Faculty/Staff
Clint Davis
An innovator in a time when education is in need of a paradigm shift. In an ever changing world of economic and technical change, Clint is opening the door to students who are passionate, creative, and willing to participate in their own growth and learning. He brings dedication and a giant heart to serve each child in the unique way necessary for their own growth.
Clint is a passionate and dynamic educator who has served as a classroom teacher, mentor, coach, director of college counseling, director of middle school, educational consultant and head of school for more than twenty-five years. Clint’s educational philosophy is centered on relationships, rigor and risk-taking all within the confines of compassionate and student-centered environment. As a graduate of Columbia University’s esteemed Teachers College and a member of the Klingenstein Institute for Independent School Leadership, Clint was exposed to the very best progressive, independent school educators in the world.
Columbia University is the center for progressive education; surrounded by an inspiring cohort of visionary educators, Clint had the opportunity to immerse himself in the philosophies of John Dewey and other progressive thinkers as well as connect to a wide variety of educational disruptors from around the world.
Returning to California, Clint continued to develop the foundation of the Discovery’s model. It was here on the west coast that Clint found the wise mentorship of Dr. Stuart Grauer, founder of the Grauer School in Encinitas. The Discovery Prep School is the beneficiary of Dr. Gauer’s expertise as a 25-year head of school.
Through his ability to connect with the heart of each child, He unfolds within them confidence and an ability to believe in themselves to pursue their passions and interests creating for themselves a joyful, fulfilling life.
Mandy Whittaker-Davis
As a Licensed Educational Psychologist, Mandy is a dedicated and experienced educator with a strong background in student services and psychology. She earned her Education Specialist Degree and her Masters in Education at Chapman University, and her Bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in Child Development at Chico State University. Throughout her career, she has worked in various educational settings, including private schools, charter schools, and school districts, where she has made a positive impact on the lives of students and their families.
At Discovery Prep School, Mandy is the Director of Wellness and Student Services as well as a teacher of psychology and human development. It is her passion to create and implement programs that enhance student social-emotional and academic success. Mandy believes in building strong relationships with experts in the community such as Learning Specialists, Mental Health Experts and Sex Health Educators to provide valuable resources for parents, students, and faculty.
Mandy is dedicated to empowering students, supporting parents to create a nurturing and inclusive educational environment. She is the person kids ask for when they need an empathetic ear and messages of validation. She is most fulfilled when leveraging her expertise and experience to make a positive impact on student’s lives and contributing to their academic and personal growth.
Her personal passions include traveling with close friends and family, spending time with her two kids, and playing and walking her two goldendoodles at the beach. She is also an avid movie fan and is always looking for good book recommendations.
Kyle Schram
From a young age, Kyle has had a passion for science that first developed from watching the nature programs of luminaries such as David Attenborough, Jacques Cousteau, and Steve Irwin. Kyle earned his BS in Psychology from UCSB, his Single Subject Teaching Credential in Science and his Master of Arts in Education from Pepperdine University.
Here, he saw how being in the field and engaging with science firsthand can deepen the learning experience for students. Kyle took his passion for science learning into the classroom by obtaining a Biological Sciences teaching credential and MA in Teaching from Pepperdine University, after which he taught integrated science to students at a public middle school in the greater Los Angeles area. Throughout his teaching experience, whether in the field or in the classroom, Kyle has honed strategies to differentiate and individualize his instructional methods to ensure that all students reach their learning objectives. By taking time to figure out each student’s unique learning style, creating opportunities for collaborative learning, and adapting activities to fit each student’s interests and skills, he creates authentic connections with students and enjoys supporting them to develop a genuine interest in science that will last a lifetime.
Outside of the classroom, Kyle enjoys spending time outdoors either hiking, fishing, or playing soccer.
Sarah Jones
Sarah graduated from Stony Brook University with a B.A. in History & Art History and Criticism. After college, she worked at an art gallery in New York City and went to receive her Masters in social studies education at Brooklyn College.
Sarah has a wide range of experience teaching students. She has taught world studies at a large public high school in Brooklyn, New York for three years, moved to Baltimore, and then taught at a middle school in a D.C. suburb for two years. She has experience creating a rigorous and engaging curriculum to meet the varied needs of her students.
When not teaching, Sarah likes to spend her time traveling to other countries and bringing those experiences back to the classroom. She also enjoys spending time outdoors running, hiking, and going to the beach with her husband and her Goldendoodle, Waffles.
