Faculty and Staff Bios

In 2011, Erin returned to Holy Family School as a technology teacher and spearheaded the school’s one-to-one iPad program, which launched in 2013 and expanded to all students by 2018. This forward-thinking initiative proved essential during the pandemic, ensuring students could stay connected and engaged in remote learning.

Since 2017, Erin has taught weekly art classes for grades K–8 while continuing to oversee the school’s technology program. She is passionate about blending her love of art, interest in technology, and design expertise to inspire creativity and confidence in her students. Erin believes every child is an artist and strives to nurture their natural curiosity and love of making art.

Outside the classroom, Erin finds inspiration in nature through hiking, gardening, and plein air painting. She feels blessed to serve the Holy Family community, which she has called home her entire life.

She is passionate about creating a classroom where all learners feel included, supported, and inspired. Guided by her faith and belief in the power of education, Elicet nurtures curiosity, critical thinking, and a strong sense of belonging and responsibility toward oneself and others.

Her classroom reflects Catholic values of kindness, respect, service, and community. She is especially excited for the fifth-grade highlights: All Saints Day Wax Museum, Coffee Shop Poetry Night, where students partner with the Intergenerational Art Group to support a charity, and Walk Through the American Revolution, an interactive experience that brings American history to life.

Over the past three years, Elicet has worked closely with her mentor Dr. Lee to develop curriculum strategies that promote cultural sensitivity and student well-being. Her work was recently accepted for publication.

Outside of teaching, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and exploring national parks with her partner, Brady, and their corgi, Bubba. She also treasures time with her family and has an unabashed love of coffee. Elicet looks forward to another joyful and purposeful year as part of the Holy Family School community.

This is Ms. Espiricueta’s seventh year at Holy Family School and her fifth year teaching kindergarten. She previously supported students as a 5th-grade instructional aide and brings additional experience as a substitute and summer school teacher at two private schools in the Montebello area.

Carolina believes kindergarten is crucial for building a strong educational foundation. She values each child’s unique contributions and works to help students express themselves, embrace their individuality, and appreciate the differences of others. Her classroom is a close-knit community where she nurtures each student’s growth and learning style. She incorporates cooperative learning, hands-on activities, thematic projects, and independent work to engage her students actively.

A Los Angeles native, Carolina enjoys spending quality time with her husband, Adrian, and their almost two-year-old son, Elias—especially making memories together at the Disney parks. She is truly looking forward to a fantastic year ahead with her Kindergarten Saints at Holy Family School.

After graduating from high school, Mr. Gonzalez’s desire to serve led him to join the Army. It was a great way to see the world while learning valuable skills. He learned discipline, focus, and responsibility.

His love for community building, history, faith, and learning reignited his passion for teaching and helping others develop and nurture their relationship with God. He has now been in education for five years. His newest endeavor is at Loyola Marymount University, where he hopes to receive his Master’s in Education and his California Teaching Credential.

To this day, he enjoys attending the Spanish Mass with his family every Sunday at St. Finbar, where he has been a parishioner since childhood.

Here is the excerpt from the 2024 Yearbook, which was dedicated to her. “The Class of 2024 is honored to present the Yearbook Dedication to Ms. Lopez. For twenty-five years, Ms. Lopez has cared for every single person in the Holy Family community. Every morning, she sets the positive tone for the day with music and her funny jokes and ends our day with her helpful reminders and closes us in prayer. Ms. Lopez is a smiling face for all of us when we are sick or when we are late. She has been instrumental in organizing and executing school events such as Jog-a-thon, open house, Christmas concert, graduation, and so much more. She has cared for us every single day and always puts a smile on our faces. She knows each and every one of our names and knows how to help each individual person.

“Ms. Lopez has been so much more than an administrative assistant. She wears so many hats such as a nurse, teacher, caregiver, lunch lady, the list goes on. She has always put up with every call to the office, buzz at the gate, lost sweatshirt, dropped-off lunch, complaint, and so much more. She has many jobs that only she is willing to do. Ms. Lopez has been nothing but giving to the school community. She puts her heart and soul into Holy Family and its families, teachers, and students. She is the glue that holds all of us together. For every holiday, she is always the most festive and cheerful person walking through the halls. The champion of the Halloween costume contests, and we will always remember the infamous leprechaun on St. Patrick’s Day in Kindergarten. Ms. Lopez works so hard to make new families feel welcome. She does everything she can to make each day fun and exciting at Holy Family.
Words can’t describe the impact Ms. Lopez has had on our class, school, and hearts. She has left a mark of kindness and love on all of us. We will always remember Ms. Lopez’s one-of-a-kind spirit. She is the heart and soul of Holy Family Catholic School.”

From 2005 to 2008, he played collegiate soccer at College of the Canyons. While his original career path was to become a firefighter, he discovered a deep love for teaching and has devoted himself to education ever since. Before Holy Family, Coach Alan served at Larchmont Charter School in West Hollywood, where he was a founding teacher and developed a successful Physical Education program. He also supported the school as Admin on Duty in the absence of administrators.

In 2012, Coach Alan launched his own soccer camps and clinics program in the Beverly Hills area, where he continues to coach during seasonal school breaks. He holds a B.S. in Health Science: Healthy Lifestyles Coaching from Arizona State University and is pursuing his MBA in Organizational Leadership from Eastern University. A firm believer in lifelong learning, he always seeks new ways to grow professionally and personally.

Coach Alan is passionate about his students’ holistic development. He emphasizes physical activity as well as the core values of teamwork, discipline, and resilience. He integrates traditional sports with modern fitness trends and uses innovative teaching methods to engage and inspire.

