Mrs. Jenni Helj graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a BA in Liberal Studies/Speech Communication and also holds a MA in Educational Administration from Concordia University, Irvine. Before coming to Cambridge, Mrs. Helj was at another classical Christian school where she taught grammar school grades and then became the Head of School. She also spent over a decade on the mission field in Romania, where she met and married her husband, Adi. They have two adult children, one of whom was in the second graduating class from The Cambridge School. Mrs. Helj is looking forward to her eleventh year at Cambridge, where she has the privilege of working with students, teachers and parents to further the mission of the school in the lives of the Grammar School students.

Mrs. Suzanne Kataoka is passionate about helping students flourish during their formative years of grammar school. Her experience in teaching pre-K thru 6th provides her with a unique perspective of child development and the importance of laying a strong foundation in good learning habits and character formation. As a credentialed reading specialist, she is particularly interested in helping students develop their reading, writing and speaking skills. She is looking forward to welcoming the Junior Kindergartners as they begin their journey through a distinctly Christian education in the classical tradition! She also looks forward to coming alongside parents to provide support and encouragement in this important season of life! As a lifelong learner, she is excited to further her graduate studies at Baylor University. She counts it a blessing to be a part of The Cambridge School community with her husband and two daughters. Soli Deo Gloria!

Mrs. Stephanie Chung is a native of San Francisco, Ca. She moved down to San Diego to attend the University of California, San Diego, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, CA clear teaching credential and Master of Education degree. This will be her tenth year at The Cambridge School. She is excited to be a part of this community of faith and learning, and is eager to come alongside the faculty and parents of Cambridge to support her students in their development of heart, soul, and mind and to provide them with opportunities to practice loving and serving God and each other. Stephanie is married to her husband, Sam. Together, they enjoy working on their home, traveling, serving at their church, and playing with their dog, Buddy.

Mrs. Aimy Ferdyn was born and raised in San Diego, CA. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, San Diego, she obtained her Master of Education and Teaching Credential from National University. Mrs. Ferdyn has worked as a Kindergarten Teaching Assistant at a local private school, and taught the Junior Kindergarten class at Cambridge for 3 years. She is excited to return to The Cambridge School for her seventh year to teach Kindergarten again in the fall. Mrs. Ferdyn feels blessed to be a part of the Early Childhood Education team in setting the foundation of learning. She looks forward to leading and guiding the Kindergarten students in their discovery of God’s creation. Mrs. Ferdyn loves hiking, baking, reading, traveling, and spending time with her family.

Mrs. Haidee Thesing graduated from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies and a master’s degree in education from San Jose State University. She holds a California Clear, multiple subject credential and has over 30 years of teaching experience with students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Mrs. Thesing began her teaching career in the public-school sector with the Menlo Park City School District where she was a Master Teacher. She then classically homeschooled her own children and led a multi-grade homeschool co-op in northern California. After moving back to her native San Diego with her family, Mrs. Thesing began teaching again full-time and has been professionally involved in classical education for the past 15 years. She is delighted to be embarking on her ninth year of teaching first grade at The Cambridge school and is passionate about training up the next generation to think well, love wisely and live rightly by loving God with all their “heart, soul, mind and strength.” When not in the classroom, Mrs. Thesing enjoys traveling with her husband, spending time with her family, working in her garden, and swimming.

Mrs. Lisa Geffeney has a BA in English from UCI and has been teaching in a variety of settings for over 20 years including classically homeschooling her three daughters, teaching at the Juvenile Hall in Orange, Grace Classical Academy, and here at Cambridge as a first grade teacher, second grade teacher, and Fifth grade aide. Mrs. Geffeney lives on a small ranch in Fallbrook with her husband, Tyler, and three daughters and loves to spend her free time horseback riding, hiking, reading, writing and gardening. She feels incredibly blessed and excited to begin her fifth year teaching First Grade at The Cambridge School this year.

Mrs. Margaret Lowing is thrilled to return to Cambridge as a second grade teacher this fall after being away for nine years. She has her MA in elementary education with a specialization in reading and mathematics from Walden University, a postgraduate degree in Autism education from Liberty University and specialized training in addressing reading and language processing difficulties from Lindamood-Bell. She had the immense pleasure of teaching junior kindergarten and first grade at Cambridge for five years before moving with her husband, an active duty Marine. Mrs. Lowing went on to teach third grade at a public school in North Carolina, privately tutored students with reading and language difficulties in Hawai’i and worked as the math and reading interventionist and sixth grade English teacher at a private school in the Lowing’s most recent duty station in Michigan. When she is not in the classroom, Mrs. Lowing enjoys being outdoors, a good cup of tea, cooking, visiting family, playing board and card games and exploring God’s creation through the eyes of her two young sons, who are becoming part of the Cambridge community this fall as well.

