Mariel grew up in Riverside, running for JW North High School and later UC Berkeley, where she studied public health and focused on cross country while also competing in track events from the 1500 to the 5k. Her proudest high school moment was finishing as the Division 2 cross country state runner-up her senior year. After a few years in Los Angeles, she returned to Cal to earn master’s degrees in public health and public policy, volunteering as a cross country coach during graduate school. These days, she still enjoys running, spending time with her dog and cat, and getting lost in a good novel—with hopes of tackling another marathon someday.

Hello! I’m Bernie, and this will be my first year helping coach the cross country team. I was born and raised in Moraga and ran cross country for Campolindo High School and then the University of San Francisco. I’m now an ICU nurse at John Muir Medical Center, and before that, I worked at UCSF and Mass General Hospital in Boston. I have three children who attend Parkmead Elementary School. I’m so excited to be helping out this year!