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LePort Montessori Westpark Staff

School Administration

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Lisa Aguilera

Lisa Aguilera

Head of School

Ms. Lisa graduated from California State University, Long Beach in 2013 with her Bachelors in Child Development and Family Studies. In 2016, she went on to complete her Assistants to Infancy training at The Montessori Institute in Denver, Colorado and her Masters of Education in Montessori Education in 2018 from Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland.

Ms. Lisa began her LePort Montessori journey as an Assistant Teacher in 2013 at our Westpark campus, shortly after graduating from California State University, Long Beach. She went on to open her own classroom in 2014 at our Fountain Valley campus before transferring to our Spectrum South campus in 2018.

Over the years, Ms. Lisa has worked collaboratively with parents and her colleagues to create an optimal learning environment for young children both at school and at home. She views bridging the gap between home and school as a pivotal step in a child's growth and enjoys parent education just as much as guiding young children.

In her free time, Ms. Lisa enjoys spending time with her two young children and husband, going to the beach, and working out.
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Juliette Castelar

Juliette Castelar

Business Manager

Ms. Juliette Castelar received her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from The University of California, Irvine and her Master's Degree in Montessori Education from Loyola University Maryland. She also holds her AMI Diploma in Assistants to Infancy (0-3 years) and in Primary (3-6 years) from The Montessori Institute of San Diego.

Ms. Juliette has 8 years of teaching experience in a Toddler classroom, three years from The Montessori Institute of San Diego, where she was mentored by Dr. Silvia Dubovoy, and five years at our very own LePort Westpark campus. In these past two years, Ms. Juliette has been working for The Philippine Montessori Center as their Academic Coordinator, supporting the Head of School and Director, Administration, and the teachers.

Originally from the Philippines, Ms. Juliette has been living in Southern California for over 15 years. Ms. Juliette has a great passion for working with children as she is drawn to their capacity for learning at the infancy and primary stages. With the use of Dr. Maria Montessori’s philosophies of a prepared environment, children can learn to be confident and independent and build a strong foundation for their development.

In her free time, she enjoys trying new restaurants, weight training, and traveling to new places. Ms. Juliette is approachable and is happy to return to Westpark with her commitment to building strong relationships with children, parents, teachers, and the administration.
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Abigail Castañeda

Abigail Castañeda

Administrative Assistant

Ms. Abi was born in East Los Angeles and was raised in Santa Ana. She is currently attending California State University and is working towards her degree in Chicano Studies, where she is taking Child and Adolescent classes. Ms. Abi is excited to be part of the LePort team and can’t wait to grow with each student. In her free time, Ms. Abi likes to listen to music and hang out with her two dogs Spots and Stuart.

Infant

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Norma Gamez

Norma Gamez

Head Montessori Teacher (Infant)

Ms. Norma Gamez comes from the medical field where she worked as a medical assistant for over six years. Wanting to work with children, Norma earned her Early Childhood Education units from North Orange County Community College and worked at a family childcare home with children ranging from infants to school-age before joining LePort. Mrs. Gamez has since received her AMI Montessori Infant and Toddler Diploma from the Montessori Institute of San Diego. Outside of the classroom, Mrs. Gamez enjoys spending time with her family.
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Andrea Amezquita

Andrea Amezquita

Junior Montessori Teacher

Ms. Andrea Amezquita was born and raised in Orange County, California. She started working in childcare at a young age and has volunteered at many childcare centers and Elementary Schools in Irvine, California. Ms. Andrea received her Associate of Science Degree in Infants and Toddlers and a Certificate of Proficiency in Early Childhood Assistant Teacher at Irvine Valley College. In 2021, Ms. Andrea completed her Association Montessori Internationale (0-3) Orientation at The Montessori Training Center Northeast. During her free time, Ms. Andrea loves to spend time with family, listening to music, and traveling around the world.
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Katie Nunez

