David Haynes Head of Upper School

BA History and Political Science, M.Ed. Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, East Tennessee State University. Mr. Haynes is the Head of Upper School Academic and Residential Life programs. He has worked in various levels at schools in Tennessee, North Carolina, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and most recently in Long Island. He has served in prior positions as a teacher, coach, dorm parent, History department chair, Director of Residential Life, and Dean of Students. This is his first year as at the Academy.

Jeff Barton, Head of Lower School

BA Humanities, North Dakota State University; MS Sport Administration, United States Sports Academy; MA School Administration, Azusa Pacific University. This is Mr. Barton's twenty-sixth year of teaching, fourteenth year at the Academy and second at as the Head of Lower School.

Jennifer MacLure, School Counselor & Academic Counselor

BS Child Development and Psychology, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA. MA in Counseling with a Pupil Personnel Services Credential, University of San Diego, CA. Ms. MacLure is responsible for maintaining the comprehensive Upper School counseling program and in promoting the academic, career, and personal/social development of each Cadet. Counseling is provided to individuals and small groups. She serves as the Co-Advisor to the Multi-Cultural Club. This is Ms. MacLure’s third year at the Academy.

Erika Pike, School Counselor & Academic Counselor

BS Liberal Studies with a minor in Marine Science, University of San Diego, CA; MA in Counseling with a Pupil Personnel Services Credential, University of San Diego, CA, as well as a California teaching credential. Mrs. Pike is responsible for maintaining the comprehensive Lower School counseling program.  She is the Advisor to the Peer Counseling Program and Co-Advisor to the Multicultural Club. This is Mrs. Pike's second year at the Academy.

Maren Kroger-Diamond, Academic Counselor

BS Business and Management, University of Redlands, CA; MS Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology. She holds a Certificate in College Counseling from UCLA, a California teaching credential and a GATE certificate which qualifies her to teach gifted students. Ms. Kroger-Diamond is an Academic College Counselor for the senior class and teaches AP Psychology. This is her twelfth year teaching and fifth year at the Academy.

Julie Narasky Hall, Head Librarian

BA in History, University of Texas; MLIS, Library and Information Science, San Jose State University. In addition to her library duties, she is the Honor Council Advisor, the lower school computer teacher, and the Advisor to the class of 2014. This is Mrs. Narasky Hall’s eighteenth year at the Academy.

Emmy Scarano, Assistant Librarian

BA Liberal Studies, California State University, San Marcos. She holds a California Elementary teaching credential. Mrs. Scarano was an EMT and Emergency Medical Secretary at Tri-City Medical Center Emergency Department for more than 20 years. She taught at the elementary school level for eight years. This is her fourth year at the Academy.

Sue Downey Department Chair

BS Business, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT; MA Education with a concentration in Language Arts, Saint Joseph College, West Hartford, CT. She holds a Connecticut teaching credential. Mrs. Downey teaches English 9 and English 9 Advanced. This is Mrs. Downey’s nineteenth year of teaching and fourth year at the Academy.

Lyn Berry

BA English and Journalism, University of Arizona; MA Counseling and Psychology, Professional School of Psychological Studies, San Diego, CA. She holds a California teaching credential. Ms. Berry previously worked as a journalist and editor, and continues to freelance within the North County community. She teaches English 11 and English 11 Honors. This is her twenty-fifth year of teaching and her second year at the Academy.

Betty Calkin

BA and MA Literature and Writing Studies, California State University, San Marcos. She holds a California teaching credential. Mrs. Calkin teaches English 7, English 12 and AP English 12. She is the Advisor to the Key Club. This is her fifth year of teaching and her fourth year at the Academy.

David Falkenau

BS Secondary Education, Indiana University. He holds a California teaching credential. Mr. Falkenau teaches English 10 and English 10 Honors. Mr. Falkenau serves as co-advisor to Band of Brothers.  Mr. Falkenau began teaching in 1995, and took his first full-time teaching position in 1998.  This is his eleventh year of teaching full-time and his seventh year at the Academy.

Ruben Rodriguez Department Chair

BA Sociology, Saint Joseph's College, East Chicago, IN; M.Ed., DePaul University, Chicago, IL. Mr. Rodriguez teaches Spanish I and AP Spanish. This is his twenty-sixth year of teaching and sixth year at the Academy.

Garry Dillard

BA Spanish and BA Latin American and Iberian Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara; He is currently a long-term substitute teacher for Spanish I. He serves as Wrestling Coach and Weight Training Coach. This is Mr. Dillard’s first year at the Academy.

Ulrika Pospieszczyk

MA with a double Major in History of American Literature and Intercultural Studies, University of Munich, Germany. Post Graduate Certificate of Education in French and German, University of Leeds, United Kingdom. She holds a California Teaching Credential. Mrs. Pospieszczyk teaches ESL, French 1, 2, and 3/4. This is her second year of teaching and her first year at the Academy.

Pamela Schneider Department Chair

BS Math Education, Kent State University, OH; MA Computer Based Education, California State University, Dominguez Hills. She holds a California teaching credential in Math and Computers. Mrs. Schneider teaches Algebra II, AP Calculus, and Statistics. This is her eighteenth year of teaching and eighth year at the Academy.

Bobby Huggins

BA Liberal Studies, Mathematics, California State University, San Marcos; MBA, Benedictine University, Lisle, IL. Mr. Huggins teaches Geometry and Algebra II. This is his tenth year of teaching at the Academy.

