Shawna Comiskey – Half Day Two Year Olds (Head Teacher)

Shawna grew up in the San Joaquin Valley and studied Early Childhood Education. She began her career in education working as a Substitute teacher and became a Head teacher by the age of 19. Shawna lived in San Francisco for 10 years, working as a teacher and also spent time working as a nanny. Later, Shawna lived in the Netherlands, where she went to school to learn the Dutch language and about the Dutch culture. She spent two years working in a preschool in the Netherlands before moving back to the U.S. in 2005. Shawna received her Montessori certification through Fountainhead Montessori. Shawna also went back to DVC to take additional Early Childhood Education classes as well as three years of Sign Language. In 2010, she began teaching at DVMS as a long-term Substitute and is now the Buttercup Head Teacher (half day two-year-olds) and is an Assistant Teacher in the Daisy class. Shawna is currently living in Martinez with her husband and two cats. In her spare time, she loves doing crafts, cooking, and traveling with her husband.

Sophia Aliaga – Half Day Two Year Olds (Assistant Teacher)

Sophia received her B.S. from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2018. She first began working with children around that same time as a volunteer at a summer day camp. Sophia has three years of experience working in Special Education and has also worked with infants and toddlers at a local daycare/preschool. She is currently working toward earning her certificate in Early Childhood Education. In her free time Sophia can often be found pampering her cat, Xena. She also loves to travel whenever she has a chance and has traveled extensively both within the United States and abroad.

Zoe Gwizdak – Infant/Young Toddlers (Assistant Teacher)

Zoe Gwizdak is a Cal State East Bay graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development. Zoe has been working with young children for many years. Before joining the DVMS team in 2021, Zoe was a lead infant/toddler teacher as well as a gymnastics coach and tutor. In her free time she enjoys dance, art, and traveling.