Meet the Team

Anita

Anila

Anila graduated from Allama Iqbal Open University. She has over 28 years of teaching experience with children of varying ages. Anila is passionate about working with children and especially loves teaching them sports and other physical activities. 

Candace

Candace has over twelve years of experience as a dedicated and passionate mentor and youth advocate. She has taught both elementary and preschool students in private and public school settings. She is passionate about incorporating art and movement, music and history in education and about serving children in her community and helping them succeed, and grow in positive ways, instilling pride, and the direction to becoming well-rounded, culturally aware, resilient, purposeful individuals.

Devin

Devin grew up in California and Nevada. They moved to the bay to study Women and Gender Studies and Anthropology at San Francisco State University. After graduating, their interests have been in facilitating safer spaces for youth to creatively express their unique and shared experiences, embody their power, and nourish joyful and cooperative relationships. You can often find Devin outside, riding their bike, talking to plants, playing with their dogs in the forest, or cuddling with their cat in the sun.

Devon

Jill

Lesleigh

Lexi

Lexi joined the OGS/Wildwood family in 2023 with over six years of experience in the Early Childhood Education field. She is passionate about the opportunity to be a part of a child's learning experience and is working on completing her Associates degree in Early Childhood Education, Dance and Humanities. Lexi grew up in Arizona and came to the Bay Area in 2017. In her spare time she enjoys the outdoors, hiking, and exploring new places and cultures. 

Libby

Patrick

Patrick joined the OGS and Wildwood teams as a substitute in 2025. He has a background in lower and middle elementary public education as well as outdoor youth leadership and he is happy and excited to begin this next phase of his teaching journey in early childhood education.  As a youngster growing up in the East Bay, his favorite types of exploration he recalls were learning about structures through climbing them and learning about relationships and self discovery through caring for the bunnies.  As a youth leader he enjoyed the opportunity to lead groups to and through East Bay Parks by bicycle.  As a teacher he feels it is important to always be patient, caring, observant and well informed.  As someone new to early childhood education he is committed to professional development and collaboration with all stakeholders in the community, most especially: the students themselves, their families, colleagues. 

Nury

Nury has a lifelong passion to help people in need, which led her to earn a nursing degree and work in various hospitals in her home country of El Salvador for 14 years. Later, she had the opportunity to work at a convalescent hospital. and then as a nanny for families throughout the Bay Area. Through this experience she discovered her true passion for working with children and to deepen her understanding and work with them professionally, attended De Anza College and completed 92 units in Early Childhood Education.

Nury is fascinated by each child's unique abilities, creativity, and personality. She is impressed with their intelligence and committed to providing them with the tools to create and explore. In her free time, Nury loves exploring nature and enjoying the fresh air of the trees and ocean. She also cherishes visiting family and discovering new places.

Shields

Tori

Tori joined the Wildwood team in 2025. She holds an Associates degree in Early Childhood Development and has several years experience working with children of all ages in early childcare settings. Tori has a passion for working with children, particularly infants and toddlers, and seeing them grow and develop. She believes that her job as their teacher is to meet them where they are at and to facilitate their learning and development. 

Yushao

Yushao has been working at Wildwood Children's School since it opened in September 2015. She received her Associates Degree from Laney College and holds an Early Childhoold Development credential. Yushao has worked with all preschool ages at Wildwood, and is currently in the Trunks class. She speaks three languages, English, Mandarin and Cantonese. She has worked to teach some Mandarin words and songs to the children in the program. Yushao loves teaching young children and also loves baking.