Teacher Biographies
ARTS, HOME ARTS AND DESIGN
| Cathy Fowler | Sewing has been Cathy’s passion for over 45 years. She started teaching sewing and quilting classes in 1988 and has been with the Poway Adult School since 2010. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business plus coursework in Advanced Draping & Patternmaking, Pattern Making & Design, Clothing & Textiles and Fashion Illustration. Sewing is a valuable life skill and opens up many creative doors for teens and adults with different backgrounds and interests. Through the years it’s allowed her to make exclusive, custom-made clothing, bridal wear, window treatments, crafts and accessories for family, friends and clients. Cathy enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with life learners of all levels. It’s so rewarding to help others develop new or advance existing sewing skills and gain confidence along the way. The icing on the cake is to see the satisfaction they feel in a job well done when completing their projects. |
| Christie Setnan | Christie retired from teaching elementary education after 30 years in the classroom. Now she enjoys traveling, hiking, crafts, working in the garden and yoga. |
| Don Sheffler | Don Sheffler is the Photography teacher at Mt. Carmel High School. He has been a professional photographer for almost 15 years, mostly in extreme sports, specifically skateboarding for multiple magazines and online publications through 2017, but now focusing on High School senior portraits, headshots, dance, and sports. |
| Eric Bourdette | I have been teaching pottery for 30 years in the Poway Unified School District. For three years I was a mentor teacher working with elementary and middle school teachers on integrating ceramic projects into their curriculum. My work has been shown in San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles. Many of my students have taken top awards in almost every ceramics show they have entered. I am well versed in both hand and wheel thrown work with a wide range of experience in high and low fire clays and glazes. I love sharing my knowledge and helping students develop their talents. |
| Fang Luo | Art has always been a part of my life. I studied fashion design in Canada and worked in the Fashion industry designing active wear. I started Chinese painting at a young age and started professional drawing when I was a teenager. Watercolor painting is still my favorite genre. |
| Gabi Pantfoerder | Gabi started her teaching career almost 30 years ago in Germany. Since then she has moved to San Diego where she works at a local middle school. Crocheting has been something she has enjoyed throughout her life and she is happy to share her passion here at the Poway Adult School where she is offering several crocheting and German classes. In her free time she enjoys all kinds of crafts and home improvement projects, and is frequently combining her love for trail running and travelling to participate in races across the country. |
| Graham Hajosy | Born in La Mesa, I studied Anthropology at the University of Oregon before returning to San Diego to study Art and Education. Now I teach Ceramics and Design & Mixed Media at Mt. Carmel High School. Working as an educator has been a joy and privilege that has blended my passions for the arts and teaching. I am excited to work with Poway Adult School for another session! |
| Helen Hawes | Helen Hawes is a professional artist who feels art is like magic because the world disappears when painting begins. Helen revels in both teaching students and collaborating with clients to create beautiful artworks. Her work is included in collections across the country and around the globe. |
| Jennifer Powell | Jen Powell is a former Engineer turned full time artist. Her paintings use a variety of different acrylic and resin art techniques and she has showcased her art in local San Diego events. She also makes custom and personalized gifts for the home. She loves teaching and thrives on inspiring others to create. |
| Mandy Haas | Mandy is a succulent designer and enthusiast who has been a teacher for 17 years. She enjoys working with cacti and succulents in both small potted arrangements as well as doing large landscape installations. She has always loved and grown a variety of succulents, but her passion really kicked into high gear when she was stuck at home during COVID-19. She used this time to completely re-landscape her home in Poway. She enjoys thrifting and repurposing found objects as planters to create unique succulent designs. |
| Naomi Lesberg | Naomi Lesberg received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and a Master’s in Art Education from the University of Michigan, but nothing prepared her for teaching as much as her hands-on teaching experience and creating her own art. Retired after many years of teaching middle school art, she has discovered the joys and satisfaction of teaching art to adults. Her Poway classes have included instruction in art fundamentals, such as composition, color theory, and perspective. Her Acrylic Painting classes have been popular with students of all media, including oil, pastel, and graphite, who appreciate the opportunity to learn at their own pace. Her emphasis and strength has been to create a nurturing atmosphere where adults of all skill levels and experience can be creative and successful. |
