Titicia Michaels

Titicia has been teaching children for over 36 years. She has an ability to connect with children of all ages especially with neuro-diverse learners. Titicia studied at West Los Angeles College, El Camino, and LA Valley College. Titicia’s favorite activities include martial arts, dance, skating, singing, and musicals. She can be found, researching, reading, hanging with her 16-year-old son, her family and friends, training, and teaching martial arts. She has a great deal of experience with play-based learning and is very passionate about social-emotional development. Titicia is very excited about this coming school year. Her desire is to provide your child/children with support, as she educates and advocates for each family. She believes each child is a unique individual and needs a secure, caring, nurturing, and stimulating atmosphere in which they can develop, grow, and mature emotionally, intellectually, physically, and socially.

Vida is led by experienced educators. In title and in practice.

Our founders bring decades of combined experience in classrooms, school leadership, and educational design. This foundation shapes everything we do, from how learning is structured to how children are supported day to day.

Meet The Founders

Michelle Garcia

MBA

Founder & Executive Director
Michelle Garcia brings nearly two decades of experience in education, spanning both classroom teaching and school leadership.

Randi Kearney

M.Ed

Head of School
Randi Kearney brings over 20 years of experience in education, with a foundation rooted in both classroom teaching and school leadership.

Leslie Nahaku

COO, Safety Coordinator & Educator
Leslie Nahaku brings over 25 years of experience working with children, grounded in a deep commitment to connection, care, and community.

Meet our Core Educators

Our educators are experienced, thoughtful, and deeply committed to their work.

Each brings a unique background in education, the arts, psychology, or outdoor learning, but they share a common approach: seeing children as individuals, supporting their growth with care, and creating environments where learning feels meaningful and alive.

At Vida, educators are not only teachers. They are guides, observers, and collaborators in each child’s development.

Yvette Andrizzi

Psy. D.

Lead Educator

Lexy Crouse

Transitional Kindergarten

Lorelei Darling

TK Educator

Jen Demarinis

Support Educator

Ashley Garretson

M.Ed

Elementary Educator

Spencer Oerlemans

Middle School Educator & Outdoor Education Specialist

Julie Zvorsky

Middle School Director & Educator

Jerel Cutia

Elementary Educator

Nicolas De La O

Middle School Educator

Meet our Specialist Educators

Vida Specialists are committed to educating the whole child. Each of these educators guides our students to find new talents, see the world through new perspectives, and find creative ways to express themselves.

Alberto Alcazar

Fine Arts and Spanish Educator

Dr. Stephanie Greenquist-Marlett

Director of School Innovation and SEL Educator

Titicia Michaels

Science, Movement, and Mindfulness Educator