He and his wife, Catherine, are dedicated parishioners at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Toluca Lake, where their twin daughters, Eva and Demi (Class of ’28), attend school. Their son, Ryan, a St. Charles Borromeo graduate (’23), currently attends Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino (Class of ’27). Their youngest, Maya, is a spirited toddler who keeps the whole family on their toes. Much of Coach Alan’s free time is spent traveling and supporting his children at club soccer games. He also volunteers as the Team Manager for both his son’s MLS Next soccer team and his daughters’ Girls Academy soccer team. In his personal time, he enjoys running, working out, and hiking with his dogs.

Coach Alan is honored to continue growing with the Holy Family community and looks forward to another fulfilling year of service and connection.

Her true passion lies in teaching second grade, particularly focusing on the Catholic Sacraments. Mrs. O’Neil has dedicated her life to sharing her faith with others. During high school, she served as a peer retreat leader at FSHA and as a catechist teaching Confirmation at her church. She continues this vocation today by imparting God’s love to her students and preparing them for First Reconciliation and First Communion. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes that every person in the classroom has something valuable to teach and learn from one another. She strives to create a nurturing environment where students feel valued and empowered, aiming to build positive relationships with students and parents to foster a supportive learning community.

Mrs. O’Neil feels fortunate to have found a home at Holy Family. She was baptized as an infant and married her wonderful husband, Andrew, at Holy Family Church. Her daughter attends Holy Family School, strengthening her deep connection with the community. With a loving and supportive family, Mrs. O’Neil is excited for the 2025-2026 school year.

She believes all students are capable of taking on academic challenges using the tools they have, such as problem-solving skills, determination, confidence, and prior knowledge. Her teaching philosophy reflects the belief that students can learn best through collaboration and self-discovery. She creates a welcoming and respectful classroom environment where mistakes are encouraged and every student can reach their fullest potential. She is excited to build positive relationships with students and parents to have a fantastic school year.

In her free time, Ms. Rivas loves spending time with her family, listening to country music, watching sports, exercising alongside her workout partner, who happens to be her sister, traveling, and trying new food places.

Ms. Michele Rodriguez joined the staff of Holy Family School in 2017 and serves as the Director of Marketing and Communications for Holy Family Church and School. Furthermore, she is a member of the Holy Family’s Admissions Team and oversees the Student Ambassador Program.

Since her parents relocated from Inglewood to Pasadena in 1972, she has been an integral member of the HFS Community. She is honored and immensely proud to be an alumnus of the HFS Class of 1985. During her childhood, she resided on the islands of Oahu and Maui from the age of one to five, as her father was employed by the airline industry. Since graduating from HFS, she has maintained a strong commitment to the school and parish, actively participating in various ministries for over three and a half decades. She graduated from Alverno Heights Academy and Pasadena City College and has over 35 years of experience in hospitality, marketing, communication, parochial school PR, and web/social media design across multiple digital/online platforms.

Her son Michael is an HFS Legacy Alum, graduating in 2017, an Eagle Scout, a La Salle College Preparatory Legacy Alum, graduating in 2021, and, most recently, a Hawaii Pacific University graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, with a concentration in Pure Mathematics. He is currently the 3rd-grade teacher’s aide here at Holy Family. Her daughter Celia Lucia is an HFS student in the 8th grade.

Mrs. Rodriguez is an enthusiast of 80s new wave music. She volunteers with many ministries at Holy Family, Holy Family Scouts BSA Troop 333, and the HFS drama program, and studies the pre-colonial history of the Kingdom of Hawaii in her spare time. She loves her family’s spiritual and Catholic faith journey, traveling, attending concerts and Dodger games, and watching movies on the big screen with her husband, David, whom she met in high school.

The spirit of Pono, Aloha, Āina, Ohana, and Mana can transform humanity 🤙🏼

A California State University, Los Angeles graduate, Mrs. Smiland earned her Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Elementary Education and holds a Clear California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Her academic background, combined with decades of hands-on classroom experience, has shaped a teaching style that is both engaging and supportive. Her teaching philosophy focuses on educating the whole child—fostering academic growth alongside kindness, respect, faith, and compassion—while creating a classroom environment where students feel valued, encouraged, and empowered to take ownership of their learning. She believes in challenging her students to reach their fullest potential while celebrating their unique strengths and accomplishments.

Mrs. Smiland and her husband are proud parents of two children who attend Holy Family School. Outside of teaching, she enjoys spending time with her family—whether watching her children’s sports games, relaxing at the beach, or taking trips to the mountains, always making the most of the time they share. She feels truly blessed to watch her students grow into curious, capable, and compassionate young people, and to be part of the Holy Family School community.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in child development from Cal State Los Angeles, a Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential obtained in 2013, and a Master’s in Instructional Leadership from Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles, earned in 2019. Mrs. Vasquez believes in a hands-on learning approach that incorporates multiple intelligences and is committed to adapting her teaching style to meet the diverse needs of her students. She emphasizes the importance of developing both academic and social-emotional skills equally. To achieve this, she employs various teaching methods and uses real-life examples that resonate with her students’ age group.

Coming from a close-knit Italian family, Mrs. Vasquez values spending her free time with them. She has two older brothers, a 6-year-old niece who is her world, and a Cockapoo puppy named Greta. She extends this sense of family to her classroom, treating every child and parent as part of her own family.

In her leisure time, she enjoys dining out with her husband, Raymond, cycling at the beach, playing pickleball, and attending Dodger games. Her love for the Dodgers is evident in her classroom décor. Mrs. Vasquez feels incredibly grateful to be part of the Holy Family community and its supportive faculty.