Deserae Bright

Ms. Bright was born and raised in Oakland. She loves her hometown and appreciates all of the diversity of people living within it. She has a twin brother and was raised in a diverse family with a host of cousins, aunties and uncles. Her interest in working with children began when she was in high school and was involved in a program called the Future Teachers Academy, as well as through time spent taking care of her younger cousins, nieces and nephews. She began working at Grand Lake Montessori in 2001. During her time at GLM she has earned her AMI Montessori Primary teaching credential. She strongly believes that children should have fun while learning. Her goal is to help them develop a love of learning, so that they continue to pursue their passions and interests throughout life. Her own passions include music, dance and a new-found love for theatrical arts.

Ying Tien

Mrs. Tien was born in Vietnam and moved with her family to China. She came to the United States in January 2006. She did not speak any English upon her arrival, but began taking classes. She joined GLM in 2008 as a support teacher in the Mulberry classroom, where she is still teaching! She believes that working at GLM is a great place for her to better her English and learn Montessori philosophy: learning from the parents and community, learning from colleagues, and especially learning from the children. Children have taught her to open her mind and her heart to joy. Ms. Tien feels blessed to be a part of the GLM community, and she has completed Montessori Assistant training for both primary and toddler courses. Her goal is to help children become confident, independent learners and she believes learning should be fun. She enjoys shopping and cooking for her family in her spare time.  

Miguel Vazquez

Victoria de la Mora

Danny Tien

Mr. Tien was born in Beiha, China. His family immigrated to this country when he was 10 years old because his parents wanted a better life, especially for him. At six months old, he had an accident and hurt his right leg. He was very lucky to get into Shriners Hospitals for Children and the care he received there changed his life. He attended Merritt College and studied Child Development. In addition he received his Administrative Site Director units and holds a AMI diploma from the Montessori Institute of the Northwest for Infant/toddler level. When he first stepped into a Montessori classroom at GLM he observed how quiet, calm, patient, and well mannered the children were. His teaching philosophy is supporting children to make their own choices and helping them develop intrinsic happiness. He joined GLM in the early 1990s. He taught in a primary classroom for seven years before switching over to work with toddlers. In his free time Mr. Tien loves spending time with his family, cooking, and bowling.

Coreen Clark

Ms. Clark was born in Denver, Colorado and was raised on the east coast in Alabama and Maryland. She comes from a large, close-knit family and has more than a dozen nieces and nephews who sparked her love of children. She received her bachelor’s degree in sociology with a psychology minor from Brigham Young University in Utah, and she moved to the Bay Area in 2012. In San Francisco, she worked with elementary-aged children for over 3 years and gained experience with preschoolers at Friends of Potrero Hill Preschool. She came to Grand Lake Montessori after working as an Assistant Teacher in a primary-age classroom at LePort Montessori Preschool in Emeryville. Ms. Clark joined GLM in 2018 and finished her AMI Montessori Certification in 2021. She believes strongly in the Montessori philosophy of allowing children the freedom to explore and learn independently and at their own pace. Ms. Clark has a particular interest in art, stories, film, and geography. She also loves music and plays piano in her spare time.

Nicolette Cerniglia

Nicolette Cerniglia was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. She moved to California when she was in elementary school and has just recently relocated to the Bay Area. Through her work in doing art with children while in college, she fostered a curiosity and passion for education for primary aged children. Nicolette also was a Montessori student as a child and has always believed in the beautiful philosophy. After getting her BFA from Sacramento State University, she further cultivated her early childhood studies. She has been exploring the Montessori philosophy and has gained experience by working in other Montessori schools. Some of Nicolette’s hobbies include transforming art from recycled items, keeping up with her bonus son, and spending time with her family and her dogs.

Joaquin Dehoyos

Bio coming soon.

Trent Hines

Trent Hines

Trent has been with Hines Building Management (HBM) since 2017. As a son of the owner of HBM, he started learning the Facilities trades at a young age. He helped with summer projects which taught him about the business and for the past 4 years he has held various positions including Janitorial, Floor Care Specialist, Day Laborer, and most recently a Maintenance Technician. These experiences have helped him understand what the clients’ needs are.

He was born and raised in the Bay Area and is the oldest of 5 in a blended family. His passion outside of work is working on cars during his free time. He hopes to bring that same passion to the GLM community and looks forward to working here.

Grace Mollel

Ms. Mollel was born and raised in Arusha Tanzania, East Africa, as were both of her parents. After finishing college she worked at the the NGO-Tanzanian Norwegian Aids Project in Arusha and the Kilimanjaro region as an account assistant for five years. She traveled to the United States and Oakland, California where she worked as a nanny for several years before joining GLM. She has worked as a support teacher in one of our toddler classrooms for more than 10 years. Her philosophy in her work with both children and adults is for all to be acknowledged, respected and treated with love. Her passions includes cleaning, organizing, music and spending time with family and friends.