Yarelli Martinez
MC CDC Program Director

Yarelli Martinez was born and raised in Mexico; she has been in the field of Child Development for over 23 years. During her career, she has worked with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children. Yarelli takes pride in mentoring teachers and supporting parents as they nurture their children's growth and development.

Tilottama Roy Chowdhury
Child Development Specialist

Tilottama (Tilo) speaks five different languages fluently and enjoys trying out tongue twisters in different languages. She holds a master’s degree in microbiology and an MBA. Originally from Mumbai, Tilo previously worked in a private bank but later found her passion in the Early Childhood Education sector.

Tricia Darrell
Program Specialist

Tricia spent the last 28 years of her life working with underprivileged children and families. She is passionate about equity and believes that every human being deserves a fair chance at a prosperous life. Tricia is dedicated to creating programs that support children and families in achieving success.

Celeste Falcon
Child Development Specialist

Andrea Gonzalez
Senior Child Development Specialist

Andrea is a Bay Area native with years of experience in the Early Education field. She takes great joy in facilitating and observing children as they learn, grow, and explore the world. In addition to her work with young children, Andrea enjoys facilitating a learning environment for future early education teachers, helping inspire the next generation of educators.

Irina Gonzalez
Senior Child Development Specialist

Irina's interest in becoming an Early Childhood Educator began when she was 16 years old and her brother was born. Watching him grow into an amazing human being and develop wonder, imagination, and creativity during play inspired her to study Child Development. Irina is committed to fostering similar experiences for children and their families.

Tiffany Markum
Senior Child Development Specialist

Tiffany Markum has 20 years of experience in child development, 14 of which included operating an in-home daycare. She obtained her Associate’s degree in Child Development, from Mission College in 2024. She holds certificates as an Early Intervention Assistant, Associate Teacher, and a Master Teacher.

Shuchi Nangia
Senior Child Development Specialist

Shuchi has been working in Mission College Child Development Center from 2011-2019 as a student worker and has been a senior specialist since 2019. She works with the 3-to-4-year-old age group and mentors Child Development practicum students, helping them gain real-world experience in early education.

Phuong Phan
Senior Child Development Specialist

Phuong is a Vietnamese immigrant. She relocated to San Jose in 1997. She has two grown-up kids and enjoys watching children grow and thrive every day. Phuong admires how children always look at people as human beings without any judgment and finds joy in nurturing their development.

Lucille Santana
Office Coordinator

Lucille has served in the Early Childhood Education field for over 30 years, first as a teacher in the classroom for 2–6-year-old children, and in recently years as an administrator at a local private school. She joined the MC Child Development Center Lab in August 2023.

Thien Smith
Food Technician (CDC)

Thien Smith holds an AS in Hospitality Management, Mission College.

Karina Valencia
Senior Child Development Specialist

Karina Valencia discovered her love for working with children while volunteering at an after-school program. She’s currently a Senior Specialist at Mission College Child Development Center and has been part of the Mission community for over 20 years.

Destiny Walker
Senior Child Development Specialist

Destiny has been a part of the Early Childhood Education field since 2008. As a child, Destiny knew she wanted to work with children. Her experience with kind, caring, and energetic teachers who made learning fun inspired her to do the same for others. Destiny is passionate about fostering creativity and curiosity in children.

Yuqing Wang
Classroom Specialist

Yuqing has a strong background in child development and is passionate about helping young children grow, learn, and thrive. She holds an Associate’s degree in Child Development from Mission College and is an advocate for early education programs.