New Faces at Oakwood

A heartfelt welcome to the new members of our faculty and staff during the 2024–2025 school year.

Elementary Campus

Brittany Barros (Classroom Assistant) has experience working at daycares and an elementary school. As a mother of a daughter with autism, she brings a deep understanding and love for children and is very excited to work with everyone at Oakwood.

Sean Brin ’18 (Music Classroom Assistant) will assist Lisa and Joanie as the Music Classroom Assistant. Sean is an Oakwood alum and has taught at Oakwood Summer Programs Exploratorium for the past two summers. He holds a B.A. in Media Studies and Economics, and is a drummer and trumpet player with a background in Jazz, Rock, Classical, and Experimental Music.

Michael Flores (Classroom Assistant) has over five years of experience working with students, and is passionate about helping them succeed. Outside of work, he enjoys powerlifting, bodybuilding, and spending quality time with his partner.

Gerrardo Torres (Classroom Assistant) holds a B.A. in English Literature and has worked as a tutor and teacher’s aide for two years. As an aspiring teacher, he aims to advance his journey in education until he becomes a professor. Gerrardo is also fluent in Spanish.

Giovanni Ramirez (Classroom Assistant) continues his Oakwood journey in his new role as a classroom assistant this year, after having had the amazing opportunity of working with the after-school team last year. Giovanni recently graduated from UCSD with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Human Development. Giovanni is excited to bring his leadership and childcare skills to the elementary campus.

Cecelia Sandoval (Classroom Assistant) is a lifelong learner and a full believer in the power of education. Being of service and support for someone’s learning journey is very fulfilling to Cecelia, and she couldn’t be more excited to join the team Oakwood. Cecelia has her Bachelor’s Degree in Acting, and holds a Master’s Degree in Humanities with a focus in Creative Writing.

Korayma “Kory” Chavez (3rd Grade Teacher)  is originally from the San Fernando Valley, but has spent the last two years teaching 3rd and 4th grade in Seattle, Washington. She received her B.A. in Liberal Studies with a focus on elementary education at the University of California, Riverside. She later pursued her Masters in Education at the University of Tsukuba, Japan. She studied abroad in South Korea during one of her undergrad years. Using her international education experience, she hopes to continue bringing culture into the classroom and to pique the curiosity of her students about the world around them. In her free time, she enjoys taking film pictures, thrifting, and traveling outside the country to meet her friends around the globe. We are excited to welcome Kory to Oakwood!

Mari Heimlich (Kindergarten Teacher) is originally from Atlanta, Georgia, and moved to Southern California in 2020. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education with reading and ESOL endorsements from Kennesaw State University. With experience teaching 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades, she is passionate about fostering strong relationships with her students and witnessing their growth and development. Outside the classroom, Mari finds joy in doing dog therapy with her beloved dog Roo, practicing yoga, traveling, and immersing herself in Los Angeles’s vibrant food culture. Her dedication to education and love for diverse experiences enrich her teaching and her students’ learning in the classroom. Mari is thrilled to continue her teaching journey in kindergarten at Oakwood School!

Secondary Campus

Dr. Ryan Bird (Director of Counseling) brings over a decade of experience as a Licensed Educational Psychologist; most recently as the Psychologist for the The Center for Early Education. Throughout his career, Ryan has excelled in developing and implementing comprehensive mental health programs that promote academic success and overall well-being. His expertise includes psychoeducational assessments, crisis intervention, and the use of evidence-based practices to foster inclusive and collaborative educational environments. Ryan has led significant initiatives in his previous roles, such as developing school-wide suicide prevention protocols and implementing social-emotional learning programs, supporting individual students and empowering educators with effective classroom management strategies. His warm and collaborative approach emphasizes the importance of holistic support systems involving teachers, parents, and community members. In his freetime, Ryan enjoys traveling around the globe, trying trendy new restaurants with his foodie wife, and taking their 6 year-old Aussie-Terrier “Dash” for walks to the park.

Daela Haerle (Nurse) joined Oakwood towards the end of last year and is excited to continue into the new school year with our community. She is an experienced emergency nurse who brings her skills to our campus as the Secondary School Nurse. She also holds a Trauma Nurse Certification, which equips her to provide medical care on campus. In addition to managing daily symptoms, she supervises immunization stati and ensures the safety of the students. Daela has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. These qualifications have provided her with the knowledge and competencies necessary for her role here at Oakwood.