| Shandise Clark | Born and raised in San Diego, I believe that there is nothing in life that you can't experience, achieve, transform or transcend —as long as you're willing to roll up your sleeves, get in there, and go for it. My mission is to help you embrace that belief, and give you the training, tools, and support you need to get everything you want, and then some. I am insatiably curious about human potential, and what exactly it is that makes people genuinely happy, successful and creatively fulfilled! I am passionate about a multitude of seemingly unconnected things: graphic design, painting, country music, entrepreneurship, creativity, spirituality, fitness and philanthropy, just to name a few. No matter what your dreams or obstacles are, you have the power to change your life and, by doing so, you’ll change the world. I am a Mother to 3 beautiful children, 1 boy and 2 girls. I have a Bachelors in Graphic Design/Marketing from Chapman University, as well as a Masters Degree in Education with an emphasis in Social and Emotional Learning. |
| Stephanie Henry | Stephanie Henry is an award-winning portrait artist who loves to share her joy in bringing images of people and animals to life. She is particularly happy when showing others how to unlock the artistic abilities they have always dreamed of and in watching their skills and abilities grow. Her style combines a mixture of technical skills and intuitive design which she uses to help students fully develop their own artistic style. |
| Ursula Koenig | My name is Ursula Koenig and I will teach interior design. My experience comes from designing model homes and hospitality spaces all over the country. It is my pleasure to show you how to trust your own ideas and taste while creating something special. |
CULINARY ARTS
| Jennifer Gilbride | Self-proclaimed Home Chef and food enthusiast, Jennifer has been cooking, baking, and entertaining since childhood. A native Californian and longtime Poway resident, she considers her culinary appetite a mix of cultures, and cuisines, she tries to use the best ingredients and lives an organic, whole food lifestyle. Through the years, Jennifer has trained with various Chef’s from Sur La Table, Williams Sonoma, and Poway Adult School. She and her husband have enjoyed sampling food from around the world on their travels, especially delighting in Chef table service and the creativity of various ingredients. Food is Jennifer’s love language, and she wishes to share with all. |
| Marissa Fuenffinger | Marissa knew at the age of 5 that she wanted to be a chef when received her first cookbook for Christmas. At the age of 17 she went to culinary school in Denver and 2 years later became a pastry chef for an Italian restaurant as well as a line chef. Marissa credits her dad for sparking her passion. She learned many of her culinary skills from him, as well as from her Italian family. Today she enjoys teaching children with special needs as an Instructional Aide. In her time off she heads out to the countryside in her RV exploring beautiful places and learning new cuisines and recipes. |
| Nelly Jaoude | Nelly Jaoudé is a realtor living in San Diego, which has been her home for over 30 years. She was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon and loves to share her culture with the community. Nelly has a passion for teaching not only real estate but also many other creative things. Some of the classes she offers include languages (French, Lebanese and Arabic), Middle Eastern dancing, and Lebanese and French cuisine. |
| Samuel Ng | Samuel was born and raised in Hong Kong, and has lived in Poway since June of 200. Samuel has a degree in Industrial Education and has worked as an engineer since 1987. |
HEALTHY & ACTIVE LIFESTYLE
| Andrew Cretella | After 30 years as a communications consultant, Andrew Cretella turned his attention to studying the game of tennis. He is certified as a Tennis teaching Professional with the United States Professional Tennis Association, and he has taught children and adults for over 10 years. He is a member of the San Diego District Tennis Association and is a tennis official of the San Diego County Tennis Umpires Association. Andrew has coached the tennis teams at San Diego High School, and he managed the San Diego Eastern League Tournament. He has also written instructional articles about the game of tennis. |
| Ashley Messur | Ashley Messur is originally from upstate New York and moved to California 9 years ago to teach high school special education. Ashley has been practicing yoga for many years and obtained her 200-hour Yoga Alliance Certification at the House of Om in Ubud, Bali. She also completed a 30-hour Yoga Nidra training in California as she is passionate about being a student and serving others, and would like to create a space to honor rest and relaxation that is accessible to everyone. |
| Brigitte Schrunk | Brigitte Schrunk enjoys learning and teaching everything about food and nutrition. After getting her bachelor's in nutrition from NYU, she graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in pastry and culinary science. She believes in healing power of food, and the importance of the tie between food, culture and happiness. In her free time, Brigitte enjoys playing cello, dancing, and trying new foods. |