Katie Nunez

Assistant Teacher

Ms. Katie was born and raised in Santa Ana. Growing up, Ms. Katie had always wanted to work with children. She has studied at Santa Ana College to pursue her career in childhood development and has earned her certificate as an Early Childhood Assistant Teacher. Ms. Katie grew up in a bilingual household and speaks fluent Spanish. Ms. Katie loves to bake and cook in her free time and enjoys visiting new places.
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Diona Trinidad

Diona Trinidad

Assistant Teacher

Ms. Diona Trinidad graduated from Cal State Fullerton University in 2014. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Child and Adolescent Development with an emphasis on Early Education. Her passion for working with children started at the Beyond Blindness nonprofit organization in 2016. During her seven years of working there, she had various roles as an early interventionist and classroom teacher for infants and toddlers with developmental delays. Ms. Diona found joy in guiding the curious nature of all children and fostering their willingness to learn. Ms. Diona sees Montessori methods as a way of life. She is especially excited about not only utilizing Montessori materials but also learning the best practices for developing independent and confident lifelong learners. Outside of work, Ms. Diona enjoys hiking, crafting, and spending time with her family. She has a son who is also enrolled in LePort Montessori.
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Francis Phankonsy

Francis Phankonsy

Assistant Teacher

Ms. Fran Phankonsy was born and raised in Southern California. She graduated in 2023 from California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. Before joining LePort Montessori, Ms. Fran worked as a Applied Behavior Analysis Behavior Technician for children on the autism spectrum. This is where her passion for working with children began. In her free time, Ms. Fran enjoys attending concerts, discovering new coffee shops, and spending time with friends and family.

Toddler

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Carmen Calvo

Carmen Calvo

Head Montessori Teacher (Toddler)

Ms. Carmen Calvo, the third of nine sisters, was born and raised in Mexico City. She was the first in her family to go to college, earning her B.A. in Education from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. She first discovered and fell in love with the Montessori method through researching educational options for her own children. Later, she went on to earn her Montessori Elementary diploma as well as her AMS Primary diploma, Ms. Calvo has been a Montessori directress internationally since 1993 and completed her AMI Montessori teacher training for the 0 to 3 age group at the Montessori Institute of San Diego in California. She obtained her Master’s degree in Montessori Education from the Loyola University of Maryland. Additionally, she has taught Spanish as a second language to toddlers through adults. Ms. Calvo’s love of travel has sent her from New York to Panama, Hawaii to Russia; her knowledge of world cultures inspires and enriches her teaching.
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Monse Miguel

Monse Miguel

Head Montessori Teacher (Toddler)

Ms. Monse was born and raised in Santa Ana. She attended the University of California, Riverside, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics for Teaching. Ms. Monse has always been interested in working with children and began her teaching career at the early age of 17, working with elementary and middle school. During her free time, Ms. Monse enjoys spending time with her family and building Legos with her younger sibling.
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Nallely Lopez

Nallely Lopez

Head Montessori Teacher (Toddler)

Ms. Nallely graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 2018 with her Bachelor's in Psychology. Ms. Nallely began her journey at LePort Montessori in 2016 as an Assistant Teacher at our Fountain Valley campus. She worked there for 2 years before transferring to our Westpark Campus. In 2021, she completed a Montessori Orientation Course for Assistants to Infancy at The Montessori Training Center Northeast. Ms. Nallely is completing her AMI Assistants to Infancy training at Montessori Stoppani Institute. Originally from Michoacán Mexico, Ms. Nallely has been living in Southern California for many years. Ms. Nallely loves to work with children, and takes pride in continuing to prepare herself to help the children to grow and learn not only in education, but in life. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, reading, and traveling to new places. Ms. Nallely is a very friendly, kind person that always loves to help others.
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Maria Roman