Herb Newsome (Theater Teacher) is a multi-disciplined theater educator with a passion for developing students’ talent and creativity, who is committed to providing engaging and enjoyable learning experiences. He is a teacher who believes in the art of collaboration. Herb holds a B.A. in Theater from The University at Albany and an MFA in Acting from Penn State University, with professional experience in the areas of Acting, Directing, Playwrighting, Play Development and Theatrical Design. He will be covering for Javier while he is on sabbatical, and returns to Oakwood after serving as a guest director for our production of The Colored Museum in the 2020-2021 school year.

Alyssa Peterson (Assistant Athletic Trainer) graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a B.S. in Athletic Training and passed her boards to become a Certified Athletic Trainer. She has since worked with a range of athletes from youth to the professional level. Growing up with parents in education and professional baseball influenced her approach to sports medicine, in which she strives to provide the highest quality healthcare through educating her athletes, injury prevention, and providing personalized attention and encouragement during rehabilitation.

Keane Tarrosa, MP/SP (Associate Director of College Counseling) is returning to Southern California to join the College Counseling team after spending the last two years in the Bay Area. While the idea of college admissions can understandably be a source of stress for many students, Keane works to highlight the opportunities for exploration, self-discovery, and joy possible in the process. He studied Economics as an undergrad at Occidental College and Education Policy for his M.A. at Columbia University, eventually leading to his start in college admissions. When not on-campus, Keane can be found at the movie theater, on the tennis courts, or in one of LA’s countless coffee shops.

K-12

Alyssa Cohen (Director of Human Resources) comes to Oakwood with over sixteen years of progressive Human Resources experience. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Business Economics from UCSB, and a Master’s in Science in Human Resources Management from Capella University. Most recently, Alyssa has been providing human resources consulting for small to medium sized for-profit and not-for-profit organizations in the Los Angeles area. Prior to consulting, Alyssa was the Human Resources Manager for the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and The Home Depot. She also works as an Advisory Board Member for a small non-profit, The Maple Counseling Center, which provides mental health services for low-income families. Alyssa has a strong passion for helping others and really wants people to succeed both professionally and personally. She likes to spend time with her family and friends creating lifelong memories, and hanging out with her rescue dogs, Louie and Skipper. Alyssa also enjoys going to Disneyland with her son and daughter, baking desserts, growing fruits and vegetables in her organic garden with her spouse, and reading mystery novels.

Sierra Dague (Admissions Assistant) joins Oakwood in the newly-created Admissions Assistant position. Sierra is graduating from the University of Southern California this winter with a B.A. in Gender and Sexuality Studies. She loves supporting student educational success and has done so as a tutor, mentor, and childcare worker. Most recently, Sierra was a Student Education Intern at the LAUSD headquarters. She looks forward to utilizing her education in diversity, equity, and inclusion to assist the admissions team and to form meaningful connections with the Oakwood community.

John Gentile (Assistant Head of School for Community Engagement and Belonging) is an advocate for progressive, student-centered, equity-based educational frameworks, and he is thrilled to join the Oakwood community. His twelve years within NYC independent schools ranged from being the Co-Director of the Office for Identity, Culture, and Institutional Equity at the Horace Mann School to the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Calhoun School. He served as the Co-Chair of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) Diversity Committee from 2021-2023. He has served as Co-Director of the NYSAIS Justice, Equity, and Diversity Institute (JEDI) since 2022. He is a founding board member for People of Color in Independent Schools-NY (POCIS-NY). He received a bachelor’s degree in The Arts from Eugene Lang College at The New School and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. He loves playing volleyball, going to see live theater and music, and loves all things that have Old Bay flavoring! 

Angie Sanchez (Payroll Manager & HR Coordinator) comes to Oakwood with over 20 years of experience processing payroll in organizations ranging from 100-5000 employees. These organizations vary from small nonprofits, such as Jay Nolan Community Services and Oaks Christian School, to large organizations like Coca-Cola and Heritage Provider Network. She also holds certifications in Human Resources, ADP, Paylocity, FCP, in addition to other various payroll systems. She enjoys helping employees with any payroll or human resources issues that they have. Her hobbies include hosting themed parties, hosting Sunday dinners with her family, and crocheting for “Octopuses for Preemies,” which is always looking for volunteers.