I was born in China and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. My passion for history and social sciences during my school years inspired me to pursue a career in education. I hold a Master’s degree in Upper Secondary Education with a specialization in History and Political Science. Before moving to the U.S., I taught at Spyken High School, one of the top-ranked upper secondary schools in southern Sweden, and have also gained extensive experience teaching at the middle school level through my time at Svalebo Middle School.

In 2023, my husband and I relocated to the Bay Area when he accepted a researcher position at Stanford University. During the 2023-2024 academic year, I served as a full-time one-to-one Humanities Teacher at Lydian Academy in Menlo Park. I am thrilled to continue my teaching career here, doing what I am most passionate about. 

In my free time, I enjoy riding horses at Stanford Red Barn, watching musicals, skiing, hiking, and spending time with friends and family over a cup of coffee, or “fika” as we call it in Swedish.

I am excited to join Menlo’s Creative Arts department! Teaching is my passion, and I am fortunate to have been a part of the profession at varying levels of education for 25 years: from public and private schools, middle school to college, and day schools to boarding programs. I earned my degree from Brooks Institute of Photography and operated a photography studio in Seattle before transitioning to education. In the classroom, computer lab, photo studio, and darkroom, I aim to capture my students’ attention and inspire their imagination while helping them develop their technical skills as they learn to work through the creative process. I hope that art becomes a place of solace for them, bringing a heightened sense of self-awareness and balance to their lives as they explore creative expression. In addition to photography, I am also a proud yearbook nerd, having developed an award-winning program at various independent schools. I enjoy the challenge of reinventing the traditional yearbook format with a dynamic curriculum that provides my students with leadership opportunities in a journalistic setting. Beyond the classroom, world travel is a secondary passion. I have traveled to nine countries leading photography and service expeditions for high school students and hope to continue the adventures at Menlo.

When I’m not in the classroom or behind the lens, I can be found surfing with my sons Matthew ’27 and Taylor or hiking with my wife Lenna, also a teacher, and our ball-obsessed golden retriever Aspen. 

I am grateful to be joining the Menlo Community after enjoying my 18 years of international teaching in schools from Canada, Macau, Singapore, and Hong Kong. As a Chinese-Canadian, I am thrilled to bring my unique bi-cultural, and multilingual background to a fun-filled English classroom. I hope to share my love of literature and language with my students, especially in multi-modal media texts.

I enjoy playing badminton and traveling with my family and am looking forward to sharing the joy of learning with everyone. 

A Bay Area native, I grew up in San Mateo before attending college in the outskirts of Los Angeles at Harvey Mudd College. My mathematical and computational biology major as well as Asian studies and literature concentrations reflect not only my love of the interdisciplinary nature of STEM (something I hope to bring to the classroom every year), but also my belief of simply learning more about the world around us.

After a brief stint working in bioinformatics and cancer research, I moved to Maryland for my masters at Johns Hopkins University. Over the past decade and a half, I have taught everything from 6th grade science to yearbook to calculus. Mostly recently, I taught at Castilleja School in Palo Alto and Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, and I’m excited to join the Menlo community.

Outside of school, I enjoy traveling, eating all kinds of food, boba, watching tv shows ranging from cooking shows to kdramas, hiking, board games, and tennis. I am an avid follower of all things NBA and love a good joke. I cherish spending time with friends and family, as those human moments distinguish us from the AI that’s increasingly prevalent!

While I taught for the past 5 years in Seattle, the Bay Area is home for me. I grew up in San Jose and I am a Menlo alum (class of ’13). After graduating from Menlo I went to Whitworth University and earned my BA in Mathematics and Masters in Teaching.

In my free time I love to golf and spend time with my wife and my dog, Bosa. I am an avid sports fan. 49ers, Giants, Sharks, Earthquakes, and Stanford are teams that I love to follow. 