Mrs. Shelly Potwarodwski was born and raised here in Southern California, graduated from California State University, San Bernardino with a BA in liberal studies, a minor in English, and CLAD credential. She taught second grade for several years working with GATE students before moving to Columbus, Georgia with her husband, Eric where she taught before having her first of four children. The AIr Force brought her family back to California where they are happily raising their children. This will be their fourteenth year at TCS with two TCS alumni, one who will be a senior and another a sophomore in college. Here at TCS they will have a 10th and 6th grader. She is thrilled to return for another eventful Cambridge year as lead teacher to continue to share her love of God and learning! In her free time she enjoys swimming, gardening, long beach walks, and spending time with family.

Mrs. Hana Rodgers has a Master’s degree from the Czech Republic in English, Social Sciences, and Education. After student teaching, she taught high school (English and Composition), helped with creating grammar curriculum for summer English camps, and was a K-8th grade tutor for 6 years. She also volunteered in a 5th grade public school classroom after moving to the US and has enjoyed serving in her church’s children’s ministry for many years. She loves sharing her love for God with her students and is deeply grateful for the opportunity to pursue the unique mission, vision, and values of the school. Her excitement for the richness of Christian classical education and specifically of the 3rd grade curriculum began ten years ago and has only deepened with time.

Mrs. Hosanna Hall grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and moved to San Diego to attend UCSD. During her time in college, Mrs. Hall was a part of several children’s ministries and discovered her delight in teaching children who God is and what He has done. After she received a B.A. in Human Development, she became a kindergarten aide at The Cambridge School. She returned to UCSD to earn a Teaching Credential and Master of Education degree and now is so thankful to be back at TCS for her fifth year as a 3rd grade teacher to encourage children in their love of God and to shape their characters. Mrs. Hall married her husband, Greg in July 2020 and adopted her puppy, Rollie, in February 2021.

Mrs. Paula Jones taught fourth grade for eight years at Logos School, Moscow, Idaho, one of the early classical and Christian schools in the modern movement, as well as serving there as Director of International Students. This will be Mrs. Jones’s seventh year teaching 4 th grade at The Cambridge School. Mrs. Jones graduated from the University of California, Irvine (BA, Social Science), and has lectured at the annual convention of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools. She and her husband, Doug, have five children. She enjoys walking on the beach, yoga and sewing. She has lived in Idaho and the United Arab Emirates but is thankful to be back in beautiful San Diego where she grew up.

Mrs. Katie Mohler grew up in Switzerland and attended the French-speaking public school system. In tenth grade, she moved to the United States and finished high school in Rochester, Minnesota. She then went on to earn a B.A. in English and French Literature, with a Minor in History, from Hillsdale College in Michigan. Mrs. Mohler’s first teaching job was on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, where she met her husband, current Upper School Math teacher, Jacob Mohler.

Mrs. Mohler has spent the majority of her teaching career imparting her love of literature, history and French in grades K-12 in Minnesota, Missouri and Hawaii. Before moving to San Diego four years ago, Mrs. Mohler and her family lived in St. Louis, Missouri, where she was the Outdoor Classroom Director at a K-6th Christian school. This position allowed her to integrate literature, history, art, and science with outdoor and hands-on learning experiences.

The past two years she has been a part of the fifth grade team and is now looking forward to delving deeper into the rich and varied curriculum of fourth grade.

The Mohlers have two children at The Cambridge School, Emma (12th grade) and Ian (9th grade). Mrs. Mohler delights in learning about the flora and fauna in the San Diego area, traveling, reading all types of books, watching movies, spending time both at the beach and in the mountains with her family, and listening to her husband play the ukulele. She also loves tea and food, especially the three essentials, chocolate, cheese, and warm crusty bread.

Ms. Esther Berends is excited to be a part of the Cambridge community this upcoming year teaching fifth grade. This will be her seventh year at Cambridge, and she is excited for all the new experiences and learning that will take place this year in fifth grade. Ms. Berends has a B.A in Liberal Arts and Culture from New Saint Andrews College and a M.A in Teaching from Liberty University. She is thankful for the opportunity to work together with parents and colleagues to shape students who desire to pursue both virtue and academic excellence.

Mrs. Ashley Park was born and raised in Southern California. She studied at the University of California, San Diego for three years and earned a BA in Literature with an emphasis in writing. Mrs. Park is excited to return for her 7th year at the Cambridge School teaching 5th grade where she can continue to share her love of God and learning with her students. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exploring new coffee shops, and spending time at the beach with her husband and dog!

