Education Adjunct Faculty | Westmont College

Education & Liberal Studies Adjunct Faculty

Karla Curry, ED.D.

(Vitae) Special Education for the Classroom Teacher - ED 130 Dr. Karla Curry has served as the Director of Special Education for Carpinteria Unified School District since July 2019. She has over 20 years of experience in public education serving as paraeducator, ABA therapist, special education teacher, university partnership teacher, inclusion specialist, assistant principal, principal, and college instructor. Dr. Curry received an Ed.D. in Education and B.A. in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington along with a M.A. in Special Education from California State University at Northridge. She received her special education teaching credential from San Diego State University. Dr. Curry is currently working on her paralegal certificate from the University of California at Berkeley Extension. Before joining the adjunct faculty at Westmont College, Dr. Curry was an adjunct instructor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with the Department of Educational Leadership. She is a member of the Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) Committee and Chair of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) for the Santa Barbara County SELPA. Additionally, Dr. Curry serves on several local boards and committees related to special education interests, and is a presenter at local, state and national special education conferences.

Veronica Gines

(Vitae) With a collegiate background as a Heptathlete and Hammer thrower/ Long jumper at UCSB, Veronica has come to love and embrace the Fundamentals of Movement. Although she grew up playing many sports and being a stand out athlete, her experience taught her that the fundamentals of movement are about more than being a great athlete. Through receiving her Credential in Physical Education from Westmont and her Masters in Education with an emphasis in Positive Coaching from the University of Missouri, she found that the fundamentals of movement could be utilized as a means to develop more important concepts. As a Physical Education and Health Teacher, Personal Trainer and Coach Veronica is passionate about using the Fundamentals of movement as a means to encourage, inspire and guide character, team and personal development. Veronica's ultimate goal is to encourage future educators to embrace their own health, movement and wellness journey in order to inspire and guide their students to do the same.

Cailee Kilroy Villasenor

(Vitae) Cailee Villasenor grew up in beautiful Santa Barbara and discovered her love of working with children while teaching swim lessons in the Westmont pool. Cailee earned her B.S. in Environmental Science, Teaching Credential, and Masters in Education from UCSB. She loved her time in the classroom as a 7th and 8th grade science teacher at Santa Barbara Junior High School where she enjoyed preparing students for their future endeavors and increasing student engagement by integrating technology into her curriculum. This newly discovered passion led Cailee to a new position as a technology coach for SB Unified School District where she was still able to teach students and share her technological insight with fellow teachers. It was during this time where she realized how much she enjoyed working with fellow teachers to improve their practice; especially student teachers who bring a wonderful energy and new ideas into the classroom. Cailee is currently an assistant principal at Santa Barbara High School where she continues to oversee a few of her passions; technology and student teachers.

Melissa Ewart

(Vitae) Melissa has been an educator in the Santa Barbara Unified School District for over 25 years. She developed a deep desire to work with teenagers in her community when she was a student at Westmont College (95). She received her teaching credential and Masters in Education from UCSB and immediately jumped into the classroom as a Social Studies teacher. The classroom is her first love as she believes this is the place where the magic of learning happens. She trained under Dr. Sandra Kaplan in Differentiation and Literacy Strategies in the Secondary Classroom and became a lead teacher trainer throughout the SBUSD. She has spent the past 20 years mentoring student teachers and new teachers in the profession in a variety of roles and believes that time spent investing in the next generation of teachers is invaluable and necessary for progress in Education. After 20 years as a lead teacher, her desire to impact education on a larger scale drove her to step into a school administration role. She now serves as the Assistant Principal of Student Outcomes, and Curriculum & Instruction at Dos Pueblos High School. Her broader work within the SBUSD is focused on incorporating research-based Instructional and Literacy strategies into the classroom to advance student achievement for all students.

Rachel Gonzales-Harris

(Vitae) Rachel loves being a mom, the beach and learning. For as long as she can remember she has wanted to work with children. Her love of children led her to a fabulous career in education where she has been an elementary teacher, an assistant principal, a principal, a director and a literacy coach. She has participated on many district level committees and has worked with some amazing people. Although Rachel loved teaching (TK-5th graders) she has always loved the partnership of working with student teachers and pre-professionals. Above all, Rachel’s passion is teaching children to read. She continues her career supporting teachers and students in ELA on a daily basis. Rachel earned her Administrative Credential and Masters in Education Administration at Cal Lutheran University, her teaching credential from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and her Bachelors at Fresno State. Rachel is a mom of three amazing young adults; two in college and one finishing high school.

