Meet Our Team
Golden Bridges School educates students led by Waldorf trained teachers. 
Our teachers share the vision and a passionate commitment to an education that is transformative. Collectively we strive to harmonize the physical, emotional, and intellectual life of each child as we equip our students with the tools to become free-thinking, moral human beings. 

All of our employees are asked to actively pursue and practice anti-racism, personal improvement, and service to the school's mission, bringing energy and excitement to serve all students, faculty, and families.

Administration
Golden Bridges School is independently incorporated and self-administered. The Administration is responsible for finance, development, business matters, and communication. The Steering Committee, comprised of teachers and administrators, carries the responsibility for all aspects of student life including the hiring and evaluation of teachers, admissions, academic standards, pedagogy, and curriculum.

Roberta Chávez

Faculty Chair, She/Her
​​Steering Committee

Roberta Chávez has spent most of her life teaching in higher education and performing as a dancer.  Most recently, she taught in the Collegiate Seminar and Performing Arts Departments at Saint Mary's College of California as an Adjunct Assistant Professor.  She is dedicated to continuing to evolve and transform Waldorf education in the 21st Century in support of the students, faculty and families of Golden Bridges School.

Erica Aren

Senior Administrator, She/Her

A mid-westerner at heart, but Bay Area proud since 2003, Erica spent 18 years leading educational programs and social justice initiatives, working particularly within youth leadership and the Jewish community. Her undergraduate studies in psychology, and graduate studies in education and service-learning allowed her to examine experiential education through the lens of equity and social justice.

Erica and her partner have three children at Golden Bridges - they keep honeybees in their backyard, and she loves to knit, garden, and spend time in community.

Jessie Elliot

Co-Founder, She/Her
​Administrative Director
​​Steering Committee

Jessie was born in Philadelphia, grew up in the Bay Area and attended New York University.  After starting a family, Jessie attended and graduated from Rudolf Steiner College in 2011 and co-founded Golden Bridges in 2013 with Abbie Coburn and Justine Costerouse. Her daughter attends Golden Bridges and her son attends San Francisco Waldorf High School.  

Adam Marquart

Director of Operations, He/Him
​Steering Committee

Originally from Portland, Oregon, and later moving to the Bay Area, Adam ended up spending much of his life in Seattle, Washington, before returning to his chosen home city, San Francisco, over a decade ago. 

Leveraging years of experience developing and growing teams at the forefront of the business and technology sectors, Adam is energized to be a part of the Golden Bridges, as we grow our school.
​
​Adam's daughter attends Golden Bridges. 

​​Heather Fields

Pedagogical Chair, She/Her
​​Steering Committee

Heather was born and raised on the East Coast and attended Tulane University in New Orleans. Over the last twenty years, Heather has taught a wide array of students ranging from preschoolers to adults in both private and public schools both in the U.S. and abroad.

​Since completing her MA in Waldorf Education in 2009, Heather has taught in Waldorf schools in California, England, and Hawaii.

Early Childhood Faculty
Our Early Childhood teachers support our children to feel nurtured, protected, and secure in a rhythm of predictable activities and loving interactions. As Waldorf trained educators, we strive to meet the unique developmental needs, capacities, and cultural backgrounds of each child. We believe play is the “true work” of the young child. Our teachers support active, creative, imaginative, unstructured play as a way of experiencing and understanding the world.

Lainie Allpress

Preschool Teacher, She/Her

Lainie was born in Annapolis, MD and grew up in Newport, RI. She studied Early Childhood at Rhode Island College and while there, she also taught preschool at a Waldorf-inspired school before moving to San Francisco in 2012. Lainie graduated in 2019 from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training which she did alongside working in the nursery at SF Waldorf.  She is thrilled to be a part of this amazing community!

Justine Costerouse

Co-Founder, She/Her
Preschool Teacher


Justine was born in San Francisco and is the third generation of her family to live in the Mission District. Before becoming a Waldorf teacher, Justine studied philosophy and was a homeopathic practitioner.  She completed her course work at Rudolf Steiner College in 2008 with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. Prior to Golden Bridges, she worked at the San Francisco Waldorf School for ten years in early childhood. She loves to dance more than anything and is frequently in performances around the city. 