| Brittanie Arnett | Brittanie is a Poway native, born and raised. She has been a POUND instructor for 3 years and loves helping people unleash their inner rockstar and just let loose! When she's not with her POUND posse, she works manages events and communication for an organization that helps underserved youth reach their full potential. Brittanie also loves attending concerts, camping, and trying new things. |
| Darshan Kaur | Yoga has been a part of my life for almost 10 years, and my practice has helped me grow stronger physically, mentally and emotionally. It made me more flexible and fearless, both on and off the mat. Yoga inspires me to live each moment more mindfully. I will always be a student of continuous practice and am deeply grateful for the loving wisdom my teachers have shared with me. In my classes, I love to combine creative and innovative sequencing, a spirit of playfulness and a dose of inspiration to help you deepen your practice. I focus on BBB- Bending Balance and Breathing. I seek to help others thrive in live by nurturing body, mind and soul with yoga, and my hope is that you step off the mat with a smile feeling refreshed, nourished and balanced. |
| Derek Nguyen | Derek is a full-time biology researcher currently working on projects as a geneticist for an aqua technology firm. He has been a tennis instructor for over 15 years helping the development of juniors and adults. Last but not least he is married to a wonderful pickleball player with two children, one recently graduated from SF State and another finishing up at UCLA. My favorite thing to say when I play tennis and pickleball is....Vamoooos!"" |
| John Harris | John Harris began playing pickleball in the fall of 2019 and immediately fell in love with the game. It provides great exercise and the opportunity to make many friends. John plays most of his pickleball in San Diego County but has played as far away as Los Barriles in Baja, Mexico. John enjoys sharing his passion for the game with anyone interested. When not playing pickleball, John enjoys fishing and the great outdoors. |
| John Montalbano | Mr. Montalbano, owner of Invictus Krav Maga, is also the California State Director for the International Krav Maga Federation (IKMF). He has been training in Krav Maga since 2012. In addition to Krav Maga, he continues to actively train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and Kali (the Filipino art of Stick/Knife Fighting). Exposure to these different martial arts allows him to implement the absolute best solution for any given problem. Mr. Montalbano's passion to teach is second to none. He has a deep desire to share his expertise and experiences so that his students (men, women & children) will feel confident and empowered so that all may walk in peace."" |
| Julie Hoffman | I have been dancing my whole life in many forms of dance. A majority of my experience includes over 15 years in competitive Irish Dancing as a child and adult. I have been taking many Soul Line Dances classes throughout the San Diego area. I have participated in Soul Line Dance events and have attended a week long International Line Dance Convention. |
| Keely Smith-Wallace | After years of teaching and playing Tennis, Keely has transitioned to pickleball. She has taught recreation for many years throughout San Diego. |
| Lisa Lewis | Lisa has studied ballet for over 40 years in Sa Diego, where she began her training as an adult. She is dedicated to teaching other adults the basics of dance as both a creative outlet and a healthy lifestyle. She was introduced to Pilates over 20 years ago and quickly fell in love with it, realizing the importance of core strength and stability especially as we age. |
| Lisa Taylor | Lisa Lorraine Taylor, owner of Taylor Made Fitness specializing in Optimum Fitness, Nutrition and Exercise for all ages and fitness goals. Lisa has over 16 years as a Certified Personal Trainer in the fitness industry. She specializes in nutritional studies and exercise; she trains a wide variety of people from children in elementary school to mature adults (and everyone in between). Lisa has been offering her popular Total Fitness Workout through Poway Adult Education for over 5 years which is designed for all levels of health and fitness. Whether you’re new to exercising or a seasoned pro, my Total Fitness Workout can take you and your body to the next level. Come learn, laugh and meet new people while improving your overall health and fitness. |
| Maria Ghaibi | Maria took her first ZUMBA® Fitness class in 2009 and was instantly hooked. The Latin rhythm and international music give a zest that makes every class feel like a party! She had been teaching Latin rhythm dance and Mexican folk dance for the past 20 years, so Zumba was a great fit. She is committed to make every class fun, engaging, exciting and a great workout. Maria loves to continue her own learning and is constantly improving her instructional skills. |
| Marites Hoyla | Marites has over 10 years of experience teaching many types of yoga. She safely and lovingly guides her students in proper yoga posture alignment based on their level of practice and abilities, while incorporating breathing techniques. Marites begins every class with a focus on mindful meditation, fostering a connection between the mind, body and breath. |
| Megan Bliss | Ballroom dance is my passion and I cannot wait to share it with you! After being introduced to ballroom dancing in college, I knew it was something I wanted to make a permanent fixture in my life. Since then, I have worked to hone my own dancing and teaching skills to help provide the absolute best dance education I possibly can. I love helping my students learn something new, build confidence, and strengthen their abilities and look forward to each and every new opportunity to help a student become the dancer he or she has always dreamed they'd be. |
