Staff
Ms. Sarah
Director
I am originally from the East Coast but have lived in California most of my adult life. I live in Arroyo Grande with my husband and 16 year old daughter Brooklyn. I also have an almost 21 year old daughter named Jade, that lives in SLO. We are a close family and enjoy going to community events and cooking together.
For hobbies I enjoy crafting; when I have the time😊 I also enjoy trying new recipes and riding my electric bike! My favorite place in the world is Hawaii, specifically Hahuku Farms in HI! I’ve only been to Hawaii once, but it was life changing! And close seconds are Bass Lake and Lake Tahoe!
I have 25 years’ experience working with children. I was a nanny in high school. Then an elementary special education assistant for two years before becoming a pre-k teacher at a private Christian Preschool for 15 years. I have now been the Director of Trust Children’s Center for almost 12 years!
Ms. Jessica
Assistant Director
Hello! My name is Jessica De La Cruz. I was born and raised on the Central Coast. I currently live in Santa Maria with my husband Blas. We have a dog named Dex. I enjoy listening to podcasts, hiking, spending time with friends and family, and cooking.
I have over 19 years of experience working with children ranging from infants to high school students. My positions ranged from instructional assistant, after-school program leader, Spanish teacher, and preschool teacher.
Ms. Carissa
Lead Preschool Teacher
I was born and raised on the Central Coast and went to Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. I am married to my husband, Jeremy, and we live in Nipomo. My hobbies are wine tasting, playing games with friends, and spending time with my family. I have a son who is 3 years old and I am expecting another son, due Feb 2024. I have a cat named Duddy, he is 13 years old. My favorite place in the world is still probably being home, there’s just no place like home. My favorite place that I have traveled to was Mozambique on an island called Benguerra Island.
My experience with child care has been working at preschools for over 15 years, as well as attending Cal Poly and receiving a bachelor’s in child development. I was a nanny for a few years and have been a preschool teacher ever since. I have worked at TCC for almost 5 years. I love working with children because I learn more about them each and every day, as well as more about myself.
Ms. Yurie
Lead Infant/ Toddler Teacher
Hello, my name is Yurie. I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, and moved to California in 2016. I am married to my husband, Cory, and we have a 2-year-old daughter, Evelyn, and a wire-haired miniature dachshund, Cooper. In my free time, I enjoy watching movies and K-dramas, going to local cafes, and going out to eat with my family. Cory, Evey, and I like watching Formula 1 racing and hope to go see the Japanese Grand Prix someday.
My experience with working with children started when I was working as a PE teacher in junior high and high school in Japan after I graduated from a Japanese university. I have also worked as a sports club coach to teach gymnastics, swimming, and soccer to 2 to 12-year-old children in Japan.
When I moved to San Luis Obispo, I started taking Early Childhood Education classes at Cuesta and working at TCC as a preschool assistant in 2018. I graduated from Cuesta with an AA in Early Childhood Education in 2020. Then after I had Evey, I came back as a full-time Infant Toddler teacher. Now I have been working at TCC for over 5 years!
Ms. Dominique
Preschool Teacher
I was born and raised in Riverside, CA. I applied to Cal Poly as a joke with my friends and it turned out to be the best decision I ever made. I now live in San Luis Obispo and absolutely love it. In my free time I enjoy spending time with friends, going on adventures, and being an aunt to my roommate's very needy cat and dabbling with coding and web development.
I graduated from Cal Poly with a Bachelors in Child Development and minors in Math and Psychology in 2016. All throughout my undergrad, I worked at Cal Poly ASI Children's Center.
Ms. Sara A
Infant/ Toddler Teacher
I have one sister and no pets (but someday want a dog). I recently (fall 2021) moved to San Luis Obispo from central California. Hobbies I enjoy mostly include writing (and mailing) letters and reading books. My secret talents (that are not so secret now!) include being thoughtful and knowing basic American Sign Language.
My experience with child care started when I was a child in 4-H and started to lead projects for the younger members. I continued this interest by babysitting occasionally. I studied Child Development and Early Childhood Education at community college and university. I have had long term in person student teaching experiences in 3 different childcare centers working with preschool age children. At Stanislaus State University (where I earned my BA in Child Development), I often volunteered my time in the child development center infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms. As a part of an Infant and Toddler Growth and Development lab class, I also worked closely with a parent and infant to do assessments of the child’s growth, development, and learning. Then I provided the parent with feedback and collaborated with them to plan activities they could do at home to further support the infant’s development. I am excited to continue to learn and grow in my experience here as a teacher at TCC!
Ms. Erika
Infant/ Toddler Teacher
Hi, my name is Erika Campos I was born in Mexico and moved to the central coast when I was seven years old. I grew up in Oceano Nipomo and I currently live in Santa Maria. I have been living on the central coast for thirty years. I have two children, my daughter Jackie who is 16 years old, and my son Christian who is 15 years old. I enjoy spending time with my children and family, taking them to their soccer games and soccer tournaments, hiking, going shopping, visiting LA, eating food, and going to the gym.
I have been working with infants and toddlers and preschool children for twelve years and completed my associate's and bachelor's degrees in early childhood education.
Ms. Rebecca
Preschool Teacher
Hi! My name is Rebecca Slocum, and I am very excited to be one of your child’s teachers. I look forward to getting to know your family and being a part of your child/children’s growth and development while they are at TCC. I have been working in the field of Early Childhood Education since 1999. I am a graduate of the local colleges and online programs as well. In my career as a teacher, I have worked with infants, toddlers, preschool, Pre-K and TK children. I have also worked as a staff representative, substitute director, and mentor teacher for Cuesta College.