Miel Alegre

Interim Kindergarten Teacher
​(July-December 2021), She/Her

Miel is an avid crafter, chef, and proud collector of folk tales from her homeland, the Philippines. She has a background in educational non-profits and has a graduate degree in Cultural Anthropology from UC Santa Cruz. She is a parent to three children, one of whom is off to college in Iowa. Miel comes from Rocky Mountain Co-op, and is a member the Golden Bridges Board of Trustees. She has worked as a substitute and support teacher in Kindergarten and will teach Morning Glory Kindergarten in an interim role.

Lauren Cesca

Kindergarten Teacher, She/Her
​

​Lauren is from the Sacramento Valley and graduated from California Polytechnic State University with degrees in printing management and graphic design. Wanting a change of career that felt service-oriented and creative, she found Waldorf education and fell in love with early childhood. After graduating from Rudolf Steiner College in 2011, Lauren taught in both New Mexico and Iowa before returning to California. She has been a kindergarten teacher at GBS since 2014 and her child is now a preschooler here!

Jess Buslach

Preschool Teacher, She/Her
​Steering Committee

Jess was born and raised outside of Seattle. Early in her career she studied cosmetology and worked in salons and spas. After traveling extensively around the U.S. and Central America, Jess gave birth to her daughter Maia, which inspired her Waldorf journey. Jess began working in preschools and then started her own home daycare Inspired by Waldorf and RIE philosophies. In 2018 Jess joined the Golden Bridges aftercare team and volunteered at Dandelion Preschool. She quickly knew it was her place in the world. Jess began Waldorf teacher training and the following year started teaching at Dandelion Preschool. Jess loves going to hot springs, finding new vegan restaurants, and spending time with her daughter Maia, a Golden Bridges student.

Kaori Yamashita

Preschool Teacher, They/Them

Kaori was born in Japan and moved to the U.S. in 1997. They studied creative writing at Bunkyo University and then worked as an astrologer in Tokyo while being involved in organic farming and experimental dance theatre.  Kaori studied Waldorf Early Childhood and World Language education at Sunbridge Institute. They have taught for twelve years, most recently in New York teaching in the Parent-Child Program, Preschool, and Aftercare, as well as Japanese to Grades 1-5. Kaori is passionate about working with plant dyes and has learned Lakota ceremonies for over 20 years. Kaori and their son moved to SF in the summer of 2021 with delight!
​

Nicholas Barter

Kindergarten Teacher, He/Him


​Nicholas was born and raised in the Mojave Desert of Southern California where he traveled extensively with his family of educators and artists. He studied Early Childhood Education, Consciousness Studies, and Biodynamic Agriculture at Rudolf Steiner College. He went on to teach at Waldorf schools throughout California, Hawaii and England. Nicholas brings a passion for nature, art, craft and gardening to his dedication of the healthy growth and development of each child.

Lesley MacDonald

Kindergarten Teacher, She/Her
​Steering Committee

​Lesley grew up near Yosemite National Park and studied theatre at the University of California Santa Cruz. She then received her Waldorf Grades training certificate from Rudolf Steiner College and taught at the Davis Waldorf School, taking her class from 1st-4th grade. Life then brought Lesley to San Francisco and Golden Bridges, to teach in both aftercare and Kindergarten since 2017.  ​

Danielle Conover

Preschool Teacher, She/Her

​Born and raised in SF, Danielle is so proud to be a part of this growing community in the heart of her hometown!  Danielle received her undergraduate degree in Performance Art and Dance at Sarah Lawrence College and her Masters in Creative Inquiry at CIIS. She is most proud of her title “Mama to June” (in 3rd Grade) and delights in bringing her love of play and creativity to Preschool. 

Jimena Bertschi

Kindergarten Teacher, She/Her


​Jimena is a native of Argentina and her greatest love in the world is to observe a child's amazement at discovering something new, especially in nature. As her interest in education deepened, she moved to California in 2015 to pursue Waldorf Teacher Training. Jimena first worked as a Kindergarten assistant and later taught Spanish from 1st to 8th Grade students at the East Bay Waldorf School. In her free time, she enjoys singing, reading, cooking, and hiking.

