Cristina Graham

Ms. Graham was born in Monterey Park, California and moved to the Central Valley as a young child where she had the pleasure of growing up.  Ms. Graham particularly enjoys the scenery on GLM’s campus as her grandfather owned a farm where she spent many days picking whatever fruit she wanted.  Ms. Graham holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies from St.Mary’s College where she also received her Montessori Certification in 1997. After the birth of her second son in 1999, she became a stay-at-home mom for nine years. She joined GLM in October of 2008.  Ms.Graham likes to say “it is a wonderful feeling to help share in the lives of tomorrow’s leaders.” Ms. Graham loves nurturing the Child’s world view as it is beautiful and a reminder to her of what unconditional love truly is. She has three sons as well as a dog named Lola.  Outside of her work at GLM, Ms. Graham, also trains adults to be Montessori teachers at EMBT in Concord, CA. In her free time she enjoys sewing, crafting, dancing, and relaxing in her backyard with family and friends.

Kerry Mehling

Kerry Mehling is from Utah and moved to California 26 years ago. She has a BFA in dance performance, an MFA in choreography, and her AMS Early Childhood Credential. She had been teaching dance to all age groups for 20+ years and found herself humbled and inspired by young children daily. She began her Montessori journey after learning of Maria Montessor’s Philosophy while discussing the state of  american education with a Montessorian. Finding a teaching method that catered to each child’s way of learning, which started with teaching independence, was just what Ms. Mehling was looking for. She  retired from dance and began her studies in the Montessori Method in 2015. Ms. Mehling now shares all the passion she once threw into her performance career with her Montessori students. She feels the  breakneck speed at which children develop and learn when actively participating in their education is an exciting process to engage in and observe. Ms. Mehling feels fortunate to have found her way to The Montessori Method. She sees it as a crucial key in unlocking endless possibilities for these children who are learning to be contributing members of their local society and our greater world society; they are our future leaders. How they are led now is of the greatest importance. Ms. Mehling is so excited to have joined GLM in the summer of 2023! It is exciting to be in a community of well-established  Montessorians! When not being inspired by children, she enjoys dancing, hiking, and biking through Northern California’s beauty. She is also an animal advocate that focuses on rescuing cats.

Ruth Cardenas

Ms. Cardenas was born, raised, and currently resides in Oakland, California with her three daughters. She holds a Bachelors of Science with a focus in Education. Ms. Cardenas is thrilled to be returning to the GLM community after a decade.  Her previous professional experience includes  employment with an early literacy non-profit organization in the Bay Area; where Ms. Cardenas worked with multiple Early Education classrooms, and families promoting the importance of reading, talking and singing with the goal of promoting a love for reading and closing the education achievement gap. Ms. Cardenas strongly believes that early childhood experiences are crucial to building a healthy foundational core that sets students up for a lifetime of success and happiness, and is looking forward to growing and learning together with her students. In her spare time Ms. Cardenas loves to cook, laugh, listen to music and spend time at home with her three daughters.

Eileen Galindo

Ms. Galindo was born in Lima, Peru. She came to the U.S. as a teenager and has lived in the Bay Area (Daly City, San Francisco and currently in Alameda) ever since. She obtained her B.A in Psychology from San Francisco State University. Her original career plan was to get her Marriage and Family Therapist license but after having her daughter Kylie in 2010, she discovered a passion for early child development. She got her ECE Site Supervisor level permit and worked as an Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) instructor for children on the autism spectrum. She completed her practicum at a Spanish Immersion preschool in San Francisco. While at GLM she got her AMI Primary training certification from Montessori Northwest in 2022. Ms.Galindo will complete her Master’s in Early Education from Whitworth University in 2023. Besides having a teen daughter, Ms. Galindo has a toddler son who just started at GLM in 2023. She is honored to be part of the GLM community and hopes to nurture each child’s uniqueness and encourage their independence during their important formative years. During her free time, Eileen enjoys reading, going to the movies, theater and musicals, listening to true crime podcasts, and enjoying time with her family and walking her dogs.

Samanta Gonzalez

I was born in Jalisco, Mexico as were both of my parents. My family and I moved to California when I was 3 years old. I am the oldest of four siblings. I grew up in San Leandro and I still continue to live there. In High School, I attended vocational classes with a focus on Careers in Education. Through this program, I interned in a family home daycare, kindergarten and first grade classroom. After High school, I began to take Early Childhood Development classes. In 2018, I completed my AMI Assistant to Infancy training with Montessori Northwest. For 2 years, I worked as a Montessori Infant Head teacher. I’ve also worked as a Nanny to a wonderful kid for 3 years. I enjoy watching and helping children learn how to be better versions of themselves. My goal is for children to build confidence by being independent and be excited to learn everyday. During my free time,  I enjoy reading fiction books, sun bathing, making healthy meals and spending time with my family and friends.

Lulani Lampkin

Ms. Lampkin was born and raised in the SF East Bay where she explored her love for music, drama and athletics. She loves to cook, read, and is a self proclaimed craft Queen. She is the daughter of two Early childhood educators and the middle child of six! Ms. Lampkin Studied at the University of Santa Cruz California where she received her B.A.s in both Education and Critical Race and Ethnic Studies. Ms. Lampkin looks forward to her first year with Grand Lake Montessori where she will learn how to teach students self-reliance and compassion for their peers.She is passionate about providing playful, engaging and equitable education to the next generation and hopes to instill confidence in all of her students.