L’ was born overseas in Germany while her Dad was stationed there in the U.S. Air Force. Her parents moved to the Washington, D.C. area when she was just three months old and have lived there ever since. She had her first experience with the great outdoors by visiting some of the scenery the Northeast has to offer and learning to climb with her Dad. She excelled in school even in her early years and finished high school at the Science and Technology Magnet School in the area. She was accepted to college at Cornell, which is conveniently located in the middle of nowhere, otherwise known as Ithaca.

Since she couldn’t find Ithaca on the map (because the map was frozen due to the winter temperatures Ithaca is known for), she opted for a year in Israel. Studying at Hebrew University, she made some close friends and found a greater connection to Judaism. The most explicit result of this connection on others was taking her Hebrew name, L’vannah. This had the side effect of significantly higher use of the apostrophe key by her friends and family.

Her appreciation for nature blossomed in college and fills her up to this day. She began to do serious climbing and backpacking in college which is the cause of her insanity today. After a few years in Ithaca, she graduated with a major in molecular biology. Not wanting to do research as a career, she applied to graduate school and for a teacher credential. This brought her across the country to Stanford University. As is often the case with people arriving in California, the East Coast has been unable to lure her back.

Upon completion of graduate school, she found a job teaching science at Milpitas High School. After a few years there, she made an even bigger move than the one that brought her to California – she moved to Milan, Italy. Living in Milan, home to Leonardo’s “Last Supper” and the famous Pepperidge Farm Cookie “Milanos”, she taught science to foreign students. Our American readers should know that science is indeed a little different overseas because of the metric system. This was a great couple of years living in Italy and eating Italian food, but it was hard being away from friends and family back in the US. She then returned to the Bay Area and really setup roots here by buying her own house.

She’s been teaching at San Mateo High School for over a decade now and enjoys saving the youth of America (and locking them up from stealing our stuff). Her dedication to teaching is high and she does her part to make a difference in students’ lives. Outside of teaching, she enjoys live music, hiking & camping, and cooking.

From here the courtship began…