Claudia Van Groningen was born and raised in the foothill community of Glendora, in Southern California. She and her young son moved to Visalia in 2006. Claudia attended College of the Sequoias and later UC Berkeley where she graduated with honors, earning her BS degree in Conservation and Resource Studies. 

In 2012 she followed her heart back to Visalia and married her long-time sweetheart, Walter. Together they raised their blended family of three children in a cool old house where they had tons of fun and made lots of noise. Now that the kids are out on their own, Claudia and Walter hit the road as often as possible in the van they converted to a custom camper. 

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As a lifelong learner and adventurous spirit, Claudia found SVA to be a natural fit for her. She identifies with the Mission of the organization to challenge curiosity and creativity in a nurturing environment and appreciates that this applies to the staff as much as to the students. The collaborative community of top-notch people at The Academies inspires Claudia every day and she is grateful to be part of such an excellent staff.

Claudia has been a part of the Sycamore Valley Academy community since 2013, first as a parent then later joining the administrative staff as Director of Operations in 2015. The role is perfect for Claudia who uses her creativity and wide range of knowledge to master the wearing of many hats. When she is not at The Academies, you can find Claudia chasing bees, rocking out to live music or hiking the trails of the High Sierra.