Our Teachers
Our teachers and support staff are all volunteers – each is a committed member of our church who has demonstrated a gift and a heart for children. Students from our Youth department also serve as interns for the small groups.
Michelle (Director of Joyland)
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Hometown |
Los Angeles, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Cooking, Jigsaw puzzles (I never have time for this any more...) |
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Favorite Food |
Spicy Korean rice cake |
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Likes |
To take a walk to the beach at sunset |
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Dislikes |
Running |
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Distinguishing Traits |
I laugh really loud and have strange looking right pinky toe |
Helen (Administrator)
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Hometown |
San Francisco, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Sewing, knitting, video editing, Photoshop, photography, reading, history |
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Favorite Food |
Korean |
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Likes |
Crafts, banana ice cream, an office supply store |
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Dislikes |
Eating something that will send me running for some kind of medicine (see Distinguishing Traits). |
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Distinguishing Traits |
Lots of allergies |
Joytown Teachers
Anna
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Hometown |
South Korea |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Knitting, reading, cooking, hiking, biking |
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Favorite Food |
A good cup of tea makes me happy. |
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Likes |
Being warm, |
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Dislikes |
Sashimi, being cold, |
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Distinguishing Traits |
I can bake 2 things WELL |
Sara
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Hometown |
Diamond Bar |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
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Favorite Food |
Korean, Japanese, Thai |
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Likes |
Nature, art, music, sweets |
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Dislikes |
Betrayal |
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Distinguishing Traits |
I have a 9 year old younger brother |
Sophia
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Hometown |
El Cerrito, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Swimming, |
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Favorite Food |
Cream puffs |
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Likes |
Cleanliness |
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Dislikes |
Uncleanliness |
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Distinguishing Traits |
I have a daughter (Ellen) who will be turning three and joining Joytown soon, she knows some Joytown songs already! |
Talisa
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Hometown |
New Orleans, LA |
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College |
University of Utah, City College of San Francisco |
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Hobbies |
Cooking, walking, singing, reading non-fiction, theater stuff (acting, lighting and other stage tech), homework, tennis |
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Favorite Food |
Korean, French, Japanese, Cajun/Creole, seafood, anything with lemongrass |
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Likes |
Flowers, trees, snow, snow fights, running away from snowballs, music, art, people, sharing, making people feel comfortable, justice, conversation with depth, trolleys, dogs, large bodies of water, large airports |
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Dislikes |
Meanness, pettiness, dishonesty, mosquitos, chocolate/cherry and chocolate /orange flavor combinations (they were NEVER meant to be together- gross!) |
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Distinguishing Traits |
Only teacher of African descent in Joyland, light southern drawl |
Taylor
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Hometown |
Taiwan |
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College |
Tsing-Hua University |
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Hobbies |
Volleyball, soccer |
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Favorite Food |
Noodles (thin and long), Burrito(big and chubby) |
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Likes |
Mountain hiking, studying |
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Dislikes |
I think I may be the only teacher who had military training before |
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Distinguishing Traits |
I think I may be the only teacher who had military training before |
Vicky
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Hometown |
Tanshui, Taiwan |
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College |
UC Davis |
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Hobbies |
Playing piano, hiking, enjoying nature |
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Favorite Food |
Asian |
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Likes |
Nature, warmth, sun |
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Dislikes |
Long nights during the winter |
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Distinguishing Traits |
Fluent in Chinese |
Kindergarten/1st Grade Teachers
Aelina
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Hometown |
Alameda, CA |
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College |
UC Davis |
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Hobbies |
Reading, singing, cooking, traveling |
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Favorite Food |
Kimchi stew and pho! |
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Likes |
Ocean, Bible, puppies, jazz, roller coaster, food, Joyland |
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Dislikes |
Spiders, traffic, messiness and laziness. |
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Distinguishing Traits |
Eh? |
Jenny
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Hometown |
Hacienda Heights, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Card making, reading, knitting, sewing, baking, Cal football |