I have six years of experience teaching science in public high schools, and have also taught an introductory college chemistry course. I have coached water polo, started science clubs, and run MESA (Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement) at previous schools and look forward to being an active part of Menlo’s community going forward. 

I recently moved to Menlo Park with my partner and our two dogs, Luna and Chiquita. I enjoy hiking, reading, a good tv show, and working on biotech projects that I hope will make the world a better place. I also have an interest in moral philosophy, doing good, and any discussions about science!

I’m delighted to be joining the Menlo community, teaching Analytic Geometry & Algebra and Advanced Calculus I. I am an enthusiastic collaborator and am eager to share my love of analytical thinking and problem-solving with my students. 

In the classroom, I strive to present examples that intrigue, lead to insight, reinforce fundamentals, build connections, and foster curiosity and problem solving skills. I use materials that are accessible and provide varied levels of challenge. I encourage collaboration and support my students in developing their oral and written communication skills in a classroom environment that is collegial, supportive, rigorous, and fun. My ultimate goal is for the students to develop greater competence and confidence in their analytic skills and understanding. Along the way, I hope that their feeling about math is enhanced as they discover connections and apply their understanding to solve problems. 

Prior to coming to Menlo, I spent twenty-four years teaching geometry, precalculus, and calculus at Castilleja School, where I also served as a student Advisor, Senior Class Dean, and Mathematics Department Head. Additionally, I have experience teaching in the graduate schools of business at Duke University and Santa Clara University. Before teaching, I worked as a structural engineer at Douglas Aircraft Company and a decision and risk analyst at Strategic Decision Group. 

My educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s and Ph.D. in Engineering-Economic Systems from Stanford University.

I live in Menlo Park with my wife and our Havanese dog, Milo. We have 3 daughters, the youngest of whom is a freshman in college. I enjoy jogging, hiking, watching Stanford sports, and making things out of wood including a backyard playhouse and a Foosball table. 

Also known as MC Connell, I am the Mechanical Engineering & Physics 1 master of ceremonies. Prior to my arrival at Menlo, I worked as an optical engineer at Oculus and taught AP Physics C: Mechanics and AP Physics 1 in San Ramon. I love all things cats, cycling, and mathematical arts. As a foodie with a sensitive tummy, I love learning to cook exquisite dishes at home when I’m not managing my kooky parks in RCT2.

As a third-generation history teacher I’m super-excited to work and learn with Menlo students! I always love learning. Aside from my bachelor’s in political science from Carleton College I also received a certificate in theological studies from the Pacific School of Religion part of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, my teaching credential in Secondary Social Studies and English/Language Arts from San Francisco State University, and a Master’s in Law & Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University. I am also national-board certified for Professional Teaching Standards in social studies-history.

Besides teaching history at public and independent schools since 2006 (of which the last eight years were in Menlo Park), I’ve also worked in international development while living in Jerusalem, Hong Kong, and Sana’a, Yemen. I’ve worked in politics at the state, local and national level running a congressional field campaign, staffing a national convention, interning on Capitol Hill, and even winning a small local elected office. I also studied archaeology in college working on digs in Belize, Spain, and San Francisco’s Presidio. My parents’  sabbaticals inspired me to pursue three study-abroad programs in college to Ireland (literature), Ghana (history), and China (political economy), then to travel on my own to 43 countries including Tibet, Iraq, and Burma/Myanmar.

I grew up in San Francisco where I still live with my spouse, three kids (age 9, 7 and 7), and a very small doggie. Teaching is my passion but in my free time I love cooking, exploring San Francisco history and curiosities, and hiking or playing with my kids. 

I was born and raised on the island of O’ahu and have been teaching in independent schools for over twenty years. As the daughter of educators and someone who grew up on a campus, it was not a surprise that teaching became my career.

My academic interests took me to Stanford University for my first foray out of Hawai’i, where I earned a BA and MA in English Literature, and then back to the Big Island and Hawai’i Preparatory Academy for my first teaching position. Since then, I have worked at my alma mater, ‘Iolani, and more recently at Marin Academy after my family moved to the Bay.

