevention trainings.

Do You Have Any Questions For Us?

Contact Us

Contact Us

Locations

633 Taraval St.
San Francisco, CA 94116

254 Laguna Honda Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94116

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Copyright © 2023 Meaningful Beginnings. All Rights Reserved.

LUISA BAJ

Director

Working with and becoming a part of a community has always been a dream for Luisa. She worked in museums throughout the Bay Area for years, always in their education department. Through this passion, she found that her favorite audience was children. The way she was able to connect, facilitate, and grow with their innate curiosity became her dream. She wants to bring Art and STEM to children of all abilities and create a community within the classroom where mistakes are part of the learning process, and kids get the opportunity to direct their own learning. She wants her students to be excited to come to school and loves to see the excitement and wonder in their eyes. She is excited to bring her previous experience from the Bay Area Discovery Museum into Meaningful Beginnings and create a community built on curiosity, kindness, respect, and accessibility. Luisa received her dual Masters in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education from Grand Canyon University.

Ruby Fung

Assistant Director of Preschool

Hello, my name is Ruby and I am a Toddler Teacher at Meaningful Beginnings! I graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelors in Child and Adolescent Development. I also double minored in Education and Special Education. I have been teaching young preschool and toddlers for about two years now and I love it!

When it comes to teaching I love to incorporate children’s interests into the curriculum. I love to bake, cook, and science is one of my favorite subjects so I hope to incorporate a lot of that into my curriculum. I believe that children at this age learn the most through play and interactions with their peers. In my classroom I would want everyone to feel safe, comfortable, and loved. I hope to make a difference in each child’s life whether it is big or small!

Stephanie Gnean

Assistant Director of Infant/Toddler

Hi! My name is Stephanie. I’m a San Francisco native born and raised. I am the new infant teacher at Meaningful Beginnings. I have an AS in social and behavioral science and as well as an AA in child development from CCSF. From a young age, I’ve always enjoyed my time with children which led me to pursue working with children. I was a nanny for 3 years and worked at a Montessori school for a year prior to working here. I find happiness in watching children discover and very rewarding to see the children become their own independent people. Outside of work I enjoy listening to music and spending my time with family and friends.

Destiney Jackson

Upper Preschool Teacher

Hi, my name is Destiney! I am the new lead preschool teacher in the Dancing Dolphin classroom. I recently graduated from San Francisco State University with a major in Child and Adolescent Development and have worked in the field of early childhood education for over 7 years. I moved from Los Ángeles two years ago. On the weekends I love to go hiking with my dog.

Sofia Frankel

Lower Preschool Teacher

Hi Families! Sofia is an SF Native and has been working with Children from infant to school age for the past 20 years. She has an AS from CCSF in Child and Family Studies. She is very excited to be a part of Meaningful Beginnings and connecting with the students and families.

Georyana Morales

Toddler Teacher

My name is Georyana and I am originally from Granada, Nicaragua. I moved to San Francisco to seek new opportunities for myself and my family. I earned my degree in Criminal Law and am currently working towards my Associate Degree in Child Development at City College of San Francisco.

I am the mother of two beautiful children. I love working closely with infants. Outside of work, I can be found spending time with my family, cooking up a delicious meal, or out exploring the beautiful San Francisco sites.

Julissa Vargas-Mendoza

Lead Infant Teacher

​​Hello, my name is Julissa Vargas-Mendoza. I am an Infant Teacher at the Meaningful Beginnings Development Center at Laguna Honda. I am currently studying for degrees in Child Adolescent and Development and Nursing. I have volunteered with after-school programs in high school, as well as with San Francisco State University’s Early Childhood Education Center. As a young child I have always been around other children in my family, and absolutely love being around children hence my studies in child development. I look forward to working with infants and their families, and learning how I can help our youngest children succeed and grow, every day!

Katie Ou

Lead Infant Teacher

Hello families, my name is Katie! I am an infant teacher in the mobile class at Meaningful Beginnings. I received my B.A for Child & Adolescent Development in Early Childhood, and minored in Special Education at
San Francisco State University. I started volunteering at daycares and summer camps since I was a teen. And during my studies, I gained experience working as an aide and soon advanced into a lead teacher role before coming here. I realized I love being around kiddos since I was little, maybe it has to do with that fact that I am the only child. Watching babies grow and develop over time is such a rewarding feeling, and knowing I was able to make an impact on their lives. Nonetheless, I look forward to meeting you and your family here!

Yvonne Ma

Infant Teacher

Yvonne is the infant teacher at Meaningful Beginning Center. Yvonne joined the field of early childhood education by chance and fell in love with working with children. Yvonne takes ECE units course from City College of San Francisco and over three years of experience in childcare, she works with children with different ages, from 6 months to 4 years old. However, it was her desire to witness the milestones of babies and support their growth that she chose to become an infant teacher. Yvonne is passionate about working with babies and helping them grow and develop independently in a safe and nurturing environment. She enjoys tapping toys with babies to make sounds and singing songs with them. In her spare time, Yvonne likes window shopping and enjoys taking walks in the pathway with her family.

Sara Bahadori

Infant Aid

Hello! My name is Sara and I am an Infant Teachers Aide at Meaningful Beginnings. I am studying Business Administration at San Francisco State University, and I have a goal of opening my own daycare in the future! Before Meaningful Beginnings, I worked for a child care agency with ages ranging from under one year old all the way to 5th grade. I grew up in San Diego, and there I spent a lot of time volunteering at preschools, as well as at schools for children on the spectrum. I consider myself to have a lot of patience with everything, especially kids.

To me, there is nothing more rewarding than seeing babies I teach grow into independent kids with minds of their own. It is important that kids are able to explore by themselves, so I have taken on a Montessori-like approach in teaching. My main goal while teaching is to emphasize the importance of setting personal boundaries, as well as learning how to respect others. After all, these kiddos are the future of our society, so I believe it is my priority to instill respectful values at a young age. I hope you join us at Meaningful Beginnings!

Evelyn Aguilar

Infant Teacher’s Aide

Evelyn is a San Francisco native, born and raised. She shares that her family is from Guatemala and El Salvador. When Evelyn was younger she enjoyed taking care of her nieces and nephews and she turned into her family babysitter. She realized her passion was taking care of kids when she became a mother, so she decided to start taking classes to be a teacher. Outside of work, Evelyn enjoys spending time with her family, taking her children to the park, listening to music, and shopping.

Vivian Lee

Facility Assistant

Hello, my name is Vivian and I’m the new Facility Assistant. I’m new to childcare and have been continuously learning a lot from both the teachers and students alike about making child friendly meals and keeping the school clean and organized.

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Emily Pham

Infant Teacher

My name is Emily and I am an infant teacher. My aim with this position is to learn how children develop as unique individuals and learn how to support their holistic growth. I am currently a student at San Francisco
State University majoring in Child and Adolescent Development. With this experience, I am hoping to get a sense on whether I want to continue to work in the classroom or if I want to learn the administrative side of education. The experience of working directly with children is gratifying and I wish to create a safe space for children to explore with all of their senses as they develop their own personalities. I hope to be able to help build a strong foundation so that the children can have the confidence and ability to express themselves.