Desert Spring Educators are deeply committed to the growth and well being of young children. Our teachers pride themselves on providing experiences for children that are inclusive of all abilities, cultures, ethnicities, genders and gender identities, which are reflective of our collective belief in the competent child. Desert Spring educators also bring their own range of educational, professional, and life expereinces to our school which enriches the diverse nature of our community. Regardless of where they are on their journey as an educator, every teacher holds Desert Spring’s values of play, exploration, and indivuality as a core belief of their teaching practice.
Hypatia Luna, Director
Bio Coming Soon!
Sara Van Slyke, Founding Director & Acting Atelierista
The oldest of four children Sara was born and raised in Tucson by Minnesota parents. Her childhood was happily spent enjoying her fun loving family and exploring the incredible desert with its ancient ruins, pottery chards, and unique ecosystem. As a teenager she played hundreds of hours of tennis, and rode her Palomino through monsoon swollen arroyos and cactus covered hills. Sara graduated from Sahuaro High School and the U of A with a major in Sociology and minors in Religious Studies and Business. Sara also was very fortunate to travel for a semester on World Campus Afloat.
After college Sara taught in after school programs and four different preschools, and went back to school to pursue a nursing degree. When she finally finished all the prerequisites and started nursing school she realized that her real passion was Early Childhood Education, so she was inspired to open Desert Spring Children’s Center with co-founder Jan Kinkade. Sara and Jan started the planning process in 1985 and opened the doors in May 1987. The last 35 years has been an amazing joyous journey. Sara is grateful everyday for the children and their families that bless her life.
Emma Collier, Rainbow Room Educator
Emma has been at Desert Spring since January 2023. Emma is a dedicated educator who believes in providing every child with kindness, love, and personalized care to nurture their individual growth. In her classroom, she fosters a safe environment where children can freely explore and discover the wonders of the world. Emma’s passion for creativity shines through as she engages her students in imaginative activities and reading stories out loud. Emma is also creative in her spare time and enjoys sculpting and painting; some of her work can be seen at exhibitions around Tucson!
Favorite childhood memory: One of Emma’s fondest childhood memories revolves around spending endless hours outdoors with her sisters and neighbors, building fairy gardens from found objects in nature.
Bekah Allen, Rainbow Room Educator
Bekah has been at Desert Spring since July 2023. Bekah finds joy in playing with the children in the Rainbow room, sparking their imagination through creative play. In her freetime she loves doing yoga and going on hiking adventures.
Favorite childhood memory: One of her cherished childhood memories is camping with her siblings.
Dee Altuna, Monsoon Room Educator
Dee has been at Desert Spring since 2012. She wears all sorts of hats and is deeply committed to seeing the school thrive and grow. Dee believes that all children are individuals and have their own unique ways of learning. She thinks the classroom is a space where children should feel safe and be able to express themselves freely. Dee is passionate about working with children and loves to learn alongside them. In her freetime Dee loves to read books and watch baking shows.
Favorite childhood memory: Dee loved to visit her grandmother and explore the majestic mountains surrounding her town.
Fanny Brown, Monsoon Room Educator
Fanny has been at Desert Spring since October 2022. What Fanny loves most about teaching is seeing the children’s personalities blossom as they become more comfortable with their classroom, teachers and peers. In the class she loves listening to the children talk to each other and hear their unique ways of conversing. When she is not at work Fanny enjoys going thrift-store shopping and listening to music.
Favorite childhood memory: When Fanny was a child she loved to collect stickers and adorn all her belongings with them.
Bernadette Tellez, Mountain Room Educator
Bernadette returned to Desert Spring in 2022 after taking a break from teaching to have her third baby. In Bernadette’s classroom, children discover and build connections in a nurturing environment, where she enjoys creating art projects and fostering sensory play using a variety of materials. Outside of work, Bernadette loves to workout at the gym and spend time with her family.
Favorite childhood memory: Her fondest childhood memories are around time spent in her family’s auto shop.
Marissa Hernandez, Mountain Room Educator
Marissa has been at Desert Spring since April 2021. In the classroom Marissa encourages students to explore and celebrate their uniqueness. It is her goal to ensure that the classroom is an environment where each child feels valued, empowered and supported. With a background in social work, she brings empathy and understanding to her teaching and individualizes her approach to meet the diverse needs of her students. Marissa enjoys using open-ended materials to spark creativity as well as reading during circle time to promote a love for literacy and community. Reading is a passion for Marissa too, and when she is not immersed in a good book you can find her exploring local eateries.
Favorite childhood memory: Some of her happiest memories center around exploring the wash next to her home to collect rocks.
Kiana Solis, Sun Room Educator
Kiana has been at Desert Spring since 2018. Kiana believes children are unique individuals and in her classroom she fosters their growth by cultivating a safe and caring environment. Her passion for teaching lies in guiding young children toward becoming compassionate and exceptional adults. Her favorite activity to do is joining in their imaginative play and nurturing their creative ideas. Outside the classroom, Kiana loves to read and dedicates herself to playing slow-pitch softball three times a week.
Favorite childhood memory: Kiana grew up in a very sports oriented family and loved playing softball with her sister.
Carina Kealey, Sun Room Educator
Bio coming soon!