Board of Trustees
Steven Pratt President
Steven is a licensed architect in Texas based out of Houston, and is also licensed in 25+ states across the country. A native Texan, he has had the opportunity to live in various locales from coast to coast, as well as overseas. Beyond the practice of architecture, Steven loves spending time with his family and pets and is enthusiastic about music, art, and fitness. Although work typically keeps him confined to a desk, he and his family love outdoor adventures and are perpetually able to find exciting destinations to visit and explore.
Tomislav Gracanin Vice President
Tomislav served on the Great Oak Waldorf School Board as a member at large for 2 years before taking a role as an officer. He came into contact with the school through two friends who have a close association with the school and with the greater area Anthroposophical Society. Tomislav was asked to help lead a geology field trip, which was a wonderful experience for all and has now led many of our class geology field trips. Prior to getting involved with the school, he had been retired for 7 years after a geology career in the oil industry with several companies. In retirement, Tomislav became involved in conserving land and lava tubes in Hawaii, and continues to support and study Anthroposophy in Houston as he has done for nearly 40 years.
Samantha Fox Secretary
Samantha’s family has been part of the Great Oak community since the spring of 2016 when she enrolled her then-2.5 year old daughter in the Parent-Child program, and immediately fell in love with Waldorf education and the people at Great Oak. Sam joined the administrative staff at Great Oak in the fall of 2022. Sam was born in Michigan, but grew up in Virginia, and spent her high school years in Iowa and Minnesota. She holds a BA in History and also studied French, and worked for Delta Airlines as a gate agent and at the Minneapolis headquarters in the Sales Support department. She has also at times worn the hat of bookseller, travel school intern, holistic health coach, and personal trainer. Sam moved to Tomball in 2015 with her husband and daughter to be closer to her parents, and to escape MN winters. In her free time, she enjoys doing her nails, reading, yoga, weightlifting, traveling, and spending time near any body of water, but especially the ocean. She has a strong relationship with coffee, and a large collection of crystals, special edition books, and nail dip powders.
Brenda Tapia Member at Large
Brenda moved to Texas in 2012. She studied law in Mexico City, and she has worked in the oil sector for more than a decade. She enjoys food, especially tacos, and her morning coffee routine. Deep in her heart, Brenda believes that all those who run a school are the foundation of society. Without them, we couldn’t hold the most important people in the world—children.
Elena Magallanes Member at Large
Originally from Monterrey, Mexico, Elena moved to Houston in 2001. She and her husband, Rafael, are proud parents of Adrian, who graduated from Great Oak School middle school program in 2023. Elena holds a BS in Physics Engineering from the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Monterrey, Mexico. She has spent the past 25 years at PROS Inc. in a variety of technical and strategic roles, ranging from consultant to Support Engineer. Elena’s family deep connection to Waldorf education began in 2012 at Bayou Village School, where they were active for many years. In the fall of 2021, her family joined the Great Oak School community as their son Adrian entered the 7th grade. Having served on school leadership boards since 2021, Elena brings experience and a long-term commitment to the health and growth of Waldorf communities. In the summer of 2024, Elena completed her Waldorf Handwork Teacher Certification through the Fiber Arts Craft Studio at the Sunbridge Campus in New York. In her free time, she enjoys all kinds of fiber crafts, baking, volunteering, and watching Adrian play baseball.
Luke Schnell Member at Large
Bio coming soon.Tiffany Campbell Member at Large
Bio coming soon.
Karina Cole Grades Faculty Representative
Karina was introduced to Waldorf education in 2020 through an internship at Bright Water Waldorf School in Seattle, Washington. After studying comparative education in her undergrad, discovering Waldorf felt like the missing puzzle piece she was looking for. She finally found a school with happy children, beautiful classrooms, and teachers who loved their work. Karina continued her studies in New England at Antioch University, while also working as a kindergarten assistant at Monadnock Waldorf School. In 2022, she completed her Master of Waldorf Education, finishing her practicum at Honolulu Waldorf School in Hawaii. She worked there for two years, taking on the same 1st grade class, she had interned with Spring before. Eventually, Karina’s path led her from the islands of Hawai’i to Houston, where she found Great Oak. Karina loves spending time with her fiancé and family and exploring nature. She loves to bake, paint, and make little videos of her dog.
Rachel Muehlmann EC Faculty Representative
Rachel grew up in Canada and New England, and has lived in the Houston area for 6 years. A Waldorf student from kindergarten through 12th grade, she loves the Waldorf curriculum and strives to bring some of the wonder, beauty, and goodness of her own kindergarten experience to the classroom today. Rachel holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and an MFA in Creative Writing in Poetry and completed her Waldorf Early Childhood teacher training in the summer of 2022. She lives with her librarian husband and twin sons, and enjoys swimming in large bodies of water, staring into tree canopies, cooking, reading and singing, among so many other things!
Angela Harris Admin Representative
Angela was born in Southern California and has since lived in or near five major cities, including San Francisco and New York. Growing up, she enjoyed a bit of an unconventional education and, together with her husband, decided to homeschool their two boys. In 2011, Angela co-founded a learning community for homeschoolers in Northern New Jersey and began teaching a variety of subjects such as world history, literature, and writing. Before moving to Texas in 2013, she piloted a course for a fellow homeschool mom and former NASA Goddard rocket scientist which focused on teaching math concepts to young children through play and exploration. In 2015, she became a writing instructor for Brave Writer, LLC. During the 2018 academic year, Angela served Great Oak School as an after-care teacher and then as the Preschool Assistant in the Butterfly Garden before becoming a middle school teacher in the fall of 2019. She had the honor of graduating the school’s first five 8th grade classes. Angela earned her Waldorf teaching certificate through Gradalis in 2022. In 2024, she became the Administrative Director for the Grades program.
