Get to know our wonderful staff at Willow Glen!

  • Maria Socorro P. Jacalne - Director

    My name is Maria Socorro P. Jacalne. I am a very active mother of three wonderful children.

    I am a Montessori trained teacher. I took my classes at Montessori Teacher Education Center at San Francisco Bay Area. I hold a Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education from Tarlac State University, Philippines. And I also have Supervision and Administration Units from California College of Education.

    After spending over 16 years teaching in a Montessori classroom, I am excited to expand my role as the Director at Empire Montessori Preschool, together with a team of amazing and creative teachers. I am committed to help and guide children to achieve their full potentials and to provide your family with a loving and developmentally sound foundation for a lifetime of learning. Thank you for choosing Empire Montessori Preschool to be a part of your child’s Early Childhood Education.

  • I-Ling Mayo - Head Preschool Teacher

    My name is I-Ling Mayo and I am proud to call Empire Montessori my new home. I have been teaching children in the preschool environment for 16 years. I have been trained in Early Child Development and I am a certified Montessori Teacher. I have always enjoyed helping others learn and grow. I knew at a young age that teaching was a passion. I place great value on the importance of early learning.

    I am a proud mother of 2 teenagers, Jonathan and Jeanette, and a dedicated wife to my husband Fred for the past 22 years.

    I am a dedicated Warriors fan and enjo spending time with the family bunny rabbit, “Cinnabun”.

  • Rosabelita De Leon - Head Toddler Teacher

    My name is Rosabelita De Leon, born and raised in the Philippines. I graduated with a Bachelor of Elementary Education in the University of San Jose Recoletos. I am a certified AMS Montessori Teacher. I earned my Master’s degree in Early childhood education in 1992. I’ve been working in Montessori classrooms since 1994. I worked at Cebu Institute of Technology, Cebu Philippines prior to migrating here in the United States. My first teaching job here was at Little Angels Montessori located at Santa Clara CA, transferred to Appleseed Montessori (Sunnyvale, CA) for 10 years and lastly in Little Flowers Montessori (Milpitas, CA).

  • Hien Nguyen - Assistant Preschool Teacher

    Hi! It’s my great pleasure to introduce myself to you. My name is Hien Nguyen. I was born in Vietnam. I studied at Economic University in Ho Chi Minh City with an emphasis in accounting. I came to America in 2006, and continued to pursue an accountant degree. In 2011, I worked at a preschool in Milpitas as an assistant preschool teacher. I worked with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. I enjoyed playing and learning with them. I am very passionate about contributing to and nurturing children’s individuality. After this experience, I decided to change my career to Child Development. Taking care of children is one of the most important jobs. I worked at Family Day Care in Milpitas five years and Montessori School in Sunnyvale 2 and half years.

    I have expressed and demonstrated dedication and desire for continuous learning and advancement as an Early Childhood Educator. I completed 39 units of ECE. And now I am pursuing a BS degree in Early Childhood Education. I feel fortunate to work with teachers at Empire Montessori School who are committed to promoting what is best for children; our best resource and our future.

    In my spare time, I like spending time with my little girl, traveling, fishing, watching movies and comedy at night.

  • Anh Nuynh - Assistant Toddler Teacher

    Hello everyone. My name is Ms. Anh Huynh. I have been working at day care centers for more than 25 years. I was an assistant teacher at San Jose School District from 1989 to 1999. I have been working at Empire Montessori Preschool Downtown as a Toddler teacher for 5 years. I am very excited to be transferred to our Willow Glen Site to continue my passion for teaching young children. I earned an A.S. Degree at San Mateo College in 1986. I received my credentials and permit to teach from Commission Teacher Credential of State of California.

    In my free time, I love reading books, listening to music, making art, and taking care of my family. I am an active member of our Buddhist Church and I enjoy participating with charity works.

  • Anastasia Artymiak - Preschool Assistant Teacher

    Coming soon!