Iris DeSerio was born and raised in Berkeley, California, and grew up attending Caz Family Camp with her family. She is a musician, athlete, and environmentalist. She attended Berkeley Public Schools and played competitive soccer, softball, and field hockey. Iris studied cello under the late Millie Rosner and played in various ensembles and quartets with the Oakland Youth Orchestra (OYO), Young Musician’s Program at UC Berkeley, and San Domenico High School’s Virtuoso program. After graduating UC Santa Cruz with a dual-degree in Earth Sciences and Environmental Studies, Iris taught gardening at Willard Middle School in Berkeley and at Hunter’s Point Boys & Girl’s Clubhouse in San Francisco each for two years. In 2013, she completed a three month internship at Greenstring Farms in Petaluma where she later served as a teaching assistant. Currently, Iris is finishing up her first year teaching 4th/5th grade as a member of the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute (BATTI), and just returned from teaching in Senegal for a month. Over the next year, Iris will continue to teach 4th/5th grade while earning both her California Teaching Credential as well as a MA in Curriculum and Instruction from University of the Pacific in Stockton.