Ms. Sam was born in San Diego and grew up calling different places home due to her father’s Navy career. This fostered in her a deep love for travel, an appreciation for change, and an interest in learning from the beauty of diverse experiences. She eventually returned to San Diego for her undergraduate studies at UCSD, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, along with her teaching credential.

Ms. Sam’s journeys in education have led her to learn from many different people and places, from teaching English in Japan, to working in academic advising, and eventually led her to establish her roots in elementary education. Before joining HTe, she taught fourth grade at HTeCV for five years and third grade for three years at a project-based school. These formative experiences with project-based learning ignited her enthusiasm for helping young students develop their foundational skills through real-world authentic work. In her classroom, Ms. Sam is dedicated to creating a classroom environment where every student feels safe, valued for their differences, and empowered to take ownership of their learning space.

Outside of school, Ms. Sam enjoys discovering San Diego’s hidden gems and exploring the outdoors with her partner, Mr. Nicholas. When she’s not on an adventure, Ms. Sam loves having tea time chats and playing games with friends, tending to her plants, and relaxing with her shiba inu, Ruby, and class pet, Cinnabun.