Teachers & Staff

Director Stefani Erst was born in Orange County, California. Stefani started college at Point Loma Nazarene University, then transferred to Arizona State. She spent the past nine years in Arizona attending college and starting a career and family. Working with young children has been a lifelong desire. Working with several church based preschools in Arizona, her most recent position was Assistant Director, Curriculum Trainer and Curriculum Writer for a corporate preschool called Tutor Time in Arizona. God has called her and her family to Bethel where she is committed to bringing our preschool to the next level and helping to develop our children in body, mind and spirit.

Sonia Fleck: Lead Teacher Teenzy Turtles
Sonia is a new teacher at Bethel. She is originally from Columbia, where she studied Early Childhood Education and received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees. She has a son about to enter seventh grade. Sonia’s experience extends from teaching three year olds how to read and write to teaching toddlers how to sit and participate in a circle time for thirty minutes. She is extremely dedicated to each child’s development in her class. Sonia has over 13 years experience as a preschool teacher.

Annie Coria: Lead Teacher Busy Bees
Annie was born Los Angeles, but raised and still resides in Burbank, Ca. She joined us in the spring of 2010 as a Wise Owl assistant teacher, moving over to the Busy Bees shortly after to replace Teacher Erica who left on maternity leave. Her family ran an in-home daycare for several years. Annie has also taught in other church preschools and been an acting Director in preschools. With over twenty years of experience, she has come to Bethel to make this her home. Annie is pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree.

Debbie Van Ausdal: Lead Teacher Friendly Fireflies
Native of Los Angeles. Debbie’s career working with young children began shortly after her marriage over 35 years ago. Teaching at Sunshine Nursery School in Sunland/Tujunga area began a 30 year relationship as Lead Teacher working with all age groups, 2 to 5 years old and specializing in the last few years as the Pre-K teacher. Debbie did her course work in Early Childhood Education at Glendale College.

Carrie Hauenstein-Griffith: Lead Teacher Wise Owls
Carrie is from Central Coast California. Carrie’s experience with young children began with the influence of her mother’s home childcare center. Carrie began her Child Development studies in the Community College of Cuesta and came to the San Fernando Valley to complete her BA degree in Child Development at CSUN in 2007. Carrie started her teaching career in Morro Bay working with 2 year olds and began as the Pre-K teacher at Bethel in September 2005.

TEACHER ASSISTANTS

Heather Comer was born in Orange County. She spent her formative years in Iowa and Boston, Mass. She has two Bachelors Degrees from Salem State University, one in Education and another in Sociology, and a minor in Youth Ministry. Heather loves children and has worked in many different educational settings including an after school program in Reseda, Ca., children’s home in Orange County, in elementary schools, preschools and other churches. She is a Friendly Firefly teacher and loves working with the three year old creative mind.

Brittany Brown was born in Tarzana, Ca. She attended Bethel Preschool and Elementary and is currently attending Pierce College. She is working toward a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education. Brittany has worked with younger children since early adolescence. She has a deep love of children and their educational and creative process. Brittany was one of our afternoon teachers, and now teaches full time in our new Teenzy Turtles classroom.

Starnell Taylor: is an early childhood education student at Pierce College. She has worked in multiple preschools both in-home and private. She loves working with children and sees preschool education as essential in the development of children. Tiffany loves being creative and is passionate about education. She is part of our afternoon team alongside Brittany. The two of them love working together and make a remarkable afternoon staff, full of energy and creativity.

Erica Enciso: (On maternity leave until September) Erica was born in Panarama Cty and has lived in the valley most of her life. She is a mother of two wonderful children. Erica has her LVN from Concord and her child development degree from LA Valley College. She absolutely loves children. Erica teaches with our Busy Bees.

Candice Burgess: Candice was born in Santa Monica and has lived in the valley the majority of her life. She has a BA in psychology from Bowie State University in Maryland. Candice has worked with us over her summer breaks for the last two years and we were lucky to get her on staff following her graduation last spring. She is a teacher in our Wise Owl Classroom.