Westridge Welcomes New Faculty Members for the 2022-2023 School Year

Sr. Ryan Villaverde brings a love of music to his roles as Upper School Spanish and chorus teacher. Villaverde grew up 20 miles south of Miami, in a small town called Palmetto Bay. As a kid, he developed a strong passion for reading and the musical arts. “I remember crawling underneath the piano while I listened to my mother play songs,” he said. After hearing the Harlem Boys Choir perform in...

Cindy Lin Cindy Lin and I sit on the edge of the PAC stage, both nearly consumed by the curtains. Across from us lies the reason we have been pushed to the side: dragon heads constructed from an assortment of recycled materials, poles that will eventually be transformed into wings, and a number of other pieces of wood ready to be turned into maces, swords, and axes. It is, as Cindy Lin explains...

Roni Shnieor is entering this school year excited about inspiring her students. Ms. Shnieor taught three-dimensional art and ceramics at Westridge at the beginning of last year. She returned in the 2022–2023 school year as the full-time teacher of Painting and Drawing I and II.  Ms. Shnieor said that the most important goal she has for her students is to find joy in their artwork. “You want ...

Surrounded by crystals, plants, and a diffuser, Catherine Streicher welcomed me into her sleek and geometrically-inclined classroom on a Friday afternoon. Ms. Streicher joins Westridge as the new 5th grade math teacher. Her hospitable personality and thoughtful classroom setup immediately made me comfortable, and I easily fell into conversation with her. Ms. Streicher described her morning as “.....

Kara Ramirez joins Westridge as a new Middle School English teacher with a kind and social spirit—perfect for teaching 8th graders. Mrs. Ramirez welcomed me into her comfy Mudd office with a sweet smile, gesturing for me to take a seat. She comes to Westridge with over 15 years of experience working in schools and is thrilled for many more to come.  Before coming to Westridge, Mrs. Ramirez tau...

The first thing Emily Mukai tells me is that she was mistaken for a freshman. She was in the Commons, trying to figure out what Fiesta Friday is—a good question, by all standards—when a senior asked if she was a freshman. Punctuated by laughter, she said: “I am flattered that I still can pass as a 14-year-old.” Perched at her desk on an office chair that screams Professional AdultTM, in a j...

Los Angeles native Jenna Orlandini, referred to as Coach Jenna by her students, is now an official faculty member at Westridge as a P.E. coach and Volleyball Program Director. Having played collegiate level volleyball at the University of Washington and professionally after college, Orlandini shared that volleyball has always held a special place in her heart. Through coaching, Coach Jenna want...

Elliott Chang joins the Westridge Upper School Math Department as a teacher for some of the 9th and 11th grade, as well as an advisor for a group of juniors. He runs his classes with a relaxed, easy-going environment, at least—in his words—in comparison to his previous positions. “I taught at an all-boys school before and it was kind of wild there. Here the vibe is super different, I think the...

On July 1, 2022, Andrea Kassar succeeded former Head of School Mrs. Elizabeth J. McGregor to become Westridge’s 12th Head of School. After her tenure as the Head of Upper School at the Nightingale-Bamford School, she and her family moved from New York City to Pasadena.    I met with Ms. Kassar to discuss her first few months at Westridge. Even though it wasn’t my first time walking into the...