Inner Explorer Educator Advisory Council

Julie Castillo is in her seventh year of education. She has taught a mental health pathway for Colton Redlands Yucaipa ROP and currently teaches at Redlands East Valley High School in Redlands, CA. She came from the mental health counseling industry from a private hospital in Riverside, CA. Julie has a master of science in industrial organizational psychology. Her personal emphasis is on employee satisfaction and employee wellness. She is a self-published author and an advisor on her campus for the Mental Health Awareness Club (NAMI affiliated). She serves multiple groups related to student and educator wellness. Julie has a lifelong goal to make mental health and wellness a top priority for all children and adults.

Sheila Hanson-Fazzolari has been a third-grade teacher in Boston Public Schools for the past 23 years. She has taught in bilingual, Sheltered English Immersion as well as in regular education classrooms. Sheila holds a National Board Certification in Generalist/Early Childhood, a master of arts in Spanish, and a bachelor of arts in bilingual/bicultural education and elementary education. Sheila has found many ways to integrate mindfulness into her teaching practice throughout her professional career. Incorporating mindfulness into the classroom has been instrumental in the positive social emotional growth and overall well-being of her students.

Meghann Seril is in her 16th year as a third-grade teacher in the Mandarin Immersion program at Broadway Elementary in Venice, CA. She holds National Board Certification in the area of middle childhood generalist. Meghann earned her teaching credential and master's in teaching from the University of Southern California. She was recognized as a 2022 Los Angeles County Teacher of the Year. When Meghann is not in the classroom, she enjoys baking, traveling, and listening to podcasts.

Nicole Bahrenburg is in her 14th year with the Burlington Vermont school district where she teaches third grade. She holds an undergraduate degree in elementary education and an MA in curriculum and instruction from the University of New England. In addition, she is a Yoga4Classrooms and Childlight Yoga certified teacher. She believes wholeheartedly in bringing mindfulness and social emotional learning into the classroom and feels passionately about providing children with these skills so that they may best access their education. When Nicole isn’t teaching, you may find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her husband and two children.

Maria Lopez is a fourth-grade teacher of math/science/health in the Dual Immersion Program (Spanish) at Kilpatrick Elementary School in Jonesboro, GA. She holds a bachelor of science degree in engineering from UNEXPO in Venezuela and when she moved to the U.S., she became passionate about teaching elementary students and started her new journey to obtain a teaching certification. In the classroom, she finds that mindful awareness is an excellent resource to help students smoothly transition between subjects, and it helps to reduce stress and misbehavior since it teaches students to recognize and regulate their emotions. Maria is married to a teacher as well, they have two children and a dog. She enjoys spending time with them taking road trips.

Marc Zendejas has nearly a decade of teaching experience working in the United States, Mexico, China, and South Korea. He has taught subjects ranging from English as a second language and English language arts, to history and his current role in middle school science and as an at-risk interventionist. Marc’s passion for mindfulness, particularly focusing on the importance of controlled breathing and body scans, has driven him to integrate these practices into his daily teaching. He holds a bachelor of science in international education, a master of arts in secondary education, and he’s currently working on an education specialization in curriculum and leadership and hopes to complete a doctorate. His favorite pastimes are spending time in nature with loved ones, eating spicy noodles, and playing music.