Maria Garrett - Support Staff

Hi, I’m Maria! I was born in South Carolina and lived abroad in Mexico City when my family went on an expat assignment for 4 years. I went to college in SC and received a Bachelors degree in Human Resources Development. My husband Aaron and I have two amazing boys! My family loves traveling, hiking, hanging out with friends, and going to the beach! Many nights you can find us at the local baseball field, watching the boys play their favorite sport. I’m excited to be part of the Lanterns Global administrative team and look forward to serving the families and staff that are part of our awesome learning programs.

Lorna Moreno - Recruiter & HR Director

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, I grew up spending summers at our cottage and spending every waking hour in or on the water and exploring nature.  Two years after graduating from York University with a Specialized Honors degree in Physical Education, I received a job offer that allowed me to pursue my dreams along the beautiful California coast. I am always up for a good board meeting - as long as it's on a paddleboard!   Kayaking, hiking, and spending time with my family (including grandkids) are my other guilty pleasures! As a Business Consultant and Professional Organizer, I have over 20 years of experience working with some of the busiest people on the planet.  I am incredibly passionate about customer care, employee engagement, and building community. As part of our Lanterns Global HR/Recruiting team, I have the privilege of sourcing talent for our programs. We are so grateful for the incredibly brilliant and passionate teachers that share their love for learning with our students each and every day!  Thank you for being part of our community and entrusting our Lanterns Global Team with your students!

Keli Garrett - Support Staff

Hey! My name is Keli Garrett and I am on the support team. I was born in South Carolina but have lived in Florida and California for most of my life and there isn’t a day where I take the coast for granted! My husband is in the Navy and we’ve had the privilege of living in some beautiful areas. I homeschool my two little boys and am also a part time fitness trainer. You can usually find me boxing, doing obstacle races, or taking my family to the beach.

LISA SMITH - Lanterns Global Merch

I’m Lisa Smith! I am on the inventory team. When I am not hand-stitching Tides/El Jardín patches on hats, towels, or cutting and assembling flashcards, etc., I am homeschooling/adventure schooling my 3 kiddos in Carpinteria, CA. We live for all the beachy things from surfing to making seashell art and sandcastles to barefoot beach runs and collecting sea glass treasures. Before marital bliss and family life with our daughter and twin boys, I studied Fine Art at the University of Colorado in Boulder, with an emphasis in ceramics and a minor in Child Psychology. In my very limited free time, I enjoy working with white clay in my outdoor home studio. The hand-building creative process is a deep meditative practice that does my soul well in this busy beautiful season of family life.

Brandi Martin - Accounts Receivable & Accountant

Hi, I’m Brandi Martin. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Business/ Accounting from Lander University and 20+ years of accounting experience. I am also a homeschool mom and enjoy riding horses on our family farm. 

Laura Lieras - EL Jardin Manager, El Jardin Orance County & Terrain Head Teacher

¡Hola! I’m Laura Lieras, a.k.a. Maestra Laura. I am a Spanish teacher at El Jardin, Orange County. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Education. I have over 20 years of experience working with children (and their families), as this is a lifelong passion for me. I spent my teen/young adult years in Costa Rica, where I learned most of my Spanish and became a lover of nature. As an El Jardin Maestra, I enjoy sharing these experiences daily with our brilliant students, as we learn Spanish- while we spot bunnies, birds, butterflies, and other wonderful creatures- in our beautiful outdoor classroom. At home, I enjoy spending time with my family, visiting different beaches, reading, cooking, and snuggling my dog, Rescue Pup.

Norma Castro - EL Jardin Carpinteria Head Teacher Pequenos

Norma Frausto de Castro has more than thirty years of experience as a teacher, and is currently a Pequeños class professor at El Jardin, where she has remained for the last 2 years. Mrs. Castro was born in Aguascalientes City, Mexico. In her hometown, she studied to become an elementary school teacher at the Centro Regional de Educacion Normal de Aguascalientes, later going on to graduate as a lawyer with a College Degree at the Universidad Galilea in Aguascalientes. She has since then practiced several teaching positions at the local, state, and federal level. These teaching experiences throughout her career have ranged from working with adults to children, and from larger groups to one-on-one tutoring. Her career began in Mexico, throughout which she attended teaching training seminars, teacher workshops, and yearly state courses which updated all teachers with newer techniques and material. Years after she married and had her three sons, she immigrated with them to California where she then began to work for the Santa Barbara School District as a teacher’s aid at Cesar Chavez Charter School. In her time there, she taught Spanish and helped teachers in several K-6 courses until she moved departments and became an art assistant. In 2020, she began to teach at El Jardin in Carpinteria and has loved teaching pequeños. She cares about the students, not only academically but their concerns and feelings. Maestra Norma even as a child has dreamed of being a teacher to kids and helping them find their true potential, teaching to her is something she would not change for any other career in the world as it is her passion.

