Leadership and Faculty

Head of School

M.S. Education, Fordham University
B.S. Business Management/Accounting, Keene State College

Daena Berdougo is a champion of lifelong learning for herself and for her faculty, and staff. She has rich experience as an educator and school administrator with the ability to recognize challenges as opportunities for learning and growth. Prior to her career in education, Daena spent several years working as a Derivatives Analyst at Bears Stearns in New York City. In pursuit of a more meaningful career working with children, she attended Fordham University’s Graduate School of Education. After receiving her Master’s degree, Daena taught in early childhood and elementary classrooms both in New York City and Philadelphia before becoming Head of School at Gwynedd Friends School. During her six years of leadership at Gwynedd Friends, Daena developed a deep connection to Quaker education and Quakerism. Her background in educational leadership includes work in strategic planning, finance, admissions, marketing, fundraising, and curriculum development. Daena’s daughter is a current UFS Middle School student (class of ’23) and an alumna of Gwynedd Friends School.

Director of Advancement for Admission & Development

Ph.D. Social Welfare, University of Pennsylvania
M.S.W. Social Work, University of Pennsylvania
M.S.Ed. Education, Saint Joseph’s University

David Eldridge is thrilled to return to a Friends school after fundraising at Swarthmore College, where he had graduated after attending Baltimore Friends and George School. He was an administrator for Haddonfield Friends School, Friends School Mullica Hill, Westtown School, and Abington Friends School. He attends Swarthmore Friends Meeting where he will soon transfer his membership from Doylestown Monthly Meeting. David received his M.S.W. and Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, his M.S.Ed. from Saint Joseph’s University, and has taught students from middle through graduate school. He is a third-generation educator with deep gratitude for the kind of education provided at United Friends School. He believes in the transformative power of philanthropy for both organizations and donors whose gifts bring joy and meaning. His and his wife’s three daughters are in the process of taking flight, with a 23-year old in Pittsburgh, a 21-year old at UVM, and a 17-year old who just joined the Mount Holyoke Class of 2025.

Librarian/Media Specialist

M.Ed. Education, Holy Family University
B.A. Psychology, Villanova University
Reading Specialist Certification

Betty holds Pennsylvania certifications in Elementary Education (K-6) and Reading Specialist. At UFS, she taught third and fourth grades for three years. Prior to that, she was a third grade Assistant Teacher at Germantown Academy and was the Kindergarten lead teacher at The Goddard School. Betty’s most important goal as an educator is to teach her students to become lifelong learners. She values the use of technology in education an essential tool and thus enjoys finding and incorporating new technologies into her lessons. Betty and her husband, Mike, live in Schwenksville and her son is a UFS preschool student. Betty is fluent in Cantonese.

First Grade Teacher (Penn Class) 

B.A. Elementary Education, Purdue University

Shonne joined the UFS faculty after teaching second grade for 10 years at Loudoun Country Day School in Leesburg, VA. During her career, Shonne has taught children in grades K-4.  Her goal is to inspire a sense of community in her classroom by highlighting how important it is to care for one other. Shonne believes that when students feel motivated and cared for, they can achieve almost anything. Shonne’s family lives in Perkasie and her daughter attends UFS (class of ’27).

Science Teacher & Middle School Advisor

M.A. Science Education (Secondary Chemistry), Western Governors University
B.S. Science Education (Secondary Chemistry), Towson University

Susy holds PA Level II certifications in Biology (7-12), Chemistry (7-12), and General Science (7-12). Susy has taught in public schools for over 8 years. In addition, she has gained extensive educational experience as a Girl Scout Leader and as a mom of four kids. Susy hopes her students become lifelong, independent thinkers and learners. She wants her students to be able to go out into the world and apply what they have learned in the classroom. Susy and her family live in Quakertown.

Middle School Math/Advisor & Music Teacher

B.A. Music Education, Messiah College

Bethany is a Certified Music Educator and taught general and vocal music in the Baltimore County Public School system for six years before relocating to Pennsylvania. Bethany is passionate about encouraging others to explore music through instruments, voice, and general play. In addition to her role at UFS, she teaches Early Childhood music classes throughout the area and runs an in-home music studio offering piano and voice lessons. When not teaching music, you can find her spending time with her husband and three children, most likely playing card or board games.

Afterschool Program Director and School Office Coordinator

B.A. Business, Family, and Consumer Science, University of Northern Iowa

Holly received her Bachelor’s in Business, Family, and Consumer Science from the University of Northern Iowa and has held leadership positions at luxury retailers in Minneapolis and New York City. After moving to Quakertown, Holly enrolled her two children at United Friends School and soon started working at the school in the Mott classroom. Holly has managed our School Office for the past three years. Holly’s smiling face and pleasant demeanor is the first welcome people receive when entering the building.

Second/Third Grade Teacher (Paul Class)

M.S. Education, Saint Joseph’s University 
B.A. English, Minor Studio Art, Rosemont College

Nicole is PA certificated in English Literature (grades 6-12) and Special Education (grades K-12). She has over 10 years experience working with children of all ages, backgrounds, and needs. She began her career at an early intervention childcare facility and upon graduation moved onto WHYY and their Children Services Department, where she ran outreach workshops for parents, teachers, and child care providers, contributing content to online and print media. She has also taught high school in Philadelphia through Teach for America and has both consulted and acted as an assistant director for Out of School Time programming for elementary-age youth in Philadelphia. Prior to joining UFS, while home with her young children, Nicole taught high-quality, play-based outdoor classes through Tinkergarten.  Nicole firmly believes, as Alison Gopnik (The Garden and the Carpenter 2016) so eloquently put it, that a teacher’s role “is to provide a protected space of love, safety, and stability in which children of many unpredictable kinds can flourish. Our job is not to shape our children’s minds; it’s to let those minds explore all the possibilities that the world allows.” In her free time, Nicole enjoys spending time with her immediate and extended family, traveling, camping, gardening, reading, and painting.

Fourth/Fifth Grade Teacher (Anthony Class)

B.A. Elementary Education, American University

Jane has been teaching for more than 20 years. She has a degree in Elementary Education from American University with a Minor in Jewish Studies. Jane left teaching in the late 1990s to follow another of her passions cooking and started her own catering business. She was a caterer and personal chef for three years. Both the Quaker philosophy she was educated with during her high school years at Friends Select and the humanistic approach towards education found at Project Learn School (where Jane taught for 16 years) inform the classroom environment she works to create with her students. She views herself as a facilitator of, and partner in, student learning and strives to make learning both meaningful and fun. Outside of school, Jane can usually be found running, spinning, hiking, reading, playing with her dogs and cats, or watching football. She is a dedicated endurance athlete and a passionate Philadelphia Eagles fan.