Staff

Anabel is currently the senior head teacher for Willow classroom. She has experience as lead family advocate and admin specialist for the Kids Town. Anabel started working in KYCC’s academic programs in 2000 as an AmeriCorps volunteer. Her passion for working with children began when she was 16, when she taught one summer at a private preschool. She went on to earn a degree in Early Childhood Education. Prior to becoming a Kids Town teacher, she tutored elementary- and middle-school children, and worked as a teacher’s assistant. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter and son, biking and hiking.

Ellie is a teacher assistant for Maple classroom. She graduated from UCSD with a B.S. in Human Developmental Sciences. She became interested in working with children and youth in high school after volunteering at a daycare center and Special Education class. She also tutored kindergarten to middle school students for more than six years in an academy. As a teacher and social science major, she is interested in integrating psychology with education to study what factors and teaching styles are the most successful in motivating long-term behavioral changes within the child. In her spare time, she is usually cleaning, catching up with friends, or watching aesthetic vlogs on Youtube.

Erica is currently working towards her associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education at Santa Monica College and has multiple years of experience as a camp counselor. She is bilingual in English and Spanish. As a mother of a 20-month-old daughter, she is fascinated and thankful watching her daughter grow and reach milestones. Through her experience as a volunteer at Ricardo Lizzaraga Preschool and as a mother, she wants to help children explore and grow in an environment where the children can learn about themselves socially and emotionally as well as improving their cognitive and problem solving skills. Erica wants to give the children a sense of belonging and help them achieve their goals. She believes children should be provided with love and support throughout every area of their life.

Jenny has been at Kids Town for almost two years and is currently serving as head teacher in Aspen classroom. She graduated from National University with a degree in Early Childhood Education. She currently has a Site Supervisor permit. Jenny is also CPR and First Aid certified and is bilingual in Korean and English. Jenny has been working with children at children’s centers and language schools since her high school years. She believes that early childhood is the most important developmental stage for consistent growth and success in both education and social skills.  In her spare time, Jenny likes to looking for must-stop restaurants and trying different tastes of food.

Jin started at Kids Town as an assistant director/head teacher and currently is the director. She graduated from CSU, Northridge with a master’s degree in Public Sector Leadership and Management with distinction. She previously worked as a lead teacher/adjunct faculty with low income at risk families and children from multicultural backgrounds. Jin’s passion for teaching comes from wanting to make a difference in a child’s life while facilitating meaningful experiences for the development of the whole child.

Julie is a head teacher in Maple classroom. She has worked at the LACC Child Development Center for four years in a mixed age classroom with children of diverse backgrounds. She has a B.A from UC Santa Barbara in Communication Studies with an emphasis in language development and Spanish language. She is currently working on a Masters in Education and believes in having children learn through play and personal experience. She enjoys cooking and baking and implements those activities in the classroom to engage the children in math and science.

Kimberly is currently an assistant teacher for Willow classroom with KYCC at Kids Town. She earned her Bachelor Degree in Social Work from Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles. During her studies at MSMU, Kimberly volunteered as a tutor and took on multiple jobs including being a Preschool Teacher’s Assistant and a Coach to youth from low-income communities. As a first-born, Kimberly learned to appreciate life and the importance of education. Her experience as the eldest sister and cousin motivated her to help and support youth from various cultural backgrounds. Being bilingual in English and Spanish contributes to her goal of helping children as they mentally and emotionally grow as individuals. She believes that children should feel supported during their early childhood and in whom they want to be.

Luz is a teacher in the Maple classroom. She has been a member of the Kids town family for the past 12 years. She was born in Durango, Mexico, and came to the United States at the age of 15. The oldest of seven children, she was a second mother to her younger brothers and sisters. This sparked her interest in caring for children. Luz overcame language barriers when she first moved to the United States, and is now bilingual. Luz is currently working towards her Associates degree in Child Development at East Los Angeles College. She believes that in today’s society our children are our future and helping them grow is a gift

Sara is the Family Advocate at Kids Town. She graduated from University of California, Berkeley, with a B.A. in Social Welfare. She has experience working with children of various cultures, through her volunteer work as a Sunday School Teacher and VBS leader in different countries such as Mexico, Honduras, Mongolia, and the Philippines. She also works with children as a private tutor. She believes that a successful educator is not only someone who can help a child excel academically, but someone who can also nurture the whole person within the child, touching aspects of social, emotional, and moral development. Thus she aspires to pursue further studies to integrate education, social work, and counseling, in hopes to provide a wholesome environment to children at both an immediate and preventative level. Having grown up in Koreatown, Los Angeles, she is bilingual in English and Korean. During her spare time, she loves to read, travel, and engage in different adventurous experiences.

Sung is a teacher in the Willow classroom.  Sung was born in South Korea. She graduated from California State University, Northridge, where she majored in Education and Asian American Studies. She also took Early Childhood Education classes at Pasadena City College and has earned a Site Supervisor Permit. In her spare time, she enjoys painting and going to the opera. The most important thing to Sung, as a teacher, is that she engages, motivates and inspires students to learn. She always encourages students to strive for greatness. She tries to make lessons exciting so that children learn as they’re having fun.