| Michael Powell | Michael has been a pickleball aficionado for a few years now. Since he's retired he's had more time to play and perfect his skills. |
| Miki Blanchard | Miki started her career in Physical Therapy as a Physical Therapist Assistant graduating from San Diego Mesa College in the mid 1980's. She went on to receive a Master's Degree in Physical Therapy from Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, CA. Miki had the opportunity to work with patients, their families, and amazing healthcare professionals for over 37 years. She taught in the Physical Therapist Assistant program at Sacramento City College and has led a variety of trainings, in-services, and student education programs in healthcare settings over the years. Miki came to Poway Adult School in 2023 to head up the Home Caregiver Certification Program. Now she oversees the Home Caregiver and Certified Nursing Assistant Training programs. She is working alongside a strong administrative team and together, we are looking forward to expanding the Health Services programs offered at Poway Adult School to meet the growing community and industry needs. Miki is also a certified Yoga instructor and teaches the Senior Chair and Healthy Back Yoga for Poway Adult School where her mantra is "Yoga for Every Body!" |
| Patty Bozorgchami | Patti’s fascination with Indian culture and music was the reason she started doing yoga very young. She got certified to teach at the Sivananda School of Yoga and Meditation in the Bahamas and has been teaching for 18 years. Since then, her style has developed into a gentle, mindful practice of yoga where she incorporates meditation techniques. She got certified to teach Tai Chi through Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi. Tai Chi and Qigong, has been a beautiful addition to her life. Patti’s yoga classes are a blend of yoga, meditation and Tai Chi. |
| Richard Iorio | Rich has been a Class A PGA member for over 20 years and has been working in the golf industry since 1986. By completing TPI level 2, Trackman, Foresight, and K-Vest certifications, he has a deep understanding of ball flight laws, golf kinesthetics, and golf fitting. I established my career through golf clubs across the country such as Fieldstone Golf Club, Hartefeld National Golf Club, Flint Hills National Golf Club, Terradyne Country Club, Sim Park Municipal Golf Course, and Oakwood Country Club. He was a three-year letterman on the Wichita State University golf team where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in sports business. Since then I’ve dedicated my career to golf education and instruction. He spent 14 years at the Golf Academy of America as the president of the San Diego Campus. He has also spent 3 years at the Professional Golfers Career College as the director of golf and placement for Temecula College. Most recently, he was the regional director of instruction for Lion Golf Academy. He is currently working as the president of MyCaddy while also teaching at PGCC and Swing Scratch. He looks forward to meeting you and taking your golf game to the next level. |
| Rob Lim | Rob attended UCSD, and received his Masters Degree in Physical Therapy from NSU. Certified as an instructor with Titleist Performance Institute and with the Tai Chi for Health Institute. He appreciates all types of sports but volleyball and tennis have been his favorite until his world was taken over by pickleball. His PT career began in an outpatient orthopedic setting and eventually transitioned to working with seniors. His goal is to merge his enthusiasm for pickleball with his knowledge of the human body to bring out the best playing experience to the adult pickleball enthusiast. Every aspect of pickleball revolves around coordinated movements and the functional strength of the human body. Who better than a pickleball-loving PT to guide you through this process? |
| Robin Dohrn-Simpson | Watching from a hotel room in Shanghai, China as thousands of bicyclists whizzed past a group of people practicing a slow, moving meditation in the midst of the bustle of activity was the intriguing moment that changed Robin's life. She went to the group, saw their peace and contentment and decided she needed to try this thing. What was it? Tai Chi. Robin became a Certified Tai Chi Instructor in 1992 and has shared this path to calmness and joy ever since. Adding yoga to her personal fitness program has doubled her peace. Robin shares both movements with willing students and loves to watch their personal transformations. |
| Satya Acharya | Satya is a long-time meditation practitioner and certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher with credentials from the Awareness Training Institute and the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. With a background as a biotech business executive, Satya is dedicated to integrating mindfulness practices into both individual lifestyles and corporate settings. Beyond his professional pursuits, Satya likes hiking, biking, and meditating. Originally from Nepal, he currently resides in Rancho Bernardo with his family. |
