Leiriane Gregório joins Lick-Wilmerding as the Body-Mind Education (BME) teacher. “I love…facilitating the path for a new world. Helping people be compassionate, navigate hard conflicts and situations and come up with a world where everyone feels like they belong,” she said.
LWHS’s commitment to inclusivity and public purpose excites her. “I love the idea of public purpose and working for the community…we need that,” she said.
Ms. Leiriane has worked as a program manager supporting at-risk students in Brazil. That role sparked the unexpected. “I realized I loved being in a classroom setting,” she said. Ten years later, she is still excited by the energy and imagination her students bring into the classroom. “They can always see things from a different perspective and think outside the box. I love to be the person guiding that process, helping them navigate the world with their creativity and knowledge.”
She also brings a unique approach to teaching BME, encouraging students to see movement as more than physical exercise. “The body is at the center of the learning process,” she said. “How can you see systems in place, like racism, in the world within your movement? It’s about expanding your abilities both physically and mentally.”
Outside of school, Ms. Leiriane divides her time between the outdoors and celebration. She loves hiking and camping, with her recent trip to Yosemite leaving her in awe. She supplemented this by watching the film Free Solo, which deepened her appreciation for human potential. “It made me think about the extent to which humans can do,” she said. “If we’re not in this setting as society, what else would we be able to do?”
“If you feel like everything will work for you, you’re right in one way or another—it just might not be the way you expect. But it will work out,” Ms. Leiriane said, offering reassurance to students.
Her own path emphasizes this. She initially planned to pursue a PhD in Japan or Switzerland, but life took her elsewhere. A national award brought her to Canada, and she returned to Brazil before finally settling in the Bay Area. “Maybe Japan would’ve been amazing…but I love the fact that I’m right here. It all worked out, and I’m happy,” she said.
At LWHS, Ms. Leiriane plans to bring her spirit of resilience, joy and curiosity to her students, encouraging them to embrace uncertainty, lean into creativity, and trust the journey.
