Employee Spotlight: Karla Santellan

10/01/2018 -

Name:
Karla Santellan

Years at SCOE:
I subbed for two years and have worked full time for 21 years.

Job Title:
I’m a Special Ed. Specialized Health Services Teaching Assistant working with medically fragile students at Loma Vista Immersion Academy in Petaluma.

How do you describe your job to people outside SCOE?
I work in a preschool-to-second grade class with students who are mostly non-verbal and non-ambulatory. We teach them communication skills as well as mobility skills using different assistive devices, as well as work with them on their physical development. Walking and independence are the goals.

Where did you grow up?
I was born in San Francisco but grew up in Petaluma.

What is your favorite thing about working for SCOE?
I like the people that I work with. I like that I’m able to teach children new skills. Also, the trainings I’ve gotten from SCOE have helped me along the way.

What is your most memorable moment working at SCOE?
I worked in an elementary school special ed classroom about ten years ago with a student who was non verbal who had prosthetic eyes. We lost her prosthetics quite often. One day, we lost one of her eyes. We had young student helpers in the class and we had them assisting in the search for the missing glass eye. Finally the student opened her mouth and the eye was on her tongue. It was pretty crazy; I think the student helpers were pretty surprised!

Outside of work, what is your favorite hobby or way to unwind?
I go to a lot of Giants baseball games and also I enjoy wine tasting.

What is your favorite place in Sonoma County?
I like to go to the Healdsburg square and downtown area.

What is one thing that might surprise people to learn about you?
That I’ve never been camping. It’s never been anything I’ve been interested in… I prefer sleeping on a bed and I do not like critters.