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...
![Dr. Zanita Kelly, Director of Lower and Middle School, pictured above, and the rest of Westridge Administration were instrumental to providing Westridge faculty and staff the support they needed after the Eaton fire. "[Teachers] are part of the community," said Dr. Kelly. "Just like our families and students."](https://westridgespyglass.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/dr.-kellyyy-1-e1748143600809.png)