Daniel Epstein
Daniel began teaching in New York City in 1999 after receiving his Masters in English Literature from Northwestern University. After a couple of years teaching in NYC and Thailand, he returned to the USA and studied English Education at Teachers College, earning another MA.
Though he began teaching with a focus on the classic English canon, his primary interests lie in teaching students the skills needed to design and implement creative work in their lives: genre literacy, considerations of audience and purpose, mastery of the writing process with a heavy emphasis on revision skills. The classroom is a laboratory setting in which students have the opportunity to test out their ideas about living in the world – responsibilities to themselves and their communities, ethics, questions of good and evil- all the big debates they are likely to face as adults. It is important that students be more than consumers of culture, and by studying our own, students can more meaningfully create a culture they value.
Daniel enjoys learning different languages, traveling to foreign lands and surfing.
Vicky Kranser
Vicky Kranser is a Costa Mesa artist and mother of two. Her artistic process began as a child studying her pet mice and the nature around her.
She earned a BFA at Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles. Vicky’s art and teaching style is characterized by her openness to work outside of life’s boundaries and embracing the gamut of human emotions.
Vicky is the recipient of the Stephanie Hopp Memorial Scholarship 1993-1995 at Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles. She also received a Gold Orange County Award for her work with Fujitsu’s and Toshiba’s online advertising.
Vicky’s diverse art career includes design work online and print for Rip Curl International and Pacsun. Her artwork has appeared everywhere from the pages of Surfer Magazine to store fronts of surf shops around the world.
When Vicky became a parent she exchanged her corporate job for motherhood, yet her need for artistic expression never wavered. She relished in teaching her own kids about art, exploring different mediums around the kitchen table. Soon, other children were often found painting, drawing or working with clay alongside her own children. Every Friday night became art night in her studio and from there, The Blue Easel, was born.
Olga Koroleva
Dr. Koroleva obtained her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at UCSD in 2004 but soon realized that her passion lies with teaching mathematics.
Dr K. returned to school in order to work towards her teaching credential. Over the years she has taught all existing high school math courses: from Algebra I to AP Calculus BC, and even Linear Algebra and Multivariable Calculus. Dr. Koroleva stays current with pedagogical approaches, so in 2017 she became a National Board Certified Teacher. She uses a blend of traditional methodology and Exeter’s Problem-based Learning approaches to inspire real-world learning and the application of math skills. In her free time, Dr. K likes to travel and spend time with her family and her dog.
Cheli Hernandez
Hola! I have been teaching Spanish for 6 years and a loving mother of my two children.
I am very proud to teach my language and my culture to open new doors for my students futures.
I enjoy to live by “a great teacher; thinks like a kid but acts like an adult”. This enables me to build a bond with my students so they feel safe and motivated while being challenged at the same time.
I have worked with a variety of ages, ranging from 5-18y/o and am recognized from my “youthful, yet passionate personality”.
I believe that being able to communicate and understand my students, leads to a successful school environment.
Celena Marie DelPizzo Howell
Celena’s passion for the Performing Arts developed around the same age as the students she has the pleasure of working with today. Celena is overjoyed to bring her passion for Theatre to the Discovery family and gives special thanks to everyone involved for their kindness and encouraging support.
Celena believes in the importance of helping students build self-confidence and develop a “Yes, I can!” attitude. Creating a positive, safe learning environment where students feel comfortable trying new ideas and accepting new challenges is key to personal and artistic growth. She has found Theatre to be uniquely capable of furthering student success by creating motivated, goal-oriented individuals. Invaluable life skills displayed by performing arts students include collaboration, adaptability, innovative problem solving, time management, empathy, commitment, and discipline – all necessary tools for navigating in our contemporary and ever changing culture. Celena strives to provide her students with opportunities to practice their skills and learn to take pride in doing something at their very best.
Celena has directed Discovery Prep’s first musical performance of Shrek The Musical Jr. and Laguna Beach High School’s productions of Our Town, Little Shop of Horrors, The Diary of Anne Frank, and The Man Who Came to Dinner. She has co-directed and assistant directed multiple plays, musical productions and class performance projects for both LBHS & TMS and has taught Drama for grades 1st-5th at Top of the World Elementary School. She has worked as a private acting coach and has taught master-classes in monologue study, audition technique, vocal performance and improvisation. Celena is pursing her career as a vocal performer and recording artist for the original vintage inspired Blues Rockabilly Jazz band, MoonShine, established in 2012 with her brother Dylan.