| Shawn Torgerson | Shawn has been teaching in San Diego since 1995. He opened the studio 'Dance For 2,' now better known as San Diego's Dance Headquarters, in 2005. Shawn is an incredible and gifted teacher. Although he specializes in ballroom, club, and Latin dance. He can teach over 20 other different dance styles. He loves what he does and thoroughly enjoys introducing people to the world of dance! |
| Sonia Peterson | Retired RN Yoga Instructor since 2017: Hatha, Yin, Restorative, Pre-natal Indoor Cycling Instructor since 2021 Essentrics Instructor since 2023 Volunteer Docent at SD Museum of Art since 2021 |
| Yolanda Mellentin | Yolanda worked for the Princess Cruise Line as a professional dancer and she has danced in the film industry. She has danced in movies such as Grease, Xanadu, and Thank God its Friday. Her understanding and knowledge of the body has helped her become a skilled teacher. Whether you're taking "Killer Sculpted Abs" or "Strength Training for Seniors," she designs the class to the abilities of her students. When not teaching, Yolanda loves reading and is in two book clubs. She is also learning to golf. |
LANGUAGES
| Carol Gratzke | Carol Gratzke received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Los Angeles with a major in Italian and a minor in German. Carol spends her retirement as a volunteer for many causes including the San Diego Italian Film Festival. Carol loves to travel and has reconnected with her Italian roots traveling twice annually to fully immerse herself in the Italian Culture. She has even received her Italian citizenship. Carol teaches Italian, working with children of all ages and being a Nonna to Julian and Chanel, as well as being the proud Zia of Isaac, Benjamin, Irma and Irene. |
| Gabi Pantfoerder | Gabi started her teaching career almost 30 years ago in Germany. Since then she has moved to San Diego where she works at a local middle school. Crocheting has been something she has enjoyed throughout her life and she is happy to share her passion here at the Poway Adult School where she is offering several crocheting and German classes. In her free time she enjoys all kinds of crafts and home improvement projects, and is frequently combining her love for trail running and travelling to participate in races across the country. |
| Maria Buendia | Maria Buendia is a native Spanish speaker, sharing the love for her language and culture has become a passion. She was born and raised in Sonora, Mexico graduated with a master’s degree in international business, and is currently working at PUSD. She loves teaching Spanish and will bring much of her culture into the classroom. Her students will learn about cultural differences, and traditions and have fun while learning a new language. Maria believes that her enthusiastic, cultural approach to teaching Spanish enables students to acquire language skills in a manner that keeps them interested and motivated. She has been teaching for several years, and her goal is that students will step out of her class feeling confident speaking Spanish daily. In her free time, she loves to hike. |
| Miki Kihara | Miki Kihara was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Michigan State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies from Tsuda University in Japan. With over 20 years of experience working in school settings in both Japan and the U.S., she has served as a Japanese language teacher, school counselor, and administrator. Since 2020, she has been part of PUSD, where she continues her work in education. Miki’s goal is to share Japanese culture and foster diversity, believing it will lead us toward a more peaceful world. |
| Rita Manning | Rita Manning has worked professionally as an Interpreter for more than 30 years and as an American Sign Language instructor since 2013. Teaching students and inspiring them to learn beautiful ASL is her passion. It is her philosophy that loving what you teach will encourage students to love it too. |
| Young Kang | Anyong-haseyo! My name is Young. I was born and grew up in Korea. My major was Korean Language and Literature. I was a school teacher in Seoul, Korea. Currently I teach Korean for Navy and Marine Personnel. |
| Yvette Zoghb | I have love for different cultures and languages. I have traveled numerous times to France. I have enjoyed explaining to friends about France and where to go sightseeing. |
PERSONAL ENRICHMENT
| Amy Sage | Amy has been a school counselor for the past 15 years. She is also a mom of two elementary-aged students. Amy is the Co-founder of Parenting DQ, a box subscription company whose mission is to build emotionally healthy kids and families through parent-led social, emotional learning activities. |
| Angelle Maua | Angelle (she/they/elle) is a very proud parent of a transgender young adult, and it was through her child's transition she noticed the need for BIPOC/QTPOC affirming, confidential brave spaces for support in LGBTQIA+ communities of color, especially the Black/African American communities in North and South San Diego Counties. It was because of this void in the BIPOC/QTPOC LGBTQIA+ communities that her work began. Her support focuses on transgender, nonbinary and gender nonconforming BIPOC/QTPOC families to help ensure they have spaces to be 100% authentic and affirmed. |
