Jeff Bock, MEd
Center Director

Jeff is a fan of large projects that the students can immerse themselves in. He joined the Center family in 2007, but has also taught early elementary classes at a Montessori school, as well as at the high school level with the Hawai’i Department of Education. Jeff has worked with the State on Early Childhood Education issues.

Heather Tabios
Assistant Director

Heather has been our Assistant Director since 2024. She started off as a Student Assistant in 2005 and became a classroom teacher in 2008. “I enjoy working with the children because every day is a new adventure!”

Heather loves drag racing cars and is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. She was born and raised in Hawai’i and earned a Bachelors of Science in Family Resources from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. She recently earned her Master’s Degree in Educational Foundations from UH Mānoa. Her son Braxton has gone through the UHMCC program and is now attending elementary school.

Kara Nishijima
Education Coordinator, Website & IT, CCAMPIS Coordinator,

Kara loves encouraging and inspiring the natural creativity and curiosity of children as they learn about and discover the world around them. She believes that young children have a lot to share, values the perspectives they bring, and wants to let their voices be heard. “I love helping families and being a part of children’s lives. Experiencing the joy, wonder, and love they bring into this world is so rich and rewarding.” Kara received her BA from the University of San Diego in Liberal Arts (Education) and Masters in Early Childhood Education from Mills College. She worked at the Harold E. Jones Child Study Center at UC Berkeley for 3 years, then returned home to Hawai‘i and joined the UHMCC ‘ohana in 2007.

Wendi Uyemura
Office Manager

Wendi has a BS in Family Resources and a Masters in Early Childhood Education from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. She was a lead classroom teacher at St. Timothy’s Children’s Center for 7 years working with two and three-year olds before joining UHMCC as a toddler teacher. In 2009, Wendi transitioned into her current position as Office Manager.

Norine Yuen
Fiscal Specialist, CCAMPIS Student Services Coordinator

Andrea Hill
Poni Class Teacher, 2′s

Andrea has called O‘ahu her home for all her life, and if asked for directions is known to say, “I know landmarks, not street names. But you can’t get lost on an island — just take the scenic route!” Andrea is passionate about her friends, family, and extended family at the Children’s Center, where she has worked since 1998. If asked what age group she would like to work with on any given year she would definitely say, “The two year old group!”:) Andrea and her other family — her husband, James, and daughter Ashley — love spending time on their boat in Kaneohe Bay with their two puppies, Elsa and Anna. Andrea earned a BA in Sociology from University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa while also doing coursework in Early Childhood Education.

Jenalyn Ng
Poni Class Teacher, 2’s

Jenalyn was born and raised on the East side of O‘ahu where she still resides with her parents, older brother, and numerous pets. Jen’s teaching experience started as a ballet teacher when she was 15 years old. She enjoyed teaching the young children so much that she decided to explore her passion further during her senior year in high school by volunteering in a special education elementary school classroom. She went on to graduate from Kaiser High School in 2013 and pursue her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. While working on her B.Ed, Jen worked as a student assistant here at UHMCC for those 4 years. After graduating, she spent a year in the DOE as a kindergarten teacher before returning to the Children’s Center. Jen is just recently received her M.Ed in Curriculum Studies for preschool- 3rd grade.

Jen is very passionate about working with young children and hopes to help them develop positive perspectives on schooling through fun and engaging learning experiences, loving relationships, and a positive learning environment that nurtures and encourages a child’s natural curiosity. When Jen is not working, she can often be found spending time with friends and family, caring for animals, or working on personal projects.

Valley Varma
‘Ōma‘oma‘o Class Teacher, 2’s

Valley joined the UHMCC ‘ohana as a Hokū teacher in 2011 after she fell in love at first sight with the environment and the school’s philosophy the first time she saw it! Although Valley is an island girl she didn’t begin her journey in the field of Early Children Education until she left Kaua‘i for college in California with plans to pursue a career in live theatre. After volunteering as a camp counselor for third graders along the coast of Northern California during spring break, Valley knew she would never be the same again. While she entered the field as a surprise to herself she has been teaching since 1997 and is passionate about her work. Valley hopes to instill a life long love for learning in the hearts and minds of the children she has the pleasure to know and believes that this is done best by creating a balance between child directed emergent learning experiences and intentional pre-planned inquires that evolve from children’s interests. Valley was a student at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena CA before she moved home to the islands and is currently pursuing her Masters degree in Curriculum studies at UH Mānoa. She lives in Kaneohe with her husband, son, and the family cat Alice.

Ai Tanaka
‘Ōma‘oma‘o Class Teacher, 2’s

Ai grew up in Seattle and graduate from University of Washington with an Interdisciplinary Visual Arts Degree. She has been teaching Early Education for seven years, and is currently working on her masters in education at UH. “I love being outdoors and teaching with nature. I love coming to work to help children get excited about going to school to find their passion and interests.” Outside of school, she enjoys surfing, wrenching, or cooking for friends and family.

Lyndsee Sugano
Hōkū Class Teacher, 3’s

Lyndsee was born and raised on O‘ahu.  After she graduated college in 2011, she became a swim instructor and a Head Start Assistant Teacher.  A couple years later, she became the Head Start Teacher for 3 years before joining UH Mānoa Children’s Center in 2016.  She is currently getting her Master in Special Education with a BCBA track.  Lyndsee looks forward to continuing to grow and learn while working with the amazing staff at UHMCC and continuing to further her education.

