Shanti Somanathan is originally from Salem, Tamil Nadu, and is a native Tamil speaker. She has been living in the Bay Area, California, since 2000. Passionate about teaching Tamil to children, she also enjoys reading Tamil books and novels. Shanti volunteered as a teacher at the California Tamil Academy for over 10 years. After taking a 3-year break to pursue her Master’s degree, she resumed teaching in 2025 at Lakshmi Learning Center. She finds great joy in working with children and feels grateful for the opportunity, believing that she learns just as much from them as they do from her.
She is deeply grateful to everyone at Lakshmi Tamil School for providing her with the opportunity and invaluable guidance to teach the Beginner class. She believes that helping children stay connected with Tamil will foster a deeper appreciation for their language, culture, and roots.