Meet the Team

Tiger Club,

As I reflect on my journey at Coleman Elementary’s After School Programs, from being a Program Leader my first year in 2020, to being the Program Coordinator for the past 3 years, it has been a true honor, privilege and pleasure to work with our students. As someone who also grew up in the after school environment my entire school career (elementary, middle and high school), being able to offer a safe, supportive and fun environment is a mission I will try to uphold wherever I am. I believe that whether our students have to be in the program because of family needs or not, our goal at Tiger Club is to get our students to want to be there; to love being there. We are constantly working on different ideas and plans as a team to ensure we keep to our core values and missions: keep the kids safe & supported, be consistent, be the trusted adult they need and look for (and have all the fun while you are doing it!). If you made it this far and want to know some fun things, students will tell you I love kitty cats, singing, dancing and Sol Food. What students won’t tell you: I love them more than they’ll ever know, I don’t truly enjoy meals unless they’re spicy, and if I can find a way to get in the water and swim, I will. 

Thank you Tiger Club Families for being here with us,

Natasha Pankaew

Tiger Club Coordinator

Hello Tiger Club!

My name is Emma Abrahamson, I am the assistant coordinator for Tiger Club at Coleman Elementary. I am thrilled to be working at Tiger Club for a second year. I'm currently the leader of the 4th and 5th grade Silver Tiger Tribe (soon you’ll get to meet the permanent Silver Tiger Tribe Leader). I grew up in Marin and later went on to college at Sacramento State where I earned my degree in social work. I have worked with all ages of students ranging from high school to preschool, in both after school and counseling aspects. I am very passionate about our community here at Coleman and am so excited to see familiar faces, and so happy to meet all my new friends as well. When I am not at Coleman I enjoy spending time with my family, going out to fun dinners, and of course I’m guilty of enjoying a good tv show. I am so excited to enjoy this year with all of our students and families and to spread the Tiger Pride! 

Hello Tiger Club! 

My name is Laura Calixtro, this is my first year working at Coleman Elementary School with TK students (Black Tiger Tribe). I have previously worked at Bahia Vista with kinder through fifth grade students and am excited for all the new adventures, learning experiences and connections that will be made with all Tiger club students and families at Coleman. With nostalgia I am proud to say I am a Coleman alumna 2007 and happy to bring back the same joy and energy I experienced as a Tiger. My favorite projects are working with students to build and create objects using clay. You will catch us from making pizzas to lanterns that will create a memory to keep for years to come. 

Thank you!

Hiiii! 

My name is Misli Mendes, I speak English and Spanish. I’m a Coleman alumni, so I have a very strong connection to the campus and teachers here. A strong memory I have of the Coleman campus is reading a book one morning with my head down, walking to my class and then hitting my head on one of the many poles here. I'm the Orange Tiger Tribe Leader, which consists of 1st and 2nd graders. I'm currently taking early childhood development classes to become a pre-k teacher. I love working with children, because it’s like learning something new everyday with their imagination. Some things I like to do for fun are trying new foods, taking naps, and reading. My favorite food is crab cheese wontons(if anyone wants to make me some).  I hope to build loving relationships with as many students as I can. 

My name is Geimi Gramajo and I’m the leader of the Purple Tiger Tribe (2nd Grade). My pronouns are she/her and I am Hispanic. It’s my third year at Tiger Club, working with all grades tk-5th grade. Some fun facts about me are that I’m from Los Angeles, I play soccer and I love Starbucks. Some of my favorite hobbies are hiking with my husky and spending time with the kids. My goal for this year is making a safe and fun environment for the kids. My favorite part of my work is doing science and art projects.

Hi hello!! My name is Natalin Diaz and this is my second year working at Tiger Club. I have had the privilege to live here in San Rafael my whole life. I attended San Rafael High School and graduated as the class of 2022. I am currently in my 3rd year at College of Marin studying Early Childhood Education looking to be a future educator. I am currently the Leader of the 3rd Grade Green Tiger Tribe and it is my favorite thing in the world. All kids that I interact with have made a spot in my heart that makes everyday working with them be my favorite part of my day. In my time in Tiger Club, my favorite thing so far has been taking the time and joining in their recess activities, like soccer, wall ball, and football, showing me how far these kids have come and it’s no longer easy to win. Majority of my time is spent here mentally and physically and it is an honor to serve these kids, giving them all my time and effort and providing them with nothing less. 

Hi everyone my name is Giovanny Hernandez, I go by Mr. Gio and I am a senior at San Rafael High School. I’ve been a part of the BACR after school program from Laurel Dell to Davidson Middle School, throughout that time I enjoyed the help the program gave me and the fun activities I did. I decided to give back to my community and support the programs that helped me. I began my BACR job journey through volunteering at Davidson then youth leader role last summer and ultimately working at Coleman Elementary with the 4th and 5th Grade Blue Tiger Tribe. Whether I’m helping with homework, supervising, or leading a lesson I’m there for the kids and enjoy what I do here. Outside of school and Tiger club, I play soccer. I’ve been playing it since I was 5, traveling and playing at some of the highest level of youth soccer and currently with Marin FC. Some fun facts about me is that I love the color navy/light blue and love to eat. I look forward to what’s to come and make a positive impact. 

Thank you for taking the time to get to know me!

I am Angelique, the leader of the Gold Tiger Tribe for 4th and 5th graders. Outside of work, I love to knit, hike, read, and cook. I grew up in San Rafael and studied Psychology at the University of Puget Sound with an emphasis on criminology and empathy development. Before joining the Coleman Elementary team, I’ve worked as a counselor and social worker in various counties across California and Washington. Marked by humor and play, I value fostering the kids’ resilience, holistic wellness, creativity, and emotional intelligence. I speak Spanish and French, and enjoy learning new languages including Russian and German. I look forward to meeting more parents and staff, and continuing to learn alongside the kids.

Best,

Angelique