1776 N. Palm Canyon Drive Palm Springs, CA 92262
760-524-1130
Recent News
Congrats to Our Palm Springs Graduates!
June 12. 2013Comment Off
Back from Summer
September 5. 2012Comment Off
Center Administrator
George Smith is a graduate of Bowling Green State University of Ohio where he studied Integrated Language Arts and Sociology. His student teaching was done at Our Lady of Mercy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In his free time, he enjoys traveling (especially overseas). He also enjoys spending time with family and friends, and following his favorite sports team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Teachers
Ms. Acosta attended the University of California, Irvine and received her B.A. in Psychology as well as her Masters In Teaching, with Multiple Subject Credential.
She has been in the teaching field for 6 years and enjoys every minute of it. Her hobbies include any activity that is outdoors such as, hiking, biking, snorkeling, etc. Ms. Acosta is looking forward to a great year at Mojave River Academy.
This is Amber Devers’ second year with MRA, Palm Springs, and third with Oro Grande School District. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in English Literature at California State University, San Bernardino in 2006 and received her Single Subject and Multiple Subject teaching credentials from University of Redlands in 2007. Amber is happily married to her husband, Ryan, and they have two wonderful daughters, Cassidye and Peyton. When not teaching, she spends most of her time with her family and friends. She wants to make a positive difference in the lives of her students and sincerely cares for each of them.
Allison Fleck is originally from the Chicago area where she earned her Multiple Subject teaching credential. She moved to San Diego and worked as a teacher with special needs students for the past three years. During this time, Allison earned her Master’s Degree in Education with an emphasis in Multicultural Counseling in order to better serve her students in a one-on-one learning environment. Allison recently relocated to the Palm Springs area as a new teacher at MRA. In her free time, Allison enjoys running, reading, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Jesse Goff was born in the Coachella Valley and attended school in Palm Springs until leaving for the sunny shores of Carlsbad California at the beginning of high school. Jesse spent 4 years living and attending school at the Army/Navy Academy. After graduating Jesse returned home and attended college locally. After Graduating from Chapman University, Jesse earned both his Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and his Mild/Moderate Special Education Credential. Jesse enjoys reading, cooking, watching movies and is a big fan of the New York Yankees, Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Manchester United.
Mr. Knapp graduated from California State University, Chico in 2005 with a degree in History. He earned his California Teaching Credential from the University of Redlands in 2008. Mr. Knapp is entering his 3rd year at Mojave River Academy and has been a teacher for 7 years overall. You can catch Mr. Knapp spending his Friday nights on various high school football fields working as a referee. He is looking forward to having yet another great year at Mojave River Academy.
Ms. Lee was born and raised in the city of Los Angeles. She received her bachelors degree in Cognitive Psychology from the University of California, Irvine. She continued her graduate studies at UCI, and earned her credential with a Masters in Teaching. In her spare time, Ms. Lee enjoys traveling abroad, discovering new eateries, and spending time with her family and friends.
George Smith is a graduate of Bowling Green State University of Ohio where he studied Integrated Language Arts and Sociology. His student teaching was done at Our Lady of Mercy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In his free time, he enjoys traveling (especially overseas). He also enjoys spending time with family and friends, and following his favorite sports team, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Ms. Tzeng was born and raised in southern California. She is a graduate of UCLA, and she received her credential and Masters in Teaching from the University of California, Irvine. Outside of the classroom, Ms. Tzeng is also a private tutor and sewing class instructor. Her hobbies include playing tennis, sewing and cross-stitching, reading, and trying new things.
Dan Wainio was born and raised in the Bay Area and obtained his BFA from California College of the Arts. He spent the following 13 years as a graphic designer/illustrator in San Francisco, CA. After following a few different career choices he received his Master’s in Education from the University of Phoenix and has a multiple subject credential. He is also currently completing his last requirement for a single subject credential in Art. This is his 3rd year at Mojave River Academy and he really enjoys the unique interaction that being an independent instructor provides! In his spare time you will find Mr. Wainio backpacking, playing horrendous rounds of golf, exploring Southern California, playing with his dogs, lounging in the pool, skiing, reading, and painting oversized commissioned “pop art” portraits.
When Mr. Yasuda hiked to the top of Machu Picchu in Peru, he looked around at the ancient ruins and thought about all the geometry that went into creating the city’s architecture. When he walked around the Great Pyramid of Giza, he saw how the Pythagorean theorem could be applied. When he went scuba diving in the Red Sea, he computed his buoyancy and decompression limits. You see, for Mr. Yasuda math is not just a job — it’s a way of life. That’s why he has spent the past seven years inside of a classroom, sharing this subject with students.