France Feig
Hōkū Class Teacher, 3’s

France was raised on the island of Moloka’i and moved to O‘ahu to pursue her college education. She was a student intern and assistant at UHMCC while earning her BA degree in Early Childhood and Early Elementary Education. After graduating, she says she is extremely excited to grow, collaborate and be a part of the community here at UHMCC. She believes that it is of much importance to nurture children’s creativity and to recognize that their curiosity is a map to exciting adventures.

Meg Crisostomo
Mahina Class Teacher, 3’s

A Hawai‘i transplant, Meg was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University with her B.A. in Child and Adolescent Development and is recently completed an M.A. in Youth, Children, and Family Ministry. She enjoys learning about human development and the components that go into healthy and happy growth. She feels very lucky to be part of the UHMCC community where she is able to watch children play, explore the world around them, and cultivate new experiences. In her free time you can find her at the beach reading a good book or driving around exploring the island.

Raymond Sanchez
Mahina Class Teacher, 3’s

My name is Raymond Sanchez. I excitedly accepted this amazing opportunity to become an educator of young children at UHMCC in 2013. I continuously and inspirationally seek to co-create thrilling and engaging experiences for young children that are rooted in enthusiasm and questionability. My belief is that understanding, acceptance and awareness of all living things is essential to a fruitful life and building relationships is key to a successful class and classroom culture. I spend a lot of time outdoors enjoying the natural beauty of O‘ahu, taking photographs and listening to good music. I’m a member of our local community and grew up in LA with great parents, 4 siblings and a big family. Living and teaching in Hawai’i has been an amazing experience!

Alyson Navarro
Tuahine Class Teacher, 4’s & 5’s

Alyson finds teaching rewarding because it gives her the opportunity to observe the student’s investigation, curiosity and discoveries into an about the world around them. Alyson earned a BA in Speech from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, while also taking classes in Family Resources and Early Childhood Education.

Kristi Kawahara-Xu
Tuahine Class Teacher, 4’s & 5’s

Kristi has worked with the Children’s Center as a student assistant while earning a BS in Family Resources from University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, afterwards working for three years as a program coordinator for elementary-aged children. Kristi began taking classes in Early Childhood Education after finding she missed working with preschoolers, and she joined the Children’s Center in 2004. Kristi has a passion for traveling and loves to explore the world with her family.

Gwen Dufault
Ānuenue Class Teacher, 4’s & 5’s

Every day working with young children brings something new. Gwen enjoys playing alongside the children, being curious and nurturing the children’s curiosity. It is a treat to be able to continually learn new things alongside the children while immersed in investigations centered around their interests. Her love for working with young children and their families has brought her back to the classroom at the Children’s Center. And whether it be fishing, hiking, riding a bike or roller skating, Gwen loves spending time with family and friends outdoors.  She particularly enjoys playing in the waves at the beach and catching sunsets. She has a Med in Early Childhood Education from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.

‘Ena Reelitz
Ānuenue Class Teacher, 4’s & 5’s

‘Ena was born, raised, and is still living in Kaneohe with his family. He graduated from Kamehameha in 1999 and has worked with children since. He has worked at the Alani Children’s Center on the Kapi‘olani Community College campus for 15 years. As a student aide and then a teachers assistant at Alani, he achieved a Bachelors in Sociology from UH Mānoa with additional credits in Early Childhood education from Honolulu Community College. He joins UHMCC looking to grow as a teacher and to be a part of a larger family of enthusiastic educators.

Linda Lau
Resource Teacher

My name is Linda Lau and I am born and raised in Honolulu, O‘ahu all my life. I have always enjoyed working with children since high school as a junior leader for a summer fun program and then becoming a senior leader during my undergraduate studies and working in afterschool programs. This sparked my interest to pursue teaching and working with young children. I was a former student intern at the Children’s Center in 2013 and have gone on to teach at local preschools in Honolulu. I graduated with my Associate’s in Early Childhood Education from Honolulu Community College and then pursued my Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from UH Mānoa. I am currently working on my Master’s in Early Childhood Education. I am excited to be at the Children’s Center again to continue to learn and grow with the children and teachers. It is a joy to see the creativity and interests of young children throughout their early years. I hope to continue to nurture their love for learning through meaningful relationships and experiences as they connect with their world around them.

Sidney Serrano
Resource Teacher

Sidney was born and raised in California. She graduated from Mount Saint Mary’s University with a Bachelor’s of Art degree in Psychology and Child Development. The beginning of Sidney’s educational career began when she was a teacher assistant and volunteered at the Alexandria House in Los Angeles. While on her journey as an educator, she gained a passion for creating engaging learning experiences for young learners. Sidney believes by encouraging and allowing children to explore beyond the classroom; there is something new to learn everyday! She is excited and eager to grow at the UH Mānoa Children’s Center.

While Sidney is not in the classroom, you can find her at the beach playing the ukulele and exploring the island!

Madison Bednar
Resource Teacher

Madison was born in the Bay Area of California and moved to Oʻahu to pursue her dream of becoming an educator. While earning her degree in elementary and early childhood education, she developed a deep passion for immersion education, recognizing the power of hands-on, culturally rich learning experiences for young children. In 2019, she joined our center as a student assistant and later as an intern, gaining invaluable experience in fostering inclusive and engaging learning environments.

Since graduating in the Spring of 2023, Madison has been pursuing her Master’s in Library and Information Sciences at UH Mānoa. She is particularly passionate about bringing artifacts and art pieces into classrooms, allowing children to connect with history, culture, and storytelling in immersive and meaningful ways. She looks forward to continuing to inspire young learners through dynamic, interactive education.

In her free time, Madison is passionate about reading, crafting, baking and the beach!