Grades Faculty
​Beginning in First Grade, Golden Bridges students have a class teacher guiding their learning for multiple years. Our teachers foster wonder, reverence, attention, curiosity, and confidence to form the solid foundation on which the children are building their academic learning. Each morning, during Main Lesson, the class teacher provides an in-depth exploration of subjects in blocks of four to six weeks.

Abbie Coburn

Co-Founder, She/Her
Grades Teacher, Class of 2029 

As a school co-founder Ms. Coburn spent her first four years as a full-time teacher in the preschool program and then the grades.  She then transitioned to support the growing administration as Faculty Chair for four years.  After many years of helping hold and advance the vision and mission in all its pieces, Ms. Coburn is thrilled to be going back to her first love, and diving deep into the Waldorf curriculum with a new class as they begin their grades journey.  She's excited that her three children are loved, educated and cared for by this incredible community, and remains ever grateful for the steadfast support of her partner Harris. ​

Shirene Massarweh

Grades Teacher, She/Her
​Class of 2028

Shirene grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She studied Cultural Anthropology at the University of Oregon, and then moved back to San Francisco.  Shirene completed her Grades teacher training at the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training in 2019. She has worked at Golden Bridges since 2016 and previously taught Kindergarten and managed the aftercare program.  She is so grateful to be part of this beautiful community with her beloved dog, Louie.

Jaimee Rungsitiyakorn

Grades Teacher, She/Her
Class of 2025
​​Steering Committee

​Jaimee was born and raised in San Francisco. She studied Creative Writing at Mills College and completed her Waldorf Grades teacher training at Rudolf Steiner College.  Prior to joining GBS, she worked in the SF Waldorf School after-school and the parenting programs.  Jaimee began teaching at Golden Bridges in 2014 and in that time she has worked with Preschool, Kindergarten, and Grades.  Jaimee has two daughters who attend Urban High School.

Lyssa Beshears 

Grades Teacher, She/Her
Class of 2027

Lyssa brings a lifetime of Waldorf experience as a lifelong student of Waldorf education herself. She attended the East Bay and SF Waldorf schools, before studying Geology at Occidental College and then receiving her Waldorf teaching credential from the Bay Area Center for Waldorf Teacher Training in 2011. She is currently pursuing her Master's in Geology at SF State University and takes ongoing classes on Social Justice at RISE Center for Social Justice through USF. Lyssa has worked as an early childhood and grades teacher, and in death care. She has an 8th grader at San Francisco Waldorf School and two step children at Oakland School for the Arts and Maybeck in the East Bay. Lyssa loves hiking and camping, gardening and crafting, singing in her husband's band, walking around Lake Merritt and being a proud Oaklander, where she lives on unceded Ohlone Huichun land with her family and three cats. 

Katherine Delafkaran

Grades Teacher, She/Her
Classes of 2024 & 2023
​​​Steering Committee

Katherine grew up in Orange County and is a Waldorf graduate herself. After attending SF State and earning a degree in viola performance, Katherine received her teacher training in Grades at the Rudolf Steiner College in 2015. Katherine joined her current Golden Bridges class in their First Grade year and continues to guide them through their educational journey. She also leads the Grades program and faculty in music and singing.

Subject Teachers
Subject teachers support the core curriculum taught by class teachers. Subject classes such as Spanish, Music, Farm, Handwork, and Woodworking are taught by specialty teachers with expertise in their subject areas. While Main Lesson provides in-depth exploration of subjects in blocks of four to six weeks, subject classes are taught throughout the year.  

