Committed to a liberal arts education as a former classical homeschool educator, and passionate about partnering with Great Hearts to transform the landscape of San Antonio, Mrs. Williams closed the doors of her “one room schoolhouse” to help launch a Great Hearts academy in San Antonio 2015. First as a teacher, and then as an instructional coach and administrator, Mrs. Williams is excited to champion a new Great Hearts community in the Live Oak area, which she has proudly called home for over fifteen years.

Mrs. Williams earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education from the University of Florida. While she spent the better part of formative years on the coastal waters of South Florida, she has undeniably embraced, “Everything is bigger and better in Texas!” She enjoys the Bluebonnets in spring, Tex-Mex, and the Hill Country topography. Mrs. Williams loves time spent with her husband, children, three dogs, and good book in hand.

Mrs. Boyd has been a champion of classical education as a Great Hearts parent, teacher, and administrator. She attended Tarleton State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and began teaching. Later she moved into the business sector where she managed data and reports for a company that helped large businesses and school campuses to reduce their energy consumption.

As a homeschooling parent, Mrs. Boyd fell in love with the principles of classical education. Later, when her husband’s Air Force career brought the family to San Antonio, she was thrilled to discover those same educational philosophies in a public charter school. During nearly 6 years at Great Hearts Northern Oaks, she taught sixth grade Math, History, and Spalding and was a founding member of the GHNO House system. She also served as the sixth grade Math specialist and team lead prior to moving into school administration. Mrs. Boyd enjoys gardening, craft projects, and weekend hikes with her husband and their three children.

Mrs. Boyd is excited for the opportunity to support the growing community of learners at Great Hearts Live Oak.

Melissa Louidor is excited to be a part of the Great Hearts Live Oak community! She officially became an owl in the winter of 2022 when she joined the team as an Apprentice Teacher in 2nd grade and then moved into 4th grade as a Lead Teacher. She is excited to support the training and development of all of the lower school teachers in her new role as Dean of Teachers!

Mrs. Louidor is a New Jersey native where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Rutgers University.  After decades of growing and training talent for companies; she received the call to teach and is certified in several subjects and grade levels.  

This will be her eighth year in education and she looks forward to the pursuit of the truth, the good and the beautiful.

Savannah Arismendi has been working with children for twenty years. In addition to teaching in various classroom setting, she is also a certified Early Intervention Specialist. Prior to joining Great Hearts Live Oak, Mrs. Arismendi was providing specialized skills training to families of children with disabilities.

Mrs. Arismendi received her Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education in 2017 from Texas A&M University of San Antonio. While attending the university, Mrs. Arismendi was invited by one of her professors to write an article for the academic journal, Early Years. She wrote the article highlighting the educational benefits of the Art Crawl, hosted at the San Antonio Museum of Art.  She is currently pursuing her teaching licenses for Special Education through an alternative teaching program.

Mrs. Arismendi was born and raised in Texas. She has been married for fifteen years. She and her husband have two children. When she is not working with students, she enjoys drawing, cooking, and spending time with her family. 

It was Ana Gonzalez’s dream to become a teacher since she was little. That became a reality when she graduated with her Bachelors in Elementary Education 20 years ago from the University of Monterrey, México where she specialized in reading and writing. She has 10 years experience teaching elementary K-4. She also took some time off from classroom teaching to focus on raising her little ones.

Those years as a teacher and valuing motherhood made her realize how important the formation of virtues in the family is to society and started her master’s degree in Family Educational Counseling from The University of Villanueva in Spain.

After finishing a thesis on the importance of the parent’s role on the success of their child’s education, she graduated in July 2020 and will continue another year specializing in Marriage Counseling.

After living in Atlanta, New Jersey, Monterrey and McAllen, Texas, she is permanently establishing her family in San Antonio. She is honored to continue her work at Great Hearts Live Oak where she is eager to meet families with the same desire for their families: the pursuit of Truth, Beauty and Goodness.

Ms. Kimeisha McCullum joyfully joins Great Hearts Live Oak as our Director of Community Engagement and Academy Giving.

Ms. McCullum joins us as a Retired U.S. Army Colonel with over 19 years of experience in public relations. Her passion and enthusiasm for education and helping others live out their full potential is what solidified her decision to enroll her son at Great Hearts Live Oak. As an engaged parent, she loves what GHLO offers students, staff, and the community. She is excited to be a part of such a dynamic group of educators and students and looks forward to building a thriving academy!

Ms. McCullum has a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry/Pre-Med and a Master’s degree in Health Service Administration. She is currently completing her doctoral degree in Business Administration. She enjoys traveling, reading, spending time with her son and family, and serving her community.