Anabella Rangel-Sanchez - El Jardin Orange County Head Teacher Primaria

Hello everyone! My name is Anabella and I am one of the head teachers at El Jardín Orange County! Since starting the El Jardín program here in OC in 2020, it has been a joy teaching so many wonderful students and watching the program blossom. I was born and raised in California, but my mom is from Spain and my dad is from Venezuela, so I learned and grew up speaking Spanish at home! All of my extended family still lives in Spain and Venezuela, so I have spent many summers visiting them with my family.

I come from a large family, and with over five members who are educators and a mom who is a Spanish teacher, it was hard not to follow in their footsteps! I received my degree in education from California State University, Fullerton, and I’ve been teaching elementary Spanish at a K-8 school since 2016. Since 2019, I have been an online Spanish tutor through Lanterns Global as well! I have also privately tutored and taught Spanish to middle school, high school, and college aged students since 2015. However, the young ones are always my favorite! In my free time I enjoy spending time with family, taking photos, dancing, being outside, doing anything artsy/creative, and playing with my dogs. Being able to speak Spanish has added so much to my life, and I love passing that on to my students while making it a fun experience for them too!

Liliana Vela - El Jardin Carpintiera Team

Bio Coming Soon

Leanne Patterson - El Jardin Carpinteria Secundaria Head Teacher

My name is Leanne Patterson and I am a passionate educator, wife and mother!  I love the outdoors, enjoy growing some of my own foods and skin remedies, as well as native plants.  I speak Spanish fluently and have taught for over 20 years in Honduras, Chicago, Mexico, New York City and here in Santa Barbara county.  My family thrives on good food, good books and lots of laughter!  I have my B.A. in Spanish and Communications with an emphasis in Journalism from Wheaton College and my M.A. in Education with a focus on curriculum and design from Hunter College in New York City.  I love to collaborate with other educators, to write and to execute creative curriculum.  I have served as a teacher mentor in SB county and very much enjoy sharing and exchanging ideas. 

A fun fact about me is that my favorite place in the whole world is the Flathead Valley in Montana....a crazy fact:  My husband and I were chased by a grizzly bear on our honeymoon!

Viridiana Monroy - El Jardin Santa Barbara Head Teacher

Photo & Bio Coming Soon

Mariela Stephens - El Jardin Thousand Oaks Head Teacher

¡Hola! My name is Mariela Barberis Stephens, and I am a Spanish teacher at El Jardin – Thousand Oaks. I was born and raised in Argentina, in the mountains of Cordoba, where my love for everything outdoors began - swimming in the rivers, hiking in the mountains and exploring while horseback riding with friends and family. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Education and Translation from the University of Cordoba, Argentina. I have worked for a Global Language Training Company where I had the opportunity to teach Spanish to groups and individuals, children and adults, executives and celebrities. I also enjoy working with people from all over the world and have been a Relocation Consultant in the Conejo Valley for the last 15 years. In my leisure time I enjoy spending time with my family, travelling, gardening, reading and hiking . . . and, of course, cheering for Messi through the soccer World Cup! I believe languages are the door to different cultures and I feel privileged to be able to help kids open that door through Spanish - in and outdoor environment!

Adriana De la Paz Roden - El Jardin Long Beach Head Teacher

Photo & Bio Coming Soon

Bridget FinkE - Farm to Table Head Teacher

Hello! I'm Bridget, and I'm thrilled to be the Younger’s Pod teacher at Farm to Table. With a bachelor's degree in early education, these little ones are my kind of pals. 

My bliss is found outdoors – be it riding waves while surfing, exploring scenic trails on my bike, or camping. Originally from Minnesota, my journey led me here after seven years of travel, and I've been immersed in this wonderful community for the past five years.

My philosophy revolves around creating a nurturing and inspiring space where kids can grow and flourish. I hope to foster their love for learning, curiosity, and creativity against the beautiful backdrop and space of the farm!

Janine Riley - Farm Manager & Farm to table team

Photo & Bio Coming Soon

Siena Keck - Farm to Table Head teacher

Hey everyone! My name is Siena, and I am so excited to be a head teacher for the Farm to Table program. I graduated from Westmont College studying Sociology and Environmental Studies and loved my time running sprints on the track and field team and learning and growing in one of the most beautiful places –– Santa Barbara! I am passionate about environmental education, especially regenerative agriculture, and sharing a deep love for the outdoors with kids. Hence, my absolute favorite jobs have been camp counseling, tutoring, and a kayak tour guide and surf instructor. When not teaching, you can find me surfing, kayaking, running, hiking, at a coffee shop working on photography and graphic design projects, or picking up any creative or active hobby. I am so excited to be a part of the Farm to Table program and learn alongside young and curious minds!