Stephanie Blair

Handwork, Grades 5-7, She/Her

Stephanie grew up outside of Philadelphia and Houston, before moving out to San Francisco in 2007 to study Fashion Design at the Art Institute of California. After a few different jobs sewing cases for technology devices, making flower arrangements for a florist, and event planning weddings, she found Golden Bridges in 2017. Starting with aftercare at Dandelion Preschool, then moving to aftercare for the Grades, and then teaching arts and crafts and handwork, she thrives wherever she is needed. Stephanie welcomed her first child in 2021. ​

Dan Griffiths

Games & Theatrical Arts, He/Him


​Dan has performed and taught nationally and internationally. Instructor; Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theater, Clown Conservatory San Francisco, Clown LAB SF, Columbia College Chicago, Roosevelt University, and Indiana University Northwest. Most recently Dan taught Clown at The Wu Qiao International Circus Festival in Shijiazhuang, China. 
Dan has studied with Marcel Marceau, David Shiner, at The School for Mime Theatre and The Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theater. Dan holds an M.A. in Experimental Performance from New College of California and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Art from the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Rhonda Rungsitiyakorn

Handwork, Grades 1-4, She/Her

Rhonda was born and raised in Boston.  As a high school volunteer in a first grade classroom, she was inspired to work with children and planned to pursue a career in elementary school education.  Instead, her life’s journey led her to a nursing career, where she always worked with adult patients. Since retiring from a thirty-year nursing career, the lifelong dream of working with children has been fulfilled at Golden Bridges. The children bring her immense joy and she is honored to be part of the Golden Bridges community, teaching handwork since 2017. Rhonda also teaches knitting and crocheting to adults at Sharon Art Studio in San Francisco.

Clare Simmons

Music, Grades 1-2, She/Her

Clare grew up in Oxford, studied music at university and moved to the United States in 2001. She has taught music in public and private schools in the UK and US, and was the middle school music teacher at the Waldorf School of the Peninsula before having children. Clare's two sons attend Golden Bridges. Her family enjoys music, camping, Morris dancing and riding bikes. 

Mel Buslach

Farm & Life Science, They/Them

Born and raised in Seattle, Mel studied publishing arts and photography. They eventually put down roots in California after three years traveling the globe. Mel lived and worked on a farm and it was here their passion for botany and farm life deepened. Mel moved to Oakland and began teaching gardening classes, as well as climate change education in several SFUSD schools.
As a queer, nonbinary, white person and as an educator, Mel has made it their personal responsibility to unlearn white supremacy, to center People Of Color, to practice anti-racism, and work to dismantle interlocking systems of domination and oppression.
​When they don’t have their hands in the dirt, Mel enjoys spending time in queer community and eating delicious vegan food. 

Lesley Fisher

Upper Grades Writer's Workshop, She/Her

Coming soon...

Sandy Monzon

Spanish & Dance, She/Her

Coming soon...

Jack Bryant

Practical Skills Teacher

Coming soon...

Natasha Singh

Sexual Literacy & Ethics, She/Her

Natasha has worked in education for 20 years and taught at institutions including Rutgers University and The Collegiate School. She works as an educational consultant to schools committed to preventing sexual violence and teaching sexual ethics. She teaches about consent, sexual literacy, ending sexual harassment and gender-based violence, toxic masculinity and the hypersexualization of girls, and undoing gender-role training.
Natasha Co-Chairs the Board of Center for Domestic Peace and recently co-launched the Consent and Healthy Relationships Assembly, a vital educational tool for schools wishing to ignite a conversation around the prevention of sexual violence. She is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Asha Rising.

Maria Prieto Díaz

Spanish, She/Her

Maria grew up in Spain. After graduating with a B.A. in Psychology and a B.A. in Education, life brought her to San Francisco where she's been since 2011. She enjoys the diversity of this city, and the opportunities that being in a multicultural environment have for her family. She loves exploring, traveling, and is passionate about language learning. Maria is dedicated to nurturing personal and emotional growth in her students, and to help them reach their full potential.

Jenna Frank

Farmer & Outdoor Educator
​​Steering Committee, She/Her

​Jenna grew up in Massachusetts and studied Environmental Studies and International Affairs at Skidmore College. While there she drew much inspiration from mentors, professors, and peers  guiding her path toward environmental education.  She discovered a passion for hiking and backpacking in the Adirondack mountains and has had the privilege of traveling and farming throughout Latin America, working alongside and collaborating with inspiring women to support the wellbeing of communities. She is so grateful to get to spend each day in an urban oasis, building a relationship with the land and sharing meaningful experiences with curious children. Jenna has lovingly tended to our farm since 2017.