Mrs. Kelsie Howze is originally from San Diego, California and a graduate from the University of California, San Diego. Upon earning her degree in Linguistics, Mrs. Howze traveled to India for an internship working with a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) where she developed curriculum for underprivileged children and worked on character building and deepening faith understanding with children in an orphanage. After 5 months, she returned to San Diego where she pursued and earned her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential at San Diego State University. For the past five years, she has worked at Cambridge as one of the 6th Grade Lead teachers. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Biblical and Theological Studies at Covenant Theological Seminary. She has always loved teaching and feels God calling her to challenge students to think critically and engage with various texts including fictional literature, classics, historical and other non-fiction texts, especially God’s word. Her goal in teaching is to encourage students to be excited about digging deep into all their studies, connecting and applying it to their lives, and being able to carry those skills into their futures. In her free time she loves reading, board games, studying the Bible, traveling, hiking, swimming, and spending time with friends and family.

Mrs. Laura Smith grew up in Iowa City, Iowa and earned a BA in Elementary Ed with a specialization in science from Bethel University. Mrs. Smith taught fourth grade at Grace Academy Classical School in Boone, North Carolina for five years before she moved out to sunny San Diego to join The Cambridge School. At Cambridge, Mrs. Smith enjoyed serving as a lead fourth grade teacher for three years before her family moved away to Oregon for one short year before coming back to southern California. Mrs. Smith is currently in her second year as a lead sixth grade teacher while raising three children who attend the Cambridge School. She is passionate about the great outdoors, being with others and the game of baseball. She can’t wait to learn and grow from her students while helping shape their hearts and affections towards Christ.

Ms. Cyndi Lehn earned her B.S. in Mathematics from Biola University, and her single subject teaching credential from California State University, Fresno. Ms. Lehn is looking forward to her 10th year teaching grammar school math at Cambridge. During her time at Cambridge, she’s taught grades 3-6 at in various years. Within the framework of our vigorous Singapore math curriculum, she shepherds her students to love God more deeply and to love their neighbors well. She cultivates a classroom culture where students learn to venture beyond their comfort zones and explore new challenges with perseverance and grit. In an environment of empathy, grace, and open communication, everyone is given space to make mistakes and learn from them and encouraged to keep pressing on until concepts are internalized. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys time with family and friends, reading, yoga, hiking, and enjoying the outdoors.

Mr. Caleb Lieurance graduated from Westmont College with a B.A. in Philosophy and a Minor in Mathematics. While in school, he worked as a Peer Tutor and Teacher’s Assistant, where he discovered his passion for coming alongside students as they pursue understanding. Mr. Lieurance looks forward to sharing his interest in logic and mathematics, and guiding students as they engage with difficult problems. He also loves spending time with a good puzzle or riddle.

Mrs. Joyce Kim was born in Illinois, moved and lived in several other states in the Midwest, and then settled in the Sacramento area. She studied at University of California, San Diego where she majored in Human Biology. Throughout college and afterwards, she worked in a variety of biomedical positions, ranging from clinical to laboratory. She’s excited to continue her third year at The Cambridge School because she’s passionate about cultivating a biblical worldview for how students see not only science, but all subjects, personal character, and human relationships. In her free time, she enjoys studying biblical counseling, cooking, and checking out new coffee shops and restaurants with her husband and friends.

Ms. Tori Einstein was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and has lived in Tucson, Arizona for the last 12 years. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Religious Studies. After graduation, Ms. Einstein did a Children’s Ministry internship at her local church before moving to Mill Valley, California to attend Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. During her time there, she earned a Masters in Educational Leadership. Following graduation, Ms. Einstein was a Children’s Ministry Director for 7 years. She then worked as an Athletic Director and a Middle School math and science teacher. In this new season, Ms. Einstein is excited about joining the faculty at The Cambridge School and investing in students as the House Governor, Walker Tutoring elective teacher and 6th grade science teacher. Ms. Einstein enjoys traveling, reading, and doing CrossFit.

Mrs. Burger has been a teacher’s aide at Cambridge for several years working in the kindergarten and 1st grade classes. Prior to working at Cambridge, she home schooled her four children where she emphasized a Classical education including the study of Latin.  Mrs. Burger has a B.S. in Engineering from UCLA. 

Mr. Donny McNair has taught at The Cambridge School for five years. He graduated from New Saint Andrew’s College with his BA in Liberal Arts and Culture, and then graduated from Villanova University with his MA in classical studies and Latin. Mr. McNair began teaching in 2014 at St. Abraham’s Classical Christian Academy in Aptos, California where he remained for three years. He started primarily as a Latin teacher and has taught Latin from 4th grade through 10th grade. His other areas of experience include teaching Roman and Medieval literature and History. Mr. McNair is happy to be sharing his knowledge and love of the Latin language with the students of Cambridge. Outside of school, Mr. McNair enjoys spending time with his wife, mountain biking, and surfing.

Mrs. Ruth Hong was born, raised, and educated in China. She completed the International Chinese Teacher Training Program at Beijing Language and Culture University. She taught at a Christian school for 9 years before moving to the US. At Cambridge, she desires to help students learn this beautiful language and experience the rich culture of China. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, and traveling.

