I was overjoyed when the Castro Valley Center for the Arts (CFA) first opened its doors. In those early days, I had the privilege of bringing my students to perform alongside other grades in vocal concerts held on that beautiful stage, sharing their talent with families and the broader community. Today, the CFA has become a vibrant hub, hosting not only school performances but a wide range of private performing arts and theater events. Both middle and high school students continue to showcase their creativity at this cherished venue.
Castro Valley has been my home since 1962. I’m a proud graduate of the Castro Valley Unified School District, just like my two children. I earned my B.A. in Human Development with a minor in Sociology from Cal State Hayward, and returned eleven years later to obtain my Multiple Subject Teaching Credential.
My teaching career with CVUSD spanned 30 years in elementary education. I taught kindergarten and first grade for the first nine years, then first and second grade in my tenth year, and continued with first grade exclusively for the remaining 20 years. I retired in 2018, but after the pandemic, I returned to CVUSD as a substitute teacher.
I’ve had the joy of serving as an usher at the CFA since ~2024. It’s incredibly rewarding to see my former students take the stage in musicals, plays, orchestras, bands, and choirs. Watching them grow into such talented performers is a reminder of the lasting power of education and the arts in our community.