Barbara Neumann

Eurythmy, She/Her

Barbara has worked in movement arts as an eurythmist in the Bay Area for over 30 years, performing, teaching and conducting eurythmy therapy. She earned her BA in Anthropology from the University of Arizona. Barbara also holds a Diploma in Anthroposophical Studies from Waldorf Institute of Mercy College of Detroit, an Artistic Eurythmy Diploma from Eurythmy Spring Valley, a Pedagogical Eurythmy Certificate from Emerson College in England and a Therapeutic Eurythmy Diploma from Dornach, Switzerland. 
​She and her husband raised two boys in San Francisco, both of whom attended a Waldorf school from kindergarten through twelfth grade.
Learn more about Eurythmy

Colin Shober

Mathematics, Grades 4-7, He/Him

Colin has been coaching and teaching for since 2014. He has been teaching chess since 2017 for The Mechanics Institute and The Berkeley Chess School. He also coaches wrestling at the high school level, giving personal lessons and helping out at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory School. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Northwestern University, where he also competed on the wrestling team for four years.  He is excited to be sharing his knowledge and insights with the students of Golden Bridges School. 

Edith Szendrey

Music, Grades 3-7, She/Her

Canadian born violinist and violist, Edith founded the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival Junior Strings Program, the SD Festival Junior Program, and is on faculty at the Pacific Music Institute.  Of Hungarian roots, she holds a BA in Music from the University of British Columbia. Edith taught for 16 years at the East Bay Waldorf School, was the music director for nine years at the Greenwood School and completed Waldorf teacher training from BAWTT. 
She has performed with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, the San Francisco Choral Society and the Arlekin String Quartet. She has worked with the Marin Symphony, Berkeley Symphony and the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. She has performed with Barbra Streisand, Diana Krall, and recorded with jazz trombonist Wayne Wallace.  Edith also enjoys exploring nature with her children, walking her dogs at dawn, swimming under the stars, and hiking with her camera.

Support Staff

Heirani Chevier

Campus Custodian, He/Him

Jon Ferrer

School Chef & Hike Support, He/Him

Jon was born and raised in San Francisco, a graduate of Junipero Serra High School, and the California Culinary Academy. For over a decade he honed his skills throughout many kitchens in the Bay Area, and for the last several years ran his own catering company after putting the business on hiatus to travel abroad with his wife JoAnn. Jonathan loves to spend time outdoors with his family and enjoys cooking for loved ones. Jon has been cooking and supporting Golden Bridges students since 2018.

Tara Rye

Substitute Teacher, She/Her

Tara grew up in Seattle. She studied art & history of art at UC Berkeley and has an M.A. in education from Columbia University. Through a multitude of teaching experiences, Tara has always believed that there is no single approach for all children. She strives to gain insight of each of her students as unique individuals to help them discover and explore their interests and preserve their curiosity. Tara enjoys working with parents and supporting the parent-child journey. Tara has keen interests in the healing arts, equity & equality, plant medicine, sculpture, taking trips near and far, and living in kinship with mother earth. 

After School Program Team
The After School Program team provides a loving and nurturing extended care program for our Kindergarten and Grades children. Our teachers create a home-like environment to support social time with friends, a nap or quiet time, indoor and outdoor play time. 
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Jessie Austin

Director of
​After School Programming,
Steering Committee,  She/Her

Jessie grew up in the Bay Area, and received her bachelor's degree in Modern Jewish Studies from San Francisco State University.  She has taught and run programs for diverse youth, ages 3-21, for years throughout San Francisco, and is in awe of each young person who comes into her orbit.  She is thrilled to be a part of the Golden Bridges team of educators.  She is passionate about creative expression, non-violent communication, social justice, and mentorship.  She is the proud mama to an extraordinary teenager who attends Drew High School, and an exquisite GoldenDoodle puppy named Echo.

Anna Follett

After School Teacher, She/Her

Anna was born and raised in Los Angeles. She later moved to San Francisco where she attended City College of San Francisco before transferring to San Francisco State University where she received her B.A. in Anthropology. After graduating, she is back at City College of San Francisco as a student of early childhood education. With a passion for nature and caring for others, Anna is excited to be a part of Golden Bridges School’s incredible community of educators, students, and families.