Staff Directory
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Brenda Sadeghi grew up in Tulare, California but now considers herself a Los Angeles native. She earned her bachelor’s degree from California State University, Northridge (CSUN), where she double majored in political science and Chicano Studies and went on to get her teaching credential from Fresno Pacific University. She also holds a Master's in Educational Leadership from CSUN. Prior to joining VCMS, Brenda taught at Extera Public School in Boyle Heights. She especially treasures what she calls the “oh moments” in the classroom. “I love teaching when the vast majority of the class has little experience with the concept because when they start to understand the concept, they often say, ‘Oh, I get it!’ Then I feel our experience has come full circle,” she explains. In her spare time, the Lake Balboa resident enjoys trying new things such as parasailing and kayaking. She also seeks out local destinations where she can experience different cultures and traditions.
Cinthya Gonzalez has always known that her passion was to be in education and to create equitable opportunities for marginalized school communities. As a first generation immigrant from Mexico and English language learner, Cinthya witnessed first-hand the disparities that exist in education when content is not made accessible to diverse student populations. Long before she became an educator, Cinthya worked as a preschool teacher assistant and dance coach for an elementary school in the city of Pacoima. It was there when she realized that her calling was to become an educator and soon after she was hired as an intern-kindergarten teacher for LAUSD. She later moved to Vaughn Next Century Learning Center, where she taught sixth-eighth grade, but spent the majority of her time as an eighth grade English teacher. Cinthya received her Liberal Arts bachelor's degree and multiple subject teaching credential from California State Northridge, as well as her single subject English teaching credential. Cinthya received her master's degree in school leadership as well as an administrative credential from Loyola Marymount University (GO LIONS!). Cinthya is a wife and a mother of four children and most of her free time is dedicated to being a travel baseball parent as she watches her oldest son play his heart out on the baseball field across the country.
Cecilia Chimal grew up in the San Fernando Valley and attended Mission College in Santa Clara. She worked as an administrative assistant and pre-school teaching assistant before joining VCMS. According to Ms. Chimal: “It’s never a dull day at VCMS! I get to work with nice, fun, smart people every day.” The mother of four—two boys and two girls—is a devoted girl scout troop leader and, in her words, “full-time soccer mom.”
Damian is a veteran math teacher with over two decades of teaching experience. After earning his applied mathematics degree from the University of California, San Diego, Damian earned his single subject teaching credential from National University. During his time teaching middle school, Damian has served as an instructional math coach, a department chair, a gifted coordinator, and an eighth-grade class sponsor. His experiences differentiating instruction and teaching math in a problem-based learning format make him an invaluable asset to VCMS staff.
Rachel is a math intervention specialist with 12 years of experience teaching full classes, small group and one-on-one instruction. Mrs. Escobar earned her bachelor's degree from Loyola Marymount University in Business Administration. She earned her teaching credential and Masters of Education from the University of La Verne. This is Mrs. Escobar’s second year at VCMS and she is co-teaching the 7th & 8th graders with Mr. Coleman in the math department. She loves connecting with students and helping them reach their full potential.
Krysta Henriquez was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. She earned her degree in applied mathematics at UC Riverside. As an undergrad, she was an in-class math tutor at an elementary school in Riverside for three years, and that was where her spark for teaching really grew. After graduating, she moved to the Bronx, NY where she taught and tutored students in math, English and Spanish. After returning to the San Fernando Valley, she was a third grade teaching assistant at VCES for three years and was in awe of all the amazing students and teachers. She is excited to be a part of the VCS team and continue her passion for teaching math.
Stephen Lopez is a native Angeleno, born in Culver City. He studied kinesiology at Cal Poly Pomona. Before coming to VCMS, Mr. Lopez worked as an assistant athletic trainer. He loves being an athletic director because he gets to inspire the joy a student gets from playing a sport that, without school athletics, they might not have had the opportunity to play. When he is not at VCMS, you might find Mr. Lopez playing soccer with friends or cheering on his beloved Dodgers.
Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Ms. Paoletta has returned to the valley after living in the Palm Springs area for the last two decades. She earned two bachelor's degrees from the University of California at Riverside in sociology and administrative studies, holds a master’s in school psychology, and has a Pupil Personal Credential from California State University at San Bernardino. She has worked in the field of school psychology for nearly a decade in both the private sector and in the public sector for school districts in Riverside County and Alameda County conducting assessments and providing counseling. Ms. Paoletta is dedicated to matching students with their best learning modalities. During her free time she enjoys taking walks with her herd of miniature schnauzers and playing Pokémon Go.
Melanie Ramirez graduated from California State University Northridge and earned a bachelor's degree in Spanish language and culture. She was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley and has always had a passion for language learning. Throughout her career, Melanie has worked extensively with middle school students, serving as a paraprofessional, student activities coordinator, and assistant teacher. These roles have allowed her to connect with students on various levels, fostering a nurturing and engaging learning environment. In her free time, Melanie enjoys bullet journaling and practicing her calligraphy. Last year, she took charge of the calligraphy club, guiding and inspiring over 20 students to embrace the art of writing in cursive. Melanie firmly believes in the power of education and strives to help students recognize the importance of the learning process.
Vermont native Kevin Waterman served five years in the Marine Corps infantry, including seven months in Iraq, before pursuing his bachelor’s degree in history at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). He earned a teaching credential at CSUN and student-taught at Mulholland Middle School and Cleveland High School. On being a teacher, Waterman said, “I love working with kids and engaging with ideas. I have always been passionate about history and social studies. It feels very rewarding to see students really thinking critically and grappling with questions concerning the way the world works.” In addition to spending time with his wife and cats, in his spare time, the North Hills resident loves to read, exercise (and in particular, hike), and play strategy computer games such as Civilization V and Stronghold: Crusader.