| Brooke Yang | Seoul, South Korean native Soprano Brooke Yang has sung and taught throughout the Bay Area since she moved to California in 1997. She has performed as a soloist with various chorale groups and has appeared in numerous recitals. She has appeared as a Soprano soloist at venues like Herbst Theatre and Davies Symphony Hall. Ms. Yang has directed many different church choirs and ensembles as well. Ms. Yang received her Master's Degree in Voice from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and her Bachelor’s Degree from Sook Myoung Women’s University in South Korea. She is a member of NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing). www.sopranobrookeyang.com |
| Eric Saville | Eric has had a passion for horticulture since he was a young boy. He enjoys creating gardens; digging in the dirt part, landscape design and building the design. Eric enjoys creating edible gardens combining the beauty and the function of a garden. Join a class with Eric and you can share his passion in your home garden. |
| Erin Trissler-Ellenburg | Erin Trissler-Ellenburg has been designing fairy gardens for over 25 years. What started as a simple way to relax quickly became a small side business. Erin has sold many fairy gardens and most recently did a Halloween and Christmas display at the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas. She has also taught classes throughout Rancho Santa Fe. She works as a CFO during the day and enjoys the release from facts and figures as she creates the tiny worlds. Erin loves sharing her passion for design with others and believes that everyone can find joy and relaxation in building these miniature gardens. |
| Fran Kollenborn | Fran Kollenborn, the daughter of a NYC Radio City Rockette, cannot remember a time when she wasn't a dancer. As a teacher, she loves it when the lights come on" in her students eyes and they realize they can dance and they can lead their partners. A veteran teacher at Poway Adult School, she is a past board member of San Diego Swing Dance Club and USA Dance. Fran's favorite saying: Life is not about learning to survive the storm, but rather learning how to dance in the rain." |
| Gigi Xiang | Gigi is a professional modeling instructor and posture coach with 20 years of experience. Gigi is not only the founder of Gigi's Modeling & Acting Studio, but is also the modeling instructor for John Casablancas Modeling and Career Center. Gigi's students are between the ages of 6 and 65. In addition to teaching modeling and posture, Gigi continues to actively teach styling, makeup and workout. Gigi is very passionate about teaching and helping people create greater health and beauty. |
| Gregg Watkins | “Gregg is a highly qualified business owner with a 20-year profile of success in the real estate and financial industries as a Real Estate Broker, Investor, and Business Banker. He has helped many people navigate the real estate market with finding foreclosure bargains, accomplishing a short sale, and investing in real estate. Gregg’s background also includes work in the entertainment industry and film/TV production. In addition to his real estate and finance classes, Gregg has coached attorneys, national speakers, radio personalities, and accomplished film actors. Gregg has taught hundreds of classes over the years, and enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience to help his students.” |
| James Ayers | Jim has been making music for decades, mastering the guitar and more recently diving into the ukulele. A member of the National Association of Music Merchants and a guitar building grad from Palomar College, Jim's enthusiasm for music runs deep. When he's not playing, you'll find him in his shop, expertly crafting and repairing instruments with precision and care. |
| John Fay | Tom Fay earned his Doctor of Ministry from Duke University in 2022. He has had a life-long passion for studying, knowing, understanding and communing with God, Dr. Fay has had a unique life experience from being a Pastor of a Protestant church, to being an entrepreneur and businessman, to being an author of a novel which inspired a theatrical film to be in theaters in 2024. |
| John LoPiccolo | Mr. LoPiccolo is an accomplished conductor and music director with more than 30 years of professional and teaching experience. A student of the High School of Music and Art in New York City is where he developed an interest for conducting. He also studied Music Education at San Francisco State and received a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Eastern Washington University. After an impressive international career, we are pleased that he has chosen Poway as his current venture. |
| Jordan Farar | Jordan Farar, a native of California has been practicing in the art of bonsai, and miniature landscape sceneries since the early 1990s while displaying them in many different Bonsai Shows. In the late nineties He was a Japanese Friend Ship Garden Docent, tour guide giving people tours through-out the garden, and educating visitors about the different types of plants, trees, landscape designs as well as the culture and tradition. He's been a Bonsai speaker on many occasions, teaching classes on the art, and history of Bonsai for various garden community centers, including the UC Garden Club, the famous Ron Finley’s garden in Los Angeles, and Jordan, having been a Martial arts tournament coach, and judge, and former skateboard champion, found the art of bonsai very calming. He was also invited to teach the subject to the Skate board hall of fame in Simi Valley to many famous pro skaters that were eager to have something to balance, and relax them from the intensity of the sport. |
