Lighthouse has been a special place for my family since Aiden started Kindergarten, but my journey with co-op education started much earlier—I grew up in co-op myself! When I discovered Lighthouse, I knew it was the right fit, and we took the leap. Now, Aiden is in 3rd grade with Mrs. Dersom, and Zach, my youngest, is eagerly looking forward to starting Kindergarten next year with Mrs. Adams.

Over the years, I’ve had the joy of serving our community in different ways, from my time as Explorations Chair to my current role as Vice Chair. I also help bring the Lighthouse Tabletop Experience to life, giving families a chance to connect through games and storytelling.

Beyond my involvement at Lighthouse, I love diving into books, playing Dungeons & Dragons, exploring video games, and tinkering with technology, 3D printing, and gardening. I’m grateful to be part of this amazing community and look forward to continuing to support our families and students!

Hi my name is Maia Puente , I am the Vice Chair for Lighthouse. I am a working mom and ER nurse who loves crafting, socializing and going on adventures.

This is our third year in LH, my son is in second grade and absolutely loves it. I chose Lighthouse so I could cultivate a strong community with my fellow parents and be able to participate in my son’s educational opportunities. One of the things that I love about Lighthouse is that it gives my son, our children, the ability to build lifelong friendships with fellow classmates as they move thru the program. I had a similar opportunity growing up and have lasting friendships from my school. I love that Lighthouse provides extra field trips, learning opportunities, social events and so much more.

We’ve been part of Lighthouse for four (soon to be five) years, with Harper in the 5th grade and Kenna in the 4th. You might have already met my wife, Nikki. She’s been an integral part of the community over the years! We were drawn to Lighthouse for its unique blend of structured education and a close-knit community where parents collaborate to ensure our kids get the best opportunities. This year, I’m serving as the Treasurer, where I can leverage my expertise in numbers to streamline finances and support our mission. My goal is to establish efficient and repeatable processes that will ensure Lighthouse’s continued success and prosperity for years to come. Outside of financial matters, my family finds immense joy in spending time outdoors, whether it’s enjoying a sunny day on the water or skiing in the mountains during the snowy season.

Hi, I am Jen Medlock and I am the Registrar of Lighthouse this year. Lighthouse and Jefferson have been my kids’ elementary school for fourteen years. My eldest two both went through Lighthouse and now my youngest two are here. I think of Lighthouse as my small town in the city. It is the community that has kept my family at Lighthouse. The opportunity to have my kids supported by a caring community while working with amazing teachers has made a different in my family’s life.

My journey with the co-op began five years ago after seeing a post in a neighborhood group. Since then, I’ve enjoyed watching my daughter Harper—now in 4th grade with Mrs. Jeffries—grow in a community where parents, teachers, and students work together to support one another. This is my first year on the board, and I’m excited to bring my accounting experience to support the Treasurer as we build a strong financial platform to sustain and grow our children’s co-op education. Outside of co-op life, I love spending time with my extended family, exploring new places, and traveling. I am looking forward to contributing to Lighthouse’s supporting the community that has given so much to my family.

Hi, I'm Tung, and my family joined Lighthouse in the fall of 2024. We first heard about Lighthouse while attending a co-op preschool. Having enjoyed our experience there, we wanted to continue our journey as a co-op family — and Lighthouse felt like the perfect next step.

It has been a wonderful experience getting to know my child's classmates, working alongside their teachers, and connecting with other parents. As the saying goes, "It takes a village to raise a child" — and for our family, that village is Lighthouse.

I've been involved in co-op education since before I had children of my own.  I was the volunteer for a family I nannied for at a cooperative preschool in Seattle.  Once I had children, I knew that a cooperative preschool was where I wanted my children to be.  My daughter (and now currently my son) love/ed it.  So when it came time to sign up for kindergarten, I knew that Lighthouse would be an amazing fit for my daughter who is now a second grader.  My son will be starting kindergarten next fall with Lighthouse.

This is my second year on the board as a classroom coordinator.  I have really enjoyed it and have really enjoyed getting to know so many different families across all of the different grades.  

I am excited to serve my second year as Class Coordinator for Lighthouse Co-op. My son, Jerran, joined Lighthouse halfway through his 1st grade year and our family quickly fell in love with the warm sense of community. I enjoy connecting with families and cherish the kids’ laughter and excitement in the classroom as well as during Explorations. Outside of co-op, I love spending time with my family, hunting for treasures on fun thrifting excursions, hosting a good party and caring for our beloved pets.

Hi I'm Nikki- married to my high school sweetheart, Dan. We are from Minnesota but have now lived here longer than we lived there! We have 2 girls: Harper in 5th and Kenna in 4th. I am also a NICU and PEDS RN and work nights so if you see me walking around zombie ish, no need to panic- I've probably just come off a shift. I love lighthouse because of the life long community we create not only for the kids but parents too! 

As a family, we spend non-sports nights/ weekends at church, camping, on/near the water in some capacity, or skiing! A sunny, hot day at the beach is my idea of a perfect day!

Super excited to be on the lighthouse board team again this year!

My husband, Shawn, and I have 3 children, and this is our fourth year at Jefferson being a part of Lighthouse. Our two oldest are currently enrolled and their little sister can't wait to join! When my oldest was starting Kindergarten school was just going back to all in-person classes and things were a little uncertain to say the least. Even though Lighthouse had set-backs in terms of the extra involvement that sold me on the program in the first place, like the regularity of extra adults in the classroom volunteering and taking more field trips, it was still an amazing experience. It eases my mind to know who my kids now spend all day around AND their families. I have loved the process of becoming a part of the Lighthouse and Jefferson community!