I have taught high school for my entire career to date, and I love teaching literature and writing at all the different levels from 9th to 12th.

Outside of the classroom, I have enjoyed working with horses, dancing hula, running, walking, hiking, and going on adventures with my spouse and two children.

I was born and raised in Gainesville, Florida, where I attended the University of Florida and studied English and film and made videos for the university’s communications department. Before heading west, I spent a few years in Brooklyn, NY working on commercials and documentaries.

Other than watching movies, I enjoy playing piano, reading, tennis, and making lists of things I enjoy doing. 

I was born and raised in Hawaii. I studied biology at Suffolk University in Boston. After graduating, I moved to the Bay Area where I spent over a decade working in a biotechnology laboratory. My focus was developing tools aimed at combating cancer.

My personal interests include running, reading romance and mystery novels, baking, creating photo books, and spending time with my husband and two daughters.

Joining Menlo will continue my career in Education. Prior, I taught kindergarten-third grade at Children’s Day School in San Francisco and Aspire East Palo Alto Charter School. While working in East Palo Alto, I transitioned to Dean and Assistant Principal of Culture. For the past five years, I’ve worked in the recruitment and retention of students historically excluded and from underrepresented populations in higher education at Stanford University. In my first role, I spent two years in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions on the Diversity Outreach & External Relations team. I shifted to Stanford Medicine for three years under the Office of Diversity in Medical Education where I targeted students in their Graduate Medical Education (clinical residents and fellows).

Outside of work, I enjoy weight lifting, creative writing, hiking with my dog, and traveling to compete in volleyball tournaments under the North American Gay Volleyball Association (NAGVA). 

I am a Latina that was born and raised in Palm Springs, California and made my move to the Bay Area in 2011 to start my undergraduate career. I attended San Jose State University where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education. Currently, I’m in the process of receiving my Master’s degree in Education.

For the past eight years, I have dedicated my time to a small charter school in East San Jose. I started as a campus supervisor and was able to move up to become Math Teacher Department Head and Grade Level Lead. I quickly realized that as much as I love teaching, I wanted to do more with our students and community, bringing me to this new opportunity at Menlo.

In my free time, I love spending time with my husband, my family, and my close friends. I love baking and I am on a mission to be a successful self-taught baker. My husband and I like to consider ourselves foodies and are always looking forward to trying new spots.

I am a native of Memphis, Tennessee, where my independent school education provided me with the confidence to discover my voice, the courage to take risks, and the opportunity to pursue excellence through academic achievement, relationships, leadership, and character.

I earned my Master’s Degree in Exercise and Sport Studies from Smith College, where I served as a Teaching Fellow. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology and Nutrition Sciences from Whittier College, where I was a four-year member of the tennis team, earned the title of ITA Scholar-Athlete, was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and was appointed by Whittier’s President to serve on the college’s Title IX Committee. I’m an active member of WeCoach, Molly Grisham’s Mastermind courses, United States Professional Tennis Association (USPTA), and the USC Rossier School of Education Certificate program.

My administrative and coaching background started at St. George’s Independent School where I formed lifelong relationships with student-athletes, families, and administrators; designed entertaining and educational programming; and assisted with student-athlete academic support.

At the collegiate level, I have been a part of some of our country’s most prestigious institutions, leading my players to NCAA/ITA regional and national rankings and supporting student-athletes on their journeys to being named All-Americans, ITA Scholar Student-Athletes, and Conference Character Award winners, recruiting top 20 nationally ranked classes. I have been involved in all aspects of the athletics programs through player-coach relationships, supporting overall well-being, designing competitive game schedules, serving on institutional leadership committees, facility maintenance, fundraising initiatives, event planning, and collaborating with college counselors.

I currently live in Menlo Park. I am a foodie, enjoy traveling, riding my Peloton, reading a good summer book, and playing tennis.