| Joseph Pospichal | Joe has had a vast career in IT Technology as well as an Insurance Account Executive. He has a CA Life, Health, Property and Casualty Insurance License and is a Certified Long Term Care Agent. |
| Kayla Latta | Kayla Latta recently returned to California from Ireland, where she received a Master of Arts in Creative Writing with First Class Honors at the University of Limerick. Before this, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Literature with a concentration in Creative Writing at the University of California Santa Cruz, also with honors. This is not the end of her study of the craft, however, as she is a lifelong lover of storytelling and hopes to dedicate the rest of her life to mastering it. She has published several short stories over the years, with stories ranging from the surreal to the gothic. Both a teacher and a freelance editor, Kayla loves to help writers strengthen their skills and advance their writing techniques. |
| Lisa Claycomb | Lisa Claycomb is a financial advisor and insurance broker with experience in Medicare, long-term care, life insurance, and annuities, as well as financial planning and money management. She holds undergraduate and master's degrees in rehabilitation and rehabilitation counseling respectively, and a Juris Doctor in law. In addition to having a life and health insurance license, she is an Accredited Asset Management Specialist (AAMS®), is Certified in Long-Term Care (CLTC), and holds Series 7 & 66 securities licenses. Lisa truly enjoys being and educator and has over 20 years of teaching experience in a variety of settings. |
| Michael Graney | Michael is a portfolio manager and an RIA/Fiduciary. He has been in the Financial Services industry since 1999. Michael has been teaching Financial Planning for Women for over 15 years. He loves interacting with his students and getting student feedback. The class he teaches has been built around the concept of making complex, hard to understand financial and economic principles understandable and interesting. The focus is to make the material approachable and the learning environment interactive and fun. |
| Michelle Richardson | Michelle Richardson has been in the Beauty Industry for over 35 years working as a professional makeup artist. She specializes in beauty, cosmetic retail, editorial and bridal makeup. She is an entrepreneur, business owner and instructor with the California Makeup Academy. CMA has prepared thousands of successful students for entry-level work as freelance makeup artists and/or hairstylists for over 3 decades throughout the United States. |
| Ulli Reiner | Ulli Reiner-Marcus, director of our Symphonette is also the manager, founder and concertmaster of the Poway Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Reiner’s musical studies began at the age of 3 ½ when she learned to play the cornet. She played trumpet throughout her youth through college. At age 11 she started studying the violin. She has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe. In 2011 Ulli became the conductor of the Concert Strings ensemble with the San Diego Youth Symphony and Conservatory. Ulli’s current passion is working with the Raptor Resource Project, composing an original piece for solo violin representing the Decorah, Iowa bald eagle family. Ulli has also produced a 2015 calendar for the Poway Symphony Orchestra in celebration of the 10th anniversary. Look up in the skies of San Diego for Ulli to be flying around piloting a Piper Cherokee plane. |
CAREER & TECHNICAL EDUCATION
| Alfredo Hernandez | Before joining Poway Adult School, Alfredo was a computer instructor for at the Elito M. Santarina Technology Center at the City of Carson in Los Angeles. Alfredo has worked with Information Technology and Business Process companies that outsource work to the Philippines as education lead for talent development. He also served as Executive Director for the Eggie Apostol Foundation, with community-driven education reform as a core advocacy. Before moving to the United States, Alfredo was a journalist with his own opinion column in one of the Philippines major daily newspapers. |
| David Sprouse | I graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Masters in Physics. Then moved to San Diego for software development work in airline ticketing algorithms. I then transitioned into telecommunications infrastructure and marketing. In the last 8 years, artificial intelligence has become more useful, affordable, and accessible. We started using AI speech recognition for call automation and have expanded into chatbots and content creation including text, images, video, and music. My wife and I have 4 boys, 2 at Poway High and two in college. |
| Don Baldwin | Don Baldwin has been a professional software developer for 36 years. He has experience in several programming languages, including C, C++ and Java, but the last 13 years have been working with Python, a great language for small projects, but expandable to larger projects as well. |
| Jamal Felton | Jamal Felton started his education career as a campus security specialist, then a College and Career Guidance Technician, and most recently, a Career Technical Education teacher. He also coaches high school football and track and field sports. Jamal now serves as a Career Education Specialist at the Poway Adult School, playing a pivotal role in providing career counseling services and as a liaison to local community colleges. Additionally, Jamal will be assisting K-12 students and teachers with valuable career and curriculum support. |