Mrs. Segarra joined the Cambridge School teaching team in 2012. She earned her undergraduate degree in music from Chapman University, with an emphasis in choral conducting and voice, and an MBA from Pepperdine University and has completed training and certification in the Orff method of music education. Mrs. Segarra taught Kindergarten Prep, 3rd grade, and 4th grade at a private Christian school. Additionally, she has served for many years in church music ministry in various capacities – as director of music ministry; director for children, youth, and adult choirs; and soloist. She has been active in a number of music associations, as co-president of San Diego Choristers Guild for a number of years and currently as an active member of the San Diego American Orff Schulwerk Association. Mrs. Segarra and her husband have lived in the San Diego area for over twenty years, and they have three adult children.

Mrs. Luda Rockett was born and raised in the beautiful Southern region of Russia, where the Caucasus Mountains meet the Black Sea. She received her BA in Music Education and Masters in Choir Management and has extensive training in Orff and Kodaly methods, which are rhythm and pitch development approaches. Mrs. Rockett absolutely loves to learn and enrich her knowledge in classical pedagogy. Besides constant self-education, she attends Music Teachers conferences, workshops and trainings and is an active member of the San Diego American Orff Schulwerk Association. She is excited for another year at Cambridge, teaching music theory and appreciation to our students.

Teaching K-12 art since 1987, professional artist/teacher, Mrs. Robin Przybysz, came to teach at Cambridge in the 2011-2012 school year. “Coming to The Cambridge School feels like coming home to a loving family. I am surrounded by energy, encouragement, and enthusiasm for the arts.” Mrs. Przybysz exhibits throughout San Diego and other parts of the United States. She graduated from Azusa Pacific University with her MFA in July 2016.

Mrs. Brontë Flanagan comes from a military family, which has taken her around the world, but she claims San Diego, CA as her home. She holds a BA in Art Education from San Diego State University and has worked for 3 years as the Art Curriculum Coordinator for the Woodlands Children’s Museum. More recently, Mrs. Flanagan worked as the Upper School Art and Yearbook teacher at Providence Classical School in Houston, TX. She is excited to be back at The Cambridge School again this year, as she has a strong love and appreciation for classical education. Her teaching philosophy is to inspire students to think and come to a greater knowledge and understanding of the Master Creator through Art. Mrs. Flanagan is a photographer and enjoys painting, graphic, and interior design. Together with her husband Alec, they have two children Ajax (5) and Zoe (2).

Coach Christopher Mendoza received his BA in Education from Point Loma Nazarene University. Upon graduating, he was asked to coach the boy’s Volleyball team and has not looked back. He has been a part of the Cambridge community coaching and aiding in the 3rd and 4th grade classes. He also has a daughter, who is entering her 3rd year at Cambridge. As assistant athletic director, he looks forward to impacting the lives of all students by creating an environment for Griffins to excel in all aspects of life and not just sports.

Mrs. Krista Hahn is a Licensed Educational Psychologist with nearly 20 years of experience as a school psychologist in the San Diego area. Mrs. Hahn has worked in both the private and public settings as an educational psychologist and holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage, Family, Child Therapy from Pepperdine University. Mrs. Hahn also holds a Pupil Personnel Services Credential from National University. She completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology at UC Davis. She has extensive experience in psychoeducational evaluations, educational programs and interventions, counseling, social and behavior management, strategy development, individualized education plans, and crisis management. Mrs. Hahn has a passion for reading and is a Board Member of the International Dyslexia Association. Mrs. Hahn enjoys spending time with her husband and two adolescent daughters. In her free time, Mrs. Hahn loves all forms of exercise and competes in triathlons. She is an avid fan of live theater and Broadway musicals. Mrs. Hahn finds great joy in caring for animals, particularly her two pet dogs. Mrs. Hahn is ecstatic about being on The Cambridge School team and serving God by serving His children and their unique needs.

Elena Girling grew up in the San Diego area. She studied math and literature and earned her bachelor’s degree at Claremont McKenna College. About four years ago, Elena discovered the joy of teaching students how to read while working with students who have learning disabilities. This discovery led her to complete her Master’s in Special Education with a Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia through the University of Florida. After working with a few Cambridge students over the past few years, Elena is looking forward to her first year as an official part of The Cambridge School. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, playing games, rock climbing, and spending time with family.

Mrs. Colleen Dong has a B.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing from Azusa Pacific University, and an M.A. in Rhetoric and Writing Studies from San Diego State University. She has taught Kindergarten, as well as 7th and 8th Grade Speech and Debate, and has served as the Upper School Writing Tutor. This year will mark her 11th year with The Cambridge School and Colleen will be teaching the Kindergarten classes a specialized curriculum, Feuerstein Instrumental Enrichments, and will be returning to her role of Writing Tutor for the Rhetoric students.