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Favorite Food |
Korean, japanese and mexican |
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Likes |
Neat writing, marching bands, 80 degree weather (hey, I'm from LA!). |
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Dislikes |
Rain, cold and foggy days, cats, birds |
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Distinguishing Traits |
One of the few sisters at church who really likes college football, can be relied on to have craft supplies in my purse at all times (like scissors, glue stick, permanent markers). |
Jeremiah
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Hometown |
Cerritos, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Reading, sports |
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Favorite Food |
Sashimi, good soups, taiwanese xiao chi |
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Likes |
Trees, mountains, classical music, warming up when it's cold |
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Dislikes |
Boredom |
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Distinguishing Traits |
I sat for 5 minutes trying to think of a distinguishing trait but i couldn't think of one, so i guess that makes me lame |
Johnny
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Hometown |
Taiwan / Riverside, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Basketball (with passion), pretty much all sports, board/card games, cooking (sometimes) |
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Favorite Food |
Probably Taiwanese and Chinese food. Not very picky, food in large quantity is always welcomed. |
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Likes |
Hanging out, fellowship of eating, naps, sports |
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Dislikes |
Studying for tests, raining, reading things that I'm not interested in |
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Distinguishing Traits |
Legally blind, mentally allergic to seafood, I'm a FOB |
Stephen
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Hometown |
Alameda, CA |
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College |
I'm only in High School! |
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Hobbies |
Sports, reading, playing guitar |
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Favorite Food |
Almost anything Korean |
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Likes |
Summer, guitar, friends, sleep, Sierra House, snow, soccer, Joyland (of course!) |
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Dislikes |
Homework, tests, rain, cats, eggplant, being late |
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Distinguishing Traits |
I think I'm the youngest Joyland teacher |
2nd/3rd Grade Teachers
Daryl
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Hometown |
Folsom, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Mountain/Road Biking |
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Favorite Food |
Lasagna (extra cheesy, please) |
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Likes |
Food in general with minimal exceptions, |
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Dislikes |
Cauliflower, mayonnaise, drying dishes that have little cesspools of water sitting in them, gum |
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Distinguishing Traits |
Immune to brain freeze, |
James
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Hometown |
Seoul, Korea |
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College |
UC Berkeley, SFSU |
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Hobbies |
Jogging, checking Cal Football news |
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Favorite Food |
Spicy rice cake |
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Likes |
Sleeping, hanging out with my peers, home |
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Dislikes |
loud noise,waking up early morning, being called A-Chu-Si (an old and unattractive man in Korean). |
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Distinguishing Traits |
I have a heavy Korean accent. |
Jessica
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Hometown |
Jakarta, Indonesia |
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College |
Harvard |
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Hobbies |
Singing to myself |
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Favorite Food |
Nachos, french fries |
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Likes |
Playing games that involve lots of cheering or wild guessing, trying new foods, water sports. |
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Dislikes |
Cold weather |
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Distinguishing Traits |
Two dimples, an incredibly loud voice, and a nose that always turns red when it's cold outside. |
Lisa
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Hometown |
Sonora, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Biking, hiking |
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Favorite Food |
Pizza |
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Likes |
Kids, ice cream, |
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Dislikes |
Mosquitoes and spiders |
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Distinguishing Traits |
Distinguishing Traits |
4th Grade Teachers
Catherine
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Hometown |
Canton, Ohio |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Snowboarding, drawing, tennis, reading, running, hiking, going to the beach, cooking, baking, spending time with friends |
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Favorite Food |
Indian |
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Likes |
God! :), people, dogs, nature, green tea and mint chocolate chip ice cream, oceans, C.S. Lewis |
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Dislikes |
Bugs, bacon, feet, foul odors, being cold |
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Distinguishing Traits |
I like meeting people, it takes a lot of words in order for me to explain something |
Esther
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Hometown |
Orange, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Singing, swimming, spending time with my buddies =) |
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Favorite Food |
Sushi!! |
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Likes |
Cooking tasty food, the ocean, playing volleyball! |
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Dislikes |
Pickles! =P |
