Meet our Parent Ambassadors! Discover San Diego French-American School at a personal level by emailing our parent ambassadors about their experience at our school. They look forward to hearing from you!
Michelle AuBuchon
Language(s) Spoken: English
Grade Level(s): Preschool, Kindergarten
Michelle AuBuchon, Nate Heintzman, and their children Margaux (4) and Hugo (2) have been part of San Diego French American School (SDFAS) for three years. Despite being American, Michelle and Nate maintain a strong connection to French language and culture through their engagement at SDFAS, where Michelle also improves her proficiency during school events.
Margaux and Hugo enjoy their experience at SDFAS, enhancing their education and expanding the family’s community ties. Since moving from New York in 2016, Michelle highlights that SDFAS has fostered a deep sense of belonging within San Diego’s diverse international community. Michelle devotes lot of her time to caring for her two young children and volunteering at SDFAS, while Nate works for Dexcom.
Carlos Walther-Meade
Language(s) Spoken: English & Spanish
Grade Level(s): 3rd & 5th Grade
Carlos Walther-Meade is a Calibaja native, having spent his life living, studying and working on both sides of the US-Mexico border in San Diego/Tijuana. He is a graduate of Francis Parker School and The Art Institute of California, and currently works at General Atomics. His children, Carlitos and Viviana, currently in 5th and 3rd grade, have attended SDFAS since PK1. Carlos’s bilingual and binational upbringing was enhanced by his studies in French while in middle school as well as a couple of summers abroad.
Culture, communication and community have shaped Carlos’s time as a parent volunteer. He has been an active member of the Gala Committee 3 years in a row and is also active in humanitarian issues as a long-time supporter of This is About Humanity and the food-relief kitchen it funds, bringing SDFAS families to help feed vulnerable children and refugee families.
Angela Whiteside
Language(s) Spoken: English
Grade Level(s): 5th Grade
Angela Whiteside and Zac Cole are parents to rising 5th graders, Abibatu (11) and Stellan (10) Cole who have attended SDFAS since preschool. For the past 7 years, they have enjoyed participating at SDFAS events and supporting the excellent STEM programs and opportunities the school offers for students.
Angela and Zac are British and American, and live and work globally. While learning new languages in their adulthood, they realized the value of a bilingual, global education for Abi and Stellan. Both Abi and Stellan have some minor learning challenges, and the school is exceptionally supportive in defining individual learning plans and support. They enjoy school and have plenty of good friends.
Angela and Zac work in engineering consultancy and love being active members in the school community.
Marina Andina
Language(s) Spoken: English & French
Grade Level(s): 1st Grade
Marina Andina has been an active member of the San Diego French-American School (SDFAS) community since her son Matteo (1st) joined the school in PK0. As a dual citizen of the US and Switzerland, Marina is bilingual and was thrilled to discover SDFAS when she moved to San Diego in 2019. Interestingly, she herself attended the French-American School of New York before continuing her education at a boarding school in Switzerland. Marina holds degrees from Georgetown and Stanford, and she currently works at LPL Financial.
Matteo, an active child, has thrived at SDFAS thanks to the unwavering support of teachers and the administration. Marina deeply appreciates the fantastic community she has found at SDFAS and actively participates in various activities, including the Gala Committee, the Community Association, and serving as a frequent room parent.
Allison Simmons
Language(s) Spoken: English & French
Grade Level(s): 4th & 7th Grade
Allison Simmons (American) and Damien Tournound (French) are the parents of Clara (4th grade) and Oliver (7th grade) at San Diego French-American School. After moving to San Diego from France in 2018, they joined SDFAS in 2023, and quickly felt at home, often wishing they’d joined sooner.
Both work in the tech industry and have embraced roles in the school community. Allison volunteers with the Parent & Community Association, appreciating how parents collaborate with the school. Damien serves on the Board of Trustees and is excited about the school’s future.
As a family, they’re impressed with the thoughtful, intentional, bi-lingual curriculum and the dedication of the teachers, which has made a meaningful difference in Clara and Oliver’s learning experiences and growth.
Chrissie Houser
Language(s) Spoken: English
Grade Level(s): 1st & 3rd Grade
Jenne Weber
Language(s) Spoken: English
Grade Level(s): 1st & 2nd Grade
Cole Godvin
Language(s) Spoken: English & French
Grade Level(s): 3rd Grade
Cole is a devoted educator having taught art at numerous prestigious independent schools, currently teaching at Francis-Parker and was personally involved in the formation of a new high school in the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to becoming an educator, Cole’s career was in communications. Cole is mother to a 3rd grader at SDFAS, and studied in Paris for two years.