I am a native of the Central Coast born and raised in this community. I am married, have 3 grown children and 2 grandchildren. My hobbies include reading, watching documentaries about ancient civilizations, and creating new and interesting curriculum to present to the children I work with. I have found it so rewarding to be able to work and give back to the community that I love so much.
My philosophy about teaching could be called eclectic. This means I have taken what I have learned about the different ideas/theories of Child Development and worked to blend them together.
I am looking forward to meeting your family and working together to make these early years full of fun, learning, and personal growth for your child!
Ms. Zoe
Preschool Teacher
I am originally from Orange County, CA but I moved to Arroyo Grande in February of 2023 since my family was moving here as well. I have an Australian Cattle Dog named Gia who I love to take to the beach and on walks around my family’s property. I also enjoy spending time with friends and family, traveling, and baking! Being from Orange County, one of my favorite places in the world is Disneyland.
Trust Automation has always had a special place in my heart since my grandma used to work there for many years before she passed. In high school, I was given the opportunity to volunteer in a TK classroom and knew right away that I wanted to work with young children. I have 3 years of experience working in an early childcare center and I received my Bachelor's degree in Child Development from Cal State Fullerton in 2021. I’m so excited to be a part of TCC!
Ms. Katie
Infant/ Toddler Teacher
I am a proud mother of a thriving 16-year-old son, Caleb. We currently live in SLO. I enjoy fishing, painting, bingo, camping, sunsets, billiards, and scary movies. I am a cat mom lol, nothing beats my Lulu snuggles! I am learning how to paint through classes and feel like I’m becoming pretty good.
I have been caring for children since I was in high school. Serving families has been a passion of mine since then. When I graduated high school, I took a job working in a daycare center for a gym and liked it so much that I decided I wanted to make it a career. I decided to pursue an education in the Early education field and became a preschool teacher soon after. I have taught for 15 years working with infants through grade school. If I were a crayon I would be called eggplant. It’s my happy color! Favorite desserts and snacks are ALL THE CARBS! ha-ha. I have a soft spot specifically for peanut butter cups. If I could be an animal I would be my cat, Lulu, she is so spoiled, she has quite the life.
What inspires me? Single moms who struggle but still come out on top! It’s a hard job but obviously worthwhile. A cool thing I’m working on is improving my billiard skills. I’ve joined a professional league and have started out as a low-level player and hope to reach level 3 soon! I was recently promoted to captain and being responsible for the team is so much fun.
Ms. Dawn
Teacher Assistant
Hi my name is Ms. Dawn and I'm back! I worked at TCC in the Infant/ Toddler room for almost three years and left last year to semi-retire after 25 years of experience in teaching at various preschools. I am married to my husband Wes of 37 years. I have 1 son Tyler. I started teaching when he was three and continued to teach as he grew and became an adult! My son had a wonderful learning and growing experience in preschool, and that's when I knew that I wanted to continue to teach! I wanted to be able to teach and help children to grow in their beginning and learning years. I am still enjoying my time with my family and doing a lot of traveling. I also enjoy hiking, volunteering at our church, playing with my dog Sophie, and Zumba Dance! I am looking forward to seeing the children and their families and meeting new faces!
Ms. Natalie
Teacher Assistant
I have a mom, dad, and older 25-year-old sister who lives in San Francisco. However, the most loved member of my family is my little fluffer doggy Louie. Just kidding :) I grew up in Danville, CA which is located in the Bay Area. I currently live in San Luis Obispo since I attend Cal Poly. I live in a cute little house a 10-minute walk from campus with four other girls. I am currently a third year and am a member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority. My hobbies include playing tennis, being an avid reader, and spending time outdoors. My favorite place in the world is Hawaii, I used to go to Maui every year until I was 13 and have many fond memories there. I love going to the beach and hiking. A secret talent of mine is I know all the words to every Taylor Swift song. You could call me a Swiftie fan.
I have loved working with children for as long as I can remember. I started babysitting in high school and fell in love with child care. Then I started teaching tennis to young ones and teaching Special Olympics. I realized how fulfilling and rewarding it is to build these connections. In college, I decided I wanted to gain experience in a daycare and worked at Little Sprouts Learning Center. This position encouraged me to minor in Child Development to further my education since I am so passionate about children's learning and communication. This summer, I worked at a Pre K as a teacher assistant which was a great experience since I led many activities focused on teamwork and creativity.
Ms. Hanna
Teacher Assistant
Hi friends, I’m Miss Hanna! I am an assistant/substitute here at TCC. I am a SLO native - I’ve lived all over the country for school and work, but SLO is home. My parents are still local, and I have 3 sisters spread up the West Coast. I am a NICU nurse at our local hospital, so you may not see me all the time, but I spend as much time at TCC as I can!
I started my teaching experience with the Tiny Tigers program at SLO High, then worked as a preschool assistant and nanny all through college. I started at TCC when the pandemic started in 2020 and have loved getting to see our kids grow and learn about the world around them.
Mr. Julian
Teacher Assistant
I live in Nipomo California and I have 3 siblings, two older brothers and one younger sister. I love watching and playing sports, acting, and music. I don’t have a favorite music genre so I am open to all types :) I have one younger sister and 8 younger cousins that I’ve had experienced taking care of for as long as I can remember, I have also worked with other kids during community service opportunities for the Nipomo High School football organization by going to different elementary schools in Nipomo and teaching the kids how to play as well as giving them a great time. I have also performed a team musical for the Nipomo Theater Company for elementary school kids all over Nipomo.
