Spanish Primary III Teachers

Sara Sangco was born and raised in the Philippines, and traveled often growing up. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree from the Ateneo de Manila University, majoring in English Literature and Communications. She also holds two Minors in Philosophy and Creative Writing, and worked as a freelance writer and Elementary English teacher before moving to San Diego in 2005 to pursue her AMI Primary training. She was drawn to the method because of her experience in a Montessori High School, and fell in love with TRIS during her visit in 2006. She has worked here ever since. In 2008, she completed her M.Ed in Montessori Education from the Loyola University in Maryland. Since then, she and her husband have welcomed three children, all of whom attend TRIS. In her spare time, Sara enjoys cooking, sneaking vegetables into her children’s food, reading, travelling, and swimming.

Paula Ruiz was born in Colombia. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Bacteriology and Clinical Laboratory from Colegio Mayor de Antioquia, and a Masters degree in Occupational Health from Universidad CES. She came to the United States in 2007, and was drawn to The Renaissance International School's trilingual immersion program. She started teaching in 2008, incorporating her background in the Sciences with her work in the classroom. In 2012, she pursued her Montessori certification. Paula likes to read, knit, and travel in her spare time.

Maritza Hurtado was born in Oakland, California. In 2006, she went to Mexico and El Salvador to work with underprivileged children. This spurred her interest in education, and she went on to pursue her Early Childhood Education units from the Montessori Teacher Education Center, San Francisco Bay Area. She is also working towards her Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology. She came to TRIS in 2014, and currently works as a Spanish-speaking assistant.  In her spare time, Maritza enjoys reading, photography, and music.