Tere Sekiguchi
Language(s) Spoken: English, Spanish, & Japanese
Grade Level(s): Alumni
Teresa Sekiguchi and Mauricio Ayala are parents of Seiji (SDFAS Class of 2018) and Emi (SDFAS Class of 2020). Both of them joined SDFAS in PK1 and graduated from Middle to continue high school at the Bishop’s School. Seiji is currently a student at the dual degree program at Columbia University and Sciences Po Paris, where he is pursuing a degree in Political Science. Emi is currently in Pennsylvania, where she is pursuing a degree in Bio Chemistry at Dickinson College while continuing her pre-professional ballet training at The Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.
Mauricio is from Mexico and Teresa is of Japanese descent, mirroring the cultural diversity prevalent at SDFAS. As parents they were involved in the Gala and the Annual Fund, volunteered as Room Parents, and Teresa served a 9 year tenure on the Board of Trustees. Coming from a multicultural background they appreciated most the open minded community and the value of a bilingual and global education. What makes SDFAS special to them is the close knit community between a wonderful faculty, families from all over the world, and an amazing administration.
Rita Feghali
Language(s) Spoken: French, Spanish, Arabic, & English
Grade Level(s): Alumni
My name is Rita Feghali, and I had two boys at SDFAS from PK0 to 8th grade, from 2008 to 2023. I’m Lebanese-French and moved to San Diego after my International Baccalaureate, attending UCSD and UCLA/Cedars. I now work as a Pediatric Hospitalist at Kaiser Permanente and Rady Children’s. My son Jimmy is a freshman at Cal Poly SLO, and Joe is a sophomore at Mission Bay High pursuing his IB diploma.
As a multilingual family, we speak French, Arabic, and Spanish. Education, culture, and community are my values. I’m the Chief of Pediatrics at Kaiser Permanente and serve on the boards of the Children’s Initiative and Alliance Française. At SDFAS, I was a room parent, led giving week, and continue to support the school. SDFAS provided our boys with a strong academic foundation, international perspective, and lasting friendships that have become like family to us
Anne Gold
Language(s) Spoken: English
Grade Level(s): 6th Grade
Anne and Jordan Gold are the parents to 6th grade student, Clara, who has attended SDFAS since the 2nd grade. Clara started her French education in kindergarten at the Lycée de Chicago before the family made the move in 2020 to San Diego. Now in middle school, Clara has thoroughly been enjoying the opportunities and sense of independence our middle school provides.
Anne and Jordan are both Americans and enjoy living in the Bird Rock community of La Jolla, a short commute to school. Jordan is currently on the Board of Trustees at SDFAS and Anne has been a committee member for school events and a room parent.
As a family, the Gold’s enjoy watching Liverpool football matches, walking their dog, spending time in the water and being with relatives and friends!
Tawnee Dinh
Language(s) Spoken: Vietnamese & English
Grade Level(s): Preschool & K
Tawnee Duong, David Duong, and their children Ellie (5), Simon (5) and Leon (2) have been part of San Diego French American School (SDFAS) for the past three years. David is an investor while Tawnee is a stay at home mom. As immigrants from Vietnam, David and Tawnee have a great fondness for the French language as its influence is still evident in Vietnamese society. They enjoy raising their three wonderful children, each bringing their own unique personality and charm into their lives.
Ellie and Simon are having the best time at SDFAS, immersing themselves in a unique blend of language learning, cultural activities, and engaging classroom experiences. Leon, being the youngest, has just recently joined SDFAS this year and he is adjusting very well. Tawnee has enjoyed volunteering as room parent to promote teacher-parent relationship, reinforcing a sense of community involvement.
Sophie Laudas Khanna
Language(s) Spoken: French, & English
Grade Level(s): 1st Grade
Stéphanie Labbé
Language(s) Spoken: French, Spanish & English
Grade Level(s): 7th Grade & Alumni
Sheila Rosenberg
Language(s) Spoken: English
Grade Level(s): Preschool
Sheila and Tyger are parents to Tyberius (PK1) and Tibault. Tyberius joined the toddler/PK0 class in 2023. We are trained as scientists, and enjoy learning languages. We appreciate the chance for Tyberius to learn French immersively and learn Spanish and be part of an internationally diverse community at SDFAS.
Sheila started studying French in middle school. She currently works on forecasting climate impacts on energy needs and has a background in neuroscience and statistics. Previously, she conducted research on play-based therapeutics for children experiencing challenges with social-emotional development and reading.
We have seen Tyberius develop joy and personal growth at SDFAS.
We value the relationships that our family is fortunate to be building with kind and friendly students, parents and staff. In our first year, our family enjoyed baking for the Gala and participating in international week class presentations.