| Joshua Newton | Joshua Newton has been using Photoshop every day for 13 years. While finishing up his bachelor's in Project Management, he started working for his current company, Mad Engine Global LLC. He has been in graphic design for nearly 10 years and enjoys creating and working on art for apparel that is used globally for large licensed companies such as Disney, Marvel, Nickelodeon, and many more! |
| Miki Blanchard | Miki started her career in Physical Therapy as a Physical Therapist Assistant graduating from San Diego Mesa College in the mid 1980's. She went on to receive a Master's Degree in Physical Therapy from Samuel Merritt University in Oakland, CA. Miki had the opportunity to work with patients, their families, and amazing healthcare professionals for over 37 years. She taught in the Physical Therapist Assistant program at Sacramento City College and has led a variety of trainings, in-services, and student education programs in healthcare settings over the years. Miki came to Poway Adult School in 2023 to head up the Home Caregiver Certification Program. Now she oversees the Home Caregiver and Certified Nursing Assistant Training programs. She is working alongside a strong administrative team and together, we are looking forward to expanding the Health Services programs offered at Poway Adult School to meet the growing community and industry needs. Miki is also a certified Yoga instructor and teaches the Senior Chair and Healthy Back Yoga for Poway Adult School where her mantra is "Yoga for Every Body!" |
| Rey Abelardo | A long time E-commerce analyst since 2006 that has worked as a Product Manager (AutoAnything.com), Web Data Analyst (Petco.com) and currently a Senior Business Analyst (BuyAutoParts.com). Daily duties involve Creating and Modifying SQL queries using Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio and DataGrip (another 3rd party SQL editor). These queries are used as data sources for reports provided to various business units in the company. e.g. Marketing and Product Managers. SQL Data Sources are also used to populate Tableau reports where I can further manipulate the data for visual representation. |
| Sharon Mah | Sharon Mah is the Business Partnership Coordinator at the Education to Career Network (ETCN), which serves as the adult school consortium in North County. In her role, Sharon focuses on building and maintaining relationships with business and community partners to ensure that our adult schools’ endeavors align with industry and community needs. Before joining ETCN, Sharon was the Business Services Representative at the San Diego Workforce Partnership. She also volunteered in our ESL program and taught Mandarin for a while. Prior to her work in the non-profit sector, Sharon spent many years in sales and business development in the tech industry. |
| Taj Kachaamy | Taj Kachaamy earned her BA at the Notre Dame University (NDU) in 1999. Her graduate degree is from the Lebanese University (LU) — the School of Design. She completed her Doctorate in Arts and Art Sciences, her thesis is entitled “Art affects the Brain Performance in Learning and Cognition” at the Lebanese Graduate school. She was pursuing an MA in 3D Animation at USEK (Holy Spirit University), and she was accepted to pursue an MBA in Film Producing at the JPII (John Paul the Great University in California). Taj also has a diploma in youth Guidance from USJ (St Joseph University). Ms. Kachaamy holds 16 years of experience in media production and in education and training. For 6 years, she was the production manager at Spinneys head office, a well-established international retail business. She taught in many universities (including George Fox University in Newberg Oregon, American University in the Emirates Dubai, LIU, AUL, MUBS, and LCU), training centers, and vocational institutes (including ALLC, CIT, Byblos, IPSM, Father Roberts Institute for the young deaf). Ms. Kachaamy has research interests in Art education and its effects on the process of learning and cognition, and in the potential of art as an intervention in psychosomatic and psychological treatment, Immersive Art, Game Design and Game Programming, 3D printing and 3D sculpting, and in Design leadership. |
ACADEMIC CLASSES
| DeeDee Ade | Deedee is a well-known face at Poway Adult School and continues to represent student achievement through various disciplines. She has experience at Poway with teaching English as a Second Language to students of all learning levels. Currently, Deedee teaches Citizenship Preparation and helps students achieve their naturalization status. She has been teaching Citizenship since 2011 and loves every minute of this process. It is her great pleasure to prepare students for this life-changing event, and she enjoys hearing about the many adventures and experiences students go through on their journey to the final Oath Ceremony. |
| Xinhua Huang | Xinhua Huang is an experienced teacher who received her masters in education from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a masters in applied Linguistics from the Yangtze University in China. Ms. Huang joined Poway Adult School after teaching several years in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. |