Allison Heiduk

(Vitae) Lifelong learning is something that Allison values and prioritizes. She has worked to instill that same love of learning in all of her students as an elementary school teacher for the past 32 years. Allison is currently the Literacy TOSA (Teacher on Special Assignment) for the Hope School District, and enjoys partnering with her colleagues. She aims to support teachers as she is currently working to implement a literacy initiative by integrating research-based Instructional and Literacy strategies within the classrooms with the goal of increasing student achievement for all students. Allison began her teaching career following her graduation from UCSB in the Belmont School District where she also received her teaching credential from Notre de Namur University. She holds an administrative credential and received her Master of Arts in Collaborative Educational leadership from Fielding Graduate University. She shares her passion for being a lead learner through designing and leading professional development for her district and has served many times as a mentor teacher for Westmont teaching candidates and is a long time member of the Westmont credential advisory board. Allison is the proud mother of adult twins. Her son Tim is a ‘19 graduate of Westmont.

Mary Denny

(Vitae) I completed the Early Childhood Education Program through Santa Barbara City College and then graduated from Westmont in 2010 with a Bachelor's Degree in Liberal Studies and an emphasis in Art. I then went on to Azusa Pacific where I earned my Masters Degree in Elementary Education and Classroom Technology along with a California Teaching Credential. I got a job teaching in the Santa Barbara Unified School District where I gained experience teaching Transitional Kindergarten, Fifth Grade, and Second Grade. After ten years, I resigned so I could stay home and raise my two young sons and pursue private tutoring opportunities. I am passionate about teaching young children the importance of spreading the light of Christ while fostering their academic and social-emotional experiences. I am thrilled to be back at Westmont in this new capacity. What a blessing!

Alex Wilson

(Vitae) Alex Wilson grew up in Santa Barbara, in a family filled with Educators and Coaches, almost as if she was destined to end up in the classroom. Alex earned her B.A. in History from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, Multiple Subject & Education Specialist Credentials from Antioch University in Santa Barbara and Administrative Services Credential through Santa Barbara County Education Office. She previously worked at Santa Barbara Junior High School as a Special Education Teacher. She is currently SBJH's MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) Teacher on Special Assignment developing and coordinating systems and structures for Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions (with intentional focus on math intervention), as well as Tier 1 programming for all students. Alex has been involved in district level teams such as the Secondary Math Curriculum Adoption Executive Committee, Instructional Council, Equity Lead Committee, and District MTSS Leadership Team. Alex's vision for education is "To support the growth and development of individuals who feel seen, heard and valued, and systems that create environments where differing needs are met and celebrated." Alex is a fierce advocate for students, families and educators. Building relationships is at the center of everything she does. In her free time, Alex enjoys cooking, spending time with loved ones and beach walks, especially after a long day.

Ali Bogatz

(Vitae) Ali Bogatz has been dedicated to secondary education for a decade, bringing a wealth of experience and passion to her role as a classroom educator. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Sociology followed by a Single Subject Credential in Social Science from Westmont. She furthered her education with a Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Grand Canyon University, equipping her with a strong foundation in teaching methodologies and curriculum design. Throughout her career, she has taught at San Marcos High School and currently serves at Dos Pueblos High School, where she has inspired students to actively engage with their local and global communities. Beyond her professional life, Ali loves spending time with her family and enjoys baking in her free time. As a mother, she values the importance of nurturing and guiding the next generation, both at home and in the classroom. Her passion for working with teenagers is evident in her teaching, where she fosters a supportive and engaging environment. She is committed to preparing her students to think critically, understand complex social issues, and make meaningful contributions to society.

Rhonda DuPar

Rhonda started her journey as an educator at Westmont (98) earning her liberal studies degree and multiple subject teaching credential. A God-placed comment by her cooperating teacher led her to consider teaching middle school. She has taught all the science disciplines at the middle school level over 14 years in private and public schools. For professional development, she focused on effective methods to teach emergent multilingual learners as well as AVID teaching techniques. During a decade-long hiatus from teaching to devote time to her family, Rhonda stayed involved in local schools as a parent classroom volunteer and running various PTA programs at 4 schools. She completed her Master's degree in Instructional Design from Western Governors University in 2022. In her spare time, Rhonda likes to read and spend time enjoying nature. You may find her online as a blogger who explores Santa Barbara with her kids.