Maria Roman

Assistant Teacher

Ms. Maria was born and raised in Santa Ana. She completed her Associate’s Degree in Psychology from Santa Ana College before transferring to California State University of Fullerton. She is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree with a major in Early Childhood and Adolescent Development. Ms. Maria brings valuable experience as she previously served as a teacher assistant during a summer camp, working with children ranging from 6 weeks to 6 years old. Outside of her professional life, Ms. Maria finds joy in Folklorico performances, allowing her to embrace her cultural roots. She is fluent in both English and Spanish. Additionally, Ms. Maria enjoys exploring new hobbies such as photography, jewelry making, and scrapbooking.
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Nathalie Paik

Nathalie Paik

Assistant Teacher

Ms. Nathalie recently graduated from Irvine High School and is currently pursuing a degree in Psychology. Born and raised in the Philippines, she moved to the U.S. in 2018. She is of both Filipino and Korean descent. In her free time, Ms. Nathalie enjoys playing video games, sleeping, reading books, shopping and eating.
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Laila Gonzales

Laila Gonzales

Assistant Teacher

Ms. Laila grew up in Santa Ana and is pursuing her degree in Child Development at Santiago Canyon College. She has always enjoyed working with children and is excited to work in a classroom setting where she can see each child develop. Ms. Laila considers herself a family person as she has one older and younger brother and enjoys spending time with family. In her free time, she loves going to the beach and hiking.

Primary

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Jillian Snyder

Jillian Snyder

Head Montessori Teacher (Primary)

Ms. Jillian Snyder received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from The College of Wooster in Ohio. Her mother was an Association Montessori Internationale (AMI)-trained guide, and she attended two Montessori schools in Texas. Once reconnected with Montessori philosophy as an adult, Ms. Snyder pursued her master’s in Montessori Education from The University of San Diego as well as her AMI 0-3 and Primary diplomas through the Montessori Institute of San Diego. Through these trainings, Ms. Snyder has become a strong supporter of the Montessori approach to education. She enjoys sharing her knowledge and passion for the Montessori method. Ms. Snyder is excited to continue to collaborate with the talented team of teachers at LePort Schools as they continue to support and create quality personalized educational programs for each child. In her free time, Ms. Snyder appreciates skiing, the outdoors, and photography.
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Ritu Sharma

Ritu Sharma

Assistant Teacher

Ms. Ritu was born in India and has lived in Southern California since the early 2000s. She earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s of Arts in English Literature, and has a Teacher Aide Certification from the Irvine Adult School. She has worked with children in Autism-specific and general education classrooms in the Irvine Unified School District. After raising her two kids, Ms. Ritu was inspired to pursue her lifelong interest in teaching as a career. She worked at a Montessori preschool as a teacher and supervisor before joining LePort. In her free time, she enjoys shopping, spending time with family, traveling and watching movies.
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Roshika Ruhunage

Roshika Ruhunage

Head Montessori Teacher (Primary)

Ms. Roshika joined LePort with over seven years of experience working as a Montessori Toddler and Primary Teacher. She fell in love with the Montessori approach after caring for her two children. Ms. Roshika earned her diploma in Primary Montessori Education at the Colombo Montessori Teacher Training Center in Sri Lanka, which is affiliated with Fairfax University in the United Kingdom. She also has numerous continuing education credits in Early Childhood Education from various colleges in the United States. Ms. Roshika describes herself as simple but strong-willed, and a passionate and kind person.
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Patricia Shaw

Patricia Shaw

Assistant Teacher

Mrs. Shaw was born and raised in Mexico and moved to California in 1985. Prior to joining LePort, she worked in the medical field, but had always desired to work with children. Mrs. Shaw attended Laguna Technical College to receive an education in Human Development and Childhood Education. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys reading, movies, music, and most of all, spending time with her two sons and family in Mexico.
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Liliana Ramos

Liliana Ramos

Head Montessori Teacher (Primary)

Ms. Lily was born in Mexico City and raised in Southern California where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in 2013 at the California State University of Fullerton with a major in ethnic studies and a minor in child and adolescent development. Her career in education began as an after school program leader for a local school district for four years. While seeking other career paths in the educational field she became a Montessori primary assistant and after 4 years of experience she decided to pursue the Montessori Primary training. In the summer of 2019 she joined the Montessori Institute of San Diego and completed the course in August 2020.