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Distinguishing Traits |
Rosy cheeks =D |
Grace
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Hometown |
Los Angeles, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Reading, eating, biking, taking long walks, scrapbooking, listening to music |
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Favorite Food |
Anything spicy |
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Likes |
Funny stories, warm weather, good food |
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Dislikes |
Rain, cats, public speaking |
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Distinguishing Traits |
My left hip joint clicks with each step I take |
Nelson
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Hometown |
Los Angeles, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Football, volleyball, snowboarding, frisbee, hiking, camping, photography, cooking, grilling, chillin with buddies |
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Favorite Food |
Steak, ribs, BBQ, kalbi tang, sushi, crustaceans, small oranges, my sister's chocolate chip banana bread ... too many to list |
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Likes |
Warm weather, clear skies, nature, sleep, food, long walks along the bea...yeah right! |
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Dislikes |
Rain, overcast skies, sitting still, waking up, memorizing stuff, traffic, cubicles |
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Distinguishing Traits |
Can impersonate all other Joyland teachers |
Sang
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Hometown |
South Korea; La Crescenta, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Basketball, learning magic tricks, board games, solving riddles |
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Favorite Food |
Korean, Japanese |
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Likes |
Cooking for friends, eating with friends, playing with friends. Ultimately, just being with friends |
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Dislikes |
Awkwardness, Mint chocolate (I do not understand why people mix those two) |
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Distinguishing Traits |
I can sleep anytime, anywhere, in any position (but not in Joyland :)) |
Tommy
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Hometown |
Cerritos, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Basketball, snowboarding, eating |
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Favorite Food |
Steak, Chinese food |
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Likes |
Swishes, crossovers, good food, classical music, jazz |
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Dislikes |
Dirty socks, rain that falls an angle such that you inevitably get wet, wet socks |
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Distinguishing Traits |
Funny laugh (tell me a good joke!) |
Vanessa
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Hometown |
East Los Angeles, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Cleaning, taking walks, enjoying nature |
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Favorite Food |
Mexican Food -yummy! |
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Likes |
I really like to sing and be around friends. I enjoy cooking for other people and having people over at my house to hang out or simply hang out with people to do random errands. One thing I really like is to go grocery shopping =). |
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Dislikes |
I really dislike being stuck in traffic....it's such a waste of time. |
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Distinguishing Traits |
I can speak Spanish (or Spanglish =)) |
5th/6th Grade Teachers
Jackie
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Hometown |
San Francisco, CA |
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College |
UC Davis |
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Hobbies |
Running/jogging, reading |
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Favorite Food |
Indian |
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Likes |
Nature, hiking, animals, schedules, starchy foods (bread, pasta, potatoes) and vegetables! |
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Dislikes |
Mayonnaise, raw fish, and tardiness |
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Distinguishing Traits |
Pseudo-vegetarian (I don?t eat meat but will eat food cooked with meat); known to be a picky eater |
Kosit
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Hometown |
Long Beach, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Juggling, eating, writing |
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Favorite Food |
Thai curry (red) |
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Likes |
Superheroes, math, tennis, meat |
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Dislikes |
Supervillains, late nights mixed with early mornings |
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Distinguishing Traits |
I always smile, I look like a nice guy, I'm Thai, I juggle |
Laura
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Hometown |
Livermore, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Playing the piano, board games, chatting with friends |
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Favorite Food |
Freshly baked bread |
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Likes |
Ice cream, silly jokes, learning languages (Spanish, Chinese, English, and one day maybe others!), warm sunny days |
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Dislikes |
Tomatoes and cold weather |
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Distinguishing Traits |
I love math! |
Tracy
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Hometown |
Diamond Bar, CA |
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College |
UC Berkeley |
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Hobbies |
Reading, hip hop aerobics, soccer, cooking fancy food (by following directions, not by skill), socializing. |
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Favorite Food |
Tom Yum Soup, pho, soon tofu chi gae, Chicken curry, chicken masala, beef stroganoff, steak |
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Likes |
Sleep |
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Dislikes |
Alarm clocks |
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Distinguishing Traits |
I'm half Indian and half European, when I'm around kids I'm often very hyper, braces, I have difficulty being on time. |
