On a hot July afternoon, Valerie Trimarchi stands over a 4-by-8-foot sheet of wood, paintbrush in hand. Three more planks of wood sit around her home studio—one balances on the sink, another on the...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

After 10 years at Westridge working as Chief Finance and Operations Officer, a job which includes a plethora of responsibilities including anything from finances and human resources to dining services...

Nineteen years ago, Mr. Eric Libicki, then teaching at Occidental College, came to Westridge to teach a demo geometry class. He considered the lesson, about circles, which he explained by using sugar cookies...

Ms. Linda Brownridge, who has taught at Westridge as a Middle and Upper School Art Teacher for twenty-seven years, is leaving the school. She is thinking about pursuing social justice in the criminal...