In her free time, Ms. Lily enjoys going to the movies, spending time with family, road trips, baking, and many outdoor activities including soccer and hiking.
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Parneet Oberoi

Parneet Oberoi

Assistant Teacher

Ms. Parneet was born and raised in India. She has a Masters in Communication Studies and has worked with leading agencies before realizing her passion for teaching and education. She comes with 12+ years of experience of working with children in India as well as America. After moving to America post-marriage, she completed her child development classes and worked as an Assistant Teacher at our LePort Woodbridge campus. Ms. Parneet loves traveling and exploring cuisines and cultures of the world with her husband and son.

Additional Staff

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Nayra Saad

Nayra Saad

Assistant Teacher

Bio coming soon.
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Marilyn D

Marilyn D'Lima

Assistant Teacher

Mrs. Marilyn D’lima was born and raised in India. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from St. Andrews College Mumbai and worked with an insurance firm for a couple of years. She later developed a passion for working with children, so she pursued and obtained a Diploma in Early Childhood Care from Podar Institute of Education in Mumbai. Before joining LePort, she worked as a Lead Teacher and Assistant Teacher in India and Dubai. She moved to California in 2023 and lives with her 2 daughters and husband. In her free time, she likes to cook, listen to music and go on long walks.
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Michaela Saltzman

Michaela Saltzman

Assistant Teacher

Ms. Michaela was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and her ethnicity is Native American. She comes from a background of other family members working in the educational system. Her love for children came from babysitting her nieces and nephews at an early age. Ms. Michaela hopes to go back to school so she can become a teacher and lead her own classroom someday. After high school, she pursued working as an Assistant Teacher at a daycare for four years working with all ages from infants up to middle school aged children. Her interests are reading all kinds of books or doing artwork using different mediums from drawing to painting. She enjoys spending quality time with her family members.
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Natalie Flores

Natalie Flores

Assistant Teacher

Ms. Natalie was born in Whittier, California and raised in La Habra, California. She received her certificate as an Early Childhood Assistant teacher from Irvine Valley College. From a young age, Ms. Natalie always knew that she was going to pursue a career in the Child Development field. Over time, she realized how much of a positive impact a teacher can have in someone's life. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her friends and family, as well as visiting new places.
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Rocio Alamilla

Rocio Alamilla

Assistant Teacher

Ms. Rocio was born and raised in Mexico. She attended Santa Ana Community College, where she studied child development. Throughout her life she has always been interested in working with children. Ms. Rocio previously worked as a teacher’s assistant at Lutheran preschool. She has also worked as a caregiver for many years. In her free time, Ms. Rocio loves spending time with her family and going on walks with her dog Bella.
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Marisa Rodrigo

Marisa Rodrigo

Assistant Teacher

Ms. Marisa Rodrigo is a resident of Los Angeles who is currently pursuing her degree in Psychological Science at the University of California, Irvine. She loves engaging with children and is immensely passionate about working with children as well. During her free time, Ms. Marisa enjoys a lot of family time in addition to playing the piano, painting, and having fun with her cutest little dog.
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Liqing Zhang

Liqing Zhang

Assistant Teacher

Ms. Liqing was born and raised in China, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts. She has been interested in Early Childhood Education since her children were young. She takes Early Childhood Education courses at Irvine Valley College. Ms. Liqing has been working with children since 2019. She values children’s independence and self-confidence. She always encourages children to explore the world by themselves. She believes that each child is unique, therefore they learn and thrive at their own pace. In her free time, she loves traveling, music, cooking, and gardening.
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