Hello! I am Ms. Ventura. I am one of the 1st grade teachers at Aspire Tate for the 2021-2022 academic year. I graduated with my teaching credential masters degree in education in June 2021 from the Alder Graduate School of Education. This summer break, I celebrated this accomplishment with friends, family and my fur children. I cannot wait to continue my career as an educator with this amazing group of 1st graders who I experienced kindergarten distanced learning with last school year. The Howard bisons and I are going to do great things this school year!

Hi! I am Mr. G (my full name being Kevin Giron). I am always excited to work with students and to see their growth throughout the academic year. I always like to push myself to do my best, which is why I love exercising, doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and hiking. I grew up very close to South Los Angeles (in Bell Gardens!) and I have always loved the rich and diverse culture that we have here. I can’t wait to see what this school year brings!

Hi there! My name is Hunter Athey and this is my fourth year as Aspire Tate Academy’s Dance Teacher. I was born in Thousand Oaks California but grew up in a small town called Moorpark. At the age of three, I started dancing and absolutely fell in love with it. When I turned six, I started competing in dance competitions! Over the years, I have done commercials for brands like Toyota, Verizon, Hasbro Toys, shot promotional videos for recording artists and had the opportunity to dance for the Los Angeles Lakers for two seasons. When I am not teaching I love going to church, spending time with my family, friends and pets. I really enjoy baking, cooking, trying out new food spots, surfing, and of course shopping! I love fashion and the power it has to express your feelings or show people who you are without even saying a word. A perfect day inside would be me eating comfort food, watching one of my favorite shows and cuddling with my dogs. I have a German Shepard named Eli and three Teacup Yorkie named Lyle, Legend and Lincoln. My goal for my students this year is for them to be themselves completely and have confidence in who they are. I want to give all the scholars I teach the opportunity to discover new talents they may not know they already possessed. My personal goal is to travel outside of the country and try food I would never normally eat. I look forward to another amazing and fun filled year at Tate (GO CHEETAHS!)

Hello!

My name is Thomas Tapia, this will be my 9th year working at Tate Academy and am very excited to begin my teaching career as a teacher resident working alongside with Ms. Rivera and our 6th grade scholars.

I am the first in my family to attend and graduate from college. I graduated from the California State University at Fullerton with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a minor in Human Services. C

During my free time I love to attend sporting events, travel, visit art exhibits, and hanging out at the beach.