Sam was born and raised in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. She comes from a large family where she is the 6th of 8 children! Sam developed her love of teaching as a child when she would play “school” with her younger siblings and would take on the role of teacher. She started her career in early childhood as a childcare giver at the age of 18. During this work, Sam discovered how rewarding it was to have children guide in their learning and pay attention to their interests, what piqued their curiosity, and what challenged them.

Sam found her love for Montessori learning as a teacher in a North Brooklyn playschool  where Montessori philosophy was implemented in daily activities. Each child came in with excitement and Sam witnessed their innate desire to learn. The love they had for their teachers and each other was admirable. It was obvious that this was a respectful, safe, and FUN place to be, and she felt honored to be part of it. Since then, she has been a classroom teacher of an infant-toddler class in a preschool in Manhattan for the past few years.

Sam is excited to be part of the Dogwood team this year. She believes that our learning environment will align with her personal philosophy of wanting a kinder, gentler world. This can be achieved by modeling and respecting the children’s voices and choices and guiding them with consciousness. 

In her free time, Sam enjoys spending time with her wife and son, venturing to Queens and Brooklyn for good food and play!