Francesca grew up and lived in Zürich, Switzerland until the age of 6, then moved to San Diego where she attended middle and high school. She attended The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Developmental Psychology. Curious about the moral and social development of children she worked as a researcher then lab manager exploring these topics. She shifted her focus to the clinical developmental side of psychology conducting research in a clinical lab. As much as research was exciting and meaningful to her, she wanted to have a more direct impact and chose to pursue education within a school context. Francesca most recently worked towards earning a Master of Education alongside a teaching credential at UC, San Diego in addition to earning a Math Concentration specialization alongside her coursework. She student-taught in three San Diego Elementary schools: Sherman, Ira Harbison, and Baker Elementary and absolutely loved the students and teachers she got the opportunity to work alongside. Her student-teaching taught her the foundational skills of being a student-centered, multicultural, and inquiry-based pedagogical teacher. She now teaches 5th grade at High Tech Elementary North County, a project-based learning school. In her free time, you can find her racing her track bike at the San Diego Velodrome, cooking the latest recipe, reading, hanging out with her 3 sisters, hiking, or skiing.