Ms. Pruette is thrilled to be a member of the Live Oak family. As a mother of four, Ms. Pruette has seen, first hand, the beauty of the Great Hearts Community and culture as her children have attended Great Hearts schools for more than seven years. Her oldest child graduated with Northern Oaks inaugural class in 2021. The remaining three children are continuing to strive for their hard earned Great Hearts diplomas in the years to come.

Ms. Pruette devoted her early parenting years to her home and children and, when it was time to enter the workforce once again, found her way to Live Oak to serve as an Apprentice Teacher on our upper school Special Education team. She has since transitioned to serving our community as our Lower School Registrar and plans to continue to foster truth, goodness and beauty within our community as we build a strong culture of growth and education.

Bethany Cunningham and her family have been with Great Hearts Live Oak since its opening and are proud to be among the founding families. She graduated from Cedarville University with a BA in Sport and Exercise Studies. Upon graduation, she went on to be a personal trainer for several years before becoming a stay-at-home mom for eight years. Once her children were in school, she began her studies to earn a second degree and become a nurse through the University of The Incarnate Word ABSN program. She received her BSN in 2022 and began working at the University Hospital Emergency Room.  

Growing up in a military household, Bethany was excited to finally settle down in Texas. Her husband of twelve years, her and her three children have lived in the San Antonio area for seven years. Although they do not enjoy the scorching heat, they love the people and have found community within their church.  

Bethany enjoys spending quality time with her husband and kids, whether hiking, playing board games, going on bicycle rides or anything outdoors. She also enjoys lifting weights, coffee dates, and leading worship at her church. 

Mrs. Sigala is very excited to join our Owl family as the Receptionist. She was born in Mexico where she studied her primary and secondary education earning a Diploma as an Accountant Aid.

She lived in California over 20 years, where she got married and gave birth to 2 boys and a girl. She was a stay-at-home mom and volunteer at her children’s elementary school. Later, she worked as a Church secretary until they moved to San Antonio 15 years ago.

Despite her limitations in the English language, Mrs. Sigala decided to continue her education. Along with her youngest child (Ms. Sigala, Spanish Teacher) attended at Northeast Lakeview College, earning an Associate Degree in Social Work with honors. Afterwards, she was a business owner and Clinic Assistant at NEISD.

Mrs. Sigala has over 7 years of experience in secretarial work, reception, and excellent customer service. She has been volunteering over 20 years at the church in different areas; as a Sunday School Teacher for toddlers, kindergarten, middle school, and adult ladies. She was also a College and Career counselor and ladies’ president at her church.

Mrs. Sigala is looking forward to welcoming all the students, parents, and visitors at Great Hearts Live Oak with a true mind, a good heart, and a beautiful smile!

Mrs. Graebener joined Great Hearts Live Oak as a founding faculty in 2020. Since then, she has been working as a third grade Apprentice Teacher and is excited to move into her new position as Business Clerk. She will be working with the Operations team and is excited to be a part of our campus wide community.

Mrs. Graebener’s journey as a Great Hearts family started when she discovered the best interest for classical education while searching for a curriculum for her children. What she believes in classical education is that its focus is to provide a well-rounded education to children and every single child deserves a high-quality education.

Mrs. Graebener was born and raised in South Korea where she attended Daegu university. There, she majored in English Literature and Language, and during that time, she discovered the joy of reading classic novels. Before she joined Great Hearts Live Oak, she worked as a preschool teacher at Trinity Christian Academy for 3 years.

She is happily married to an Army veteran and has her own two scholars at home. During her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoor painting and listening to classical music so you will see me either outside painting or listening to classical music.

Ms. Silvas is excited to be part of the Great Hearts Live Oak team as the Co-Curricular Coordinator for our Athenaeum program and Homework Club.

Ms. Silvas found her passion working with children while residing in Germany serving our military community. She continued working for child youth programs for 12 years which inspired Ms. Silvas to change her major. She has graduated with her Child Development Associate and Childhood Education and Family Studies A.A.S in San Antonio and plans to continue her education and be a lifelong learner.

 Ms. Silvas is excited to provide a fun and safe GHLO environment for all GHLO children and families, as she has her own GHLO Owl attending this year. She loves being a mother and enjoys spending her extra time with her family, traveling, and crafting.

Mrs. Melgoza, is overjoyed to be the English Language Learners Coordinator at Great Hearts Live Oak.

This will be Mrs. Melgoza’s fifth year as a certified teacher in the State of Texas. Mrs. Melgoza obtained her Bachelor of Arts, Magna