Joe Meyer

BA Business Management/Marketing, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA. Mr. Meyer teaches Math 7, Lower and Upper School Study Skills, and Pre-Algebra. He is an Assistant Football Coach and coaches Lower School Sports. This is Mr. Meyer’s first year teaching at the Academy.

Jolene Mitchell

BS Biology, University of California, Los Angeles. Ms. Mitchell teaches Algebra I and Pre-Calculus. She is the Advisor of California Scholarship Federation. This is her second year of teaching and her first year at the Academy.

Amy Coe, Department Chair

BS Chemistry, California State University, San Marcos. She holds a California teaching credential. Ms. Coe teaches Life Science, Chemistry and AP Chemistry. She also teaches at CSUSM in the Physics department. This is her tenth year of teaching at the Academy.

Soheila Beladi

BS Chemistry, Shiraz University, Iran; MS Chemistry, The Ohio State University. She holds a California teaching credential. Ms. Beladi teaches Chemistry and Advanced Environmental Science. This is her twenty-first year of teaching and her second at the Academy.

Robin Cowen, PhD.

BS Education and BS Horticulture, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN; MS Floriculture Breeding, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; Ph.D. Plant Breeding and Cytogenetics, Iowa State University, Ames, IA. She holds a California teaching credential. Dr. Cowen teaches Biology and AP Biology and is the Advisor to the Forensics Club. This is her twenty-third year of teaching and sixth at the Academy.

Newton Quan

BS Physics, University of California, Irvine. He holds a California teaching credential. Mr. Quan teaches Physics and AP Physics. He is also an Assistant Football Coach. This is his fourth year of teaching at the Academy.

Daniel Primbs, Department Chair

AB Economics, University of California, Davis; MA Economics, George Mason University, VA. Mr. Primbs teaches Economics, US Government and AP US History. He is the Tennis Coach and Advisor to the Academic Decathlon. This is his tenth year of teaching and fourth year at the Academy.

Bert Ford

BA History, University of Las Vegas, NV. Mr. Ford is a graduate of Army and Navy Academy, Class of 1974, and a retired Firefighter/Paramedic. Mr. Ford teaches Military History, U.S. History, and World History and serves as Head Football Coach. This is his seventeenth year of teaching and fourth year at the Academy.

Ethan Segovia

BA World and US History, University of California, Santa Cruz. He holds a California teaching credential. Mr. Segovia teaches 7th grade Geography, 8th grade History, and World History. He is the Advisor to the Class of 2012. This is his second year of teaching at the Academy.

John Musser, Department Chair

BA Music, University of California, Berkeley; MA Music Composition, San Diego State University, CA. He holds a California teaching credential. Mr. Musser teaches Music Technology and Guitar. This is Mr. Musser’s nineteenth year of teaching and sixteenth year at the Academy.

Mike Donovan, Bandmaster

BA Music, University of California, Riverside; Master of Music, University of Oregon.  Mr. Donovan teaches Lower and Upper School Band and Upper School Advanced Marching Band. This is his thirty-fourth year of teaching and second year at the Academy.

Dan Loden

BA Business Administration, San Diego State University, CA. Mr. Loden teaches Yearbook and Journalism. He is the Advisor to the Harvard Model Congress, as well as Golf and Water Polo Coach. Additionally, he supervises the Academy lifeguards and Weekend Activities Program. This is Mr. Loden’s thirty-sixth year of teaching at the Academy.

Terry Matsuoka

BA Fine Arts with an emphasis in painting, printmaking and photography, San Diego State University, CA. He holds a California teaching credential and a TEFL certificate. Mr. Matsuoka teaches Beginning, Intermediate and AP Art, and photo I & II. He serves as Advisor to the Class of 2008. This is his fifth year of teaching and third at the Academy.

Eliane Weidauer

BA English and Drama, San Diego State University, CA. She holds a California teaching credential. Mrs. Weidauer teaches Drama and is Advisor to the Masque and Wig Club, Warrior Singers, and Order of St. Michael. This is Mrs. Weidauer’s eighteenth year of teaching and eleventh year at the Academy.

Michael Basista, SAI, Major US Army Special Forces (Ret.)

BS History and Political Science, Campbell University, NC. He holds a JROTC Instructor Certificate. He retired from the Army after 24 years of service and is a graduate of the Military Intelligence Officer’s Advanced Course. MAJ Basista is the Senior Army Instructor and teaches LET IV. This is his eleventh year of teaching and seventh year at the Academy.

Gregory Brown, Sergeant First Class US Army (Ret.)

AA Liberal Arts with a major in Communications, West Los Angeles Community College, CA. He holds a JROTC Instructor Certificate. SFC Brown retired from the Army after 22 years of service. He teaches LET I, coaches the Rifle Team and Lower School Football. Additionally, is he is Advisor to the Class of 2011 and the Beta Club. This is his eighth year of teaching at the Academy.

Martin R. Davis, First Sergeant US Army (Ret.)

Certificate of Communications, University of California, San Francisco, CA; BA International Relations, American Military University, VA. He holds a JROTC Instructor Certificate. 1SG Davis retired from the U.S. Army after 24 years of service. He teaches LET III and is the high school Drill Team Instructor. He also serves as Cross Country and Track Coach. This is his thirteenth year of teaching at the Academy.

Veronica Parker-Davis, Sergeant First Class US Army (Ret.)

BS Secondary Education, Magna Cum Laude, Madison University, WI; MS Education Counseling, LaCross University, MS. She holds a JROTC Instructor Certificate. SFC Parker-Davis retired from the US Army after 20 years of service. She teaches LET II. This is her seventh year of teaching at the Academy.