MEET OUR STAFF
Rachelle Frantz, MSW, Director
I was born and raised in the Bay Area and currently live in Burlingame with my husband, our two children, and our dog, Ollie. I love living in our vibrant and diverse Bay Area community! I graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2003 with my Bachelors degree in Psychology and completed my Masters degree in Social Work (MSW) at Fordham University in New York City in 2007. After working for several years as a social worker with children and families, I decided to pursue a career in teaching preschool and completed my Early Childhood Education (ECE) classes at Skyline College. I joined the team at Utopia in 2012 as a lead teacher and accepted the role of Director in 2017. Prior to starting as Utopia's Director, I obtained my Program Director permit and took a variety of professional trainings, including: "Protective Factors for Families", "Teaching Pyramid (CSEFL)", "Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviors", and "Inclusion: Supporting Young Children with Special Needs".
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I love to travel and have backpacked all over the world with my husband. I also love the outdoors, hiking, camping, rock climbing, kayaking, gardening, spending time with my family, and going to the beach. I’m excited for the school year ahead and look forward to getting to know your child and your family!
Stephanie Vorrises, Assistant Director
Hello, I'm Stephanie! I’ve lived in the San Francisco area my entire life and also attended school here at St. Thomas More. I enjoy visiting new places (especially those with beaches), playing basketball, and spending time with my niece and nephews! I have always known that I wanted to work with children. I love their eagerness to learn about the world and the people around them and have always valued their natural ability to welcome, accept and learn about the similarities and differences between one another. I began working in Early Childhood Education in 2006 and have been at Utopia Preschool since 2013! My education includes a Bachelors Degree in Sociology with an emphasis on Social Services as well as, 19 Early Childhood Education units. Other certificates and trainings include a Site Supervisor Permit, Professional Learning Community (PLC), Reflective Teaching, Supervision and Mentoring  and CPR/First Aid. My experience consists of teaching children 2-6 years old with varying abilities and participating in the IEP (Individualized Educational Program) planning and implementation process. One thing I enjoy most about my job is creating so many memorable relationships with the children, families and teachers!
Andrea Posadas, Lead Teacher
​My name is Andrea Posadas and I have been teaching at Utopia Preschool since 2014. I was raised in Bakersfield, California, but have called San Francisco my home for over 10 years now. I am committed to serving all children, youth, and families - this work gives me so much purpose and love! In 2013, I graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Development. In order to further my knowledge of the Early Childhood Education field, I have completed trainings in project-based learning, social emotional competence, understanding anger and challenging behaviors, creating nurturing classroom environments, Anti-Bias Education, and inclusion. Outside of work, I love drinking coffee, playing guitar, writing, perusing Sephora for new makeup, and eating all kinds of food! Utopia has been a wonderful place to grow and learn alongside the children, and I love working with our passionate team of educators everyday. 
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Andrea is the recipient of First 5 San Francisco's 2018 Excellence in Teaching Award.  The annual Excellence in Teaching Awards is based on a competitive nomination process, focused on teaching excellence, as well as evidence of family engagement, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to creating high-quality, innovative early care and education curriculum, and environments. Congratulations Andrea!
Cassandra Cottura, Lead Teacher
I was born and raised in Daly City and attended St. Thomas More School as a child. I started working with children at the age of 16, through the YMCA of San Francisco as a childcare provider in their gym daycare. After I graduated from the University of San Francisco in 2011 with a BA in U.S. and European History and a minor in Fine Arts, I started working at Utopia Preschool as a teacher aid during the 2012-2013 school year. After Utopia I left to work full time at the YMCA preschool, at both their, St. Francis and LCOS locations. While working at the YMCA, I took online child development classes to further my education in the field. This will be my 9th year of teaching preschool! I love hanging out with my son, my family and my friends. Trying new food and restaurants is one of my favorite things to do especially if it involves dessert! I also enjoy baking. I love shopping as well as exploring the Bay Area, specifically places my son can enjoy too! I am so happy to be a part of the Utopia family and can’t wait to enjoy another fun year!
​Linette Illastron, Lead Teacher
I was born and raised in Guam and moved to California when I was 9 years old. I have lived in the Bay Area ever since and am proud to call it my home. My family and I currently reside in the city of Millbrae with our cat Uri and dog Dottie. I love to cook, sing, dance, play piano, go to the movies, take trips to the beach with our dog, explore new hiking trails and go on foodie adventures. Before I received my AS degree in Early Childhood Education, I studied Piano Performance at the S.F. Conservatory and NDNU. Having worked in the ECE field for 15 years, and I am pleased to say I have worked at Utopia Preschool for 8 years. I’ve found the huge impact early childhood educators have in inspiring the love of learning and discovery by providing actual experiences. I look forward to welcome new families, reuniting with those who are returning and building a strong foundation of early learning for your child.
Winnie Huang, Assistant Teacher
I’m Winnie! I grew up in Guangdong, China and moved to the United States with my family in 2005. I’ve worked at St. Thomas More School since 2010, starting out in the Extended Care Program and then moving to Utopia Preschool in 2012. I’ve studied at City College of San Francisco taking Early Childhood Education classes such as basic Child Development, and have completed several Child Development certificates, such as “Building a Healthy Preschool Community”,  “Inclusion-Understanding and Supporting Diverse Learners”, “Chinese Parent Education”, “Early Autism Spectrum Disorder”, and “Children with Special Needs.” My daughter Rouyi is currently in college. My son, Jordan, graduated from St. Thomas More in 2019 and my younger son, Stephen, is currently in eighth grade. Outside of work, I like to go to the movies, travel, and have fun with my family. I love working with the children and families at Utopia Preschool, and am so excited for this school year.