Our Teachers

Holly Higgins

is very excited to begin year 5 as the Director/Head Preschool Teacher at Michael Lane Preschool.  She is an alumni parent of the school, where her youngest son attended for 3 delightful years.  Holly comes to Michael Lane Preschool with 15 years of classroom experience, teaching kindergarten through 4th grade, and was awarded the Herbst Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence in 2011.  She earned her Master's Degree in Education at the University of Oregon, and has taught in Oregon, New York City and California.  A native Californian, Holly loves being outdoors with her family, reading in the hammock, going to the ballet, and trying new things!

Trina Audley

has had the special experience of teaching at Michael Lane from 2004-2011, and now has returned to us since 2023! After graduating from UCSB with a major in French Literature, Trina worked in education, administration and the law while raising her two children (who are now in their 20’s). Apart from her passion for early childhood education, Trina enjoys time with family, walks on the trail, traveling and a good craft project. Trina will teach on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Reshma Faiq

is delighted to be back for year 2 at Michael Lane Preschool where she taught from 2006 until 2015 before she moved to Boston, Massachusetts. After returning in 2021, she decided to be a part of the MLP family again. Reshma moved from India to the United States in 1990 and has lived in Boston and the Bay Area with her husband and two daughters. Reshma has a graduate degree in Economics from India and later finished her training in Early Childhood Education to become a teacher for children ages 3-5 years old. She has been a teacher for the last 20 years. Aside from teaching, Reshma loves spending time with her family, gardening in her ever-growing yard, and being outdoors. Reshma will be teaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays

Jemma Kalberg

is excited to begin year 2 on the teaching staff at Michael Lane preschool! She comes to us with a range of applicable experiences in the field of education. Some of her experiences include co-op teaching at Lafayette Nursery School, training teachers and schools in developing school wide screening and support programs, working as a head teacher in a residential facility in New Hampshire, and working as a high school teacher serving kids with emotional disturbances. She earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees in education at Vanderbilt University, focusing on child development and special education. Jemma lives in Burton Valley with her husband and 3 children. In their free time, Jemma’s family enjoys dog-friendly beaches, lakes, and hikes with their beloved golden retrievers, Steve and Darrell. Jemma will be teaching on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Molly Nelsen

is ecstatic to return to Michael Lane as a teacher 2 days a week! In the past, she has taught summer school, and been a substitute teacher here since 2019. Molly has experience being a counselor or Adventure Day Camp starting in 2017 and was promoted to a Director position from 2020-2023. She loves to outdoors, spending time with her family (especially her nephews), and her animals. Molly will be teaching on Wednesdays and Fridays.

We are licensed for 17 children in the classroom at one time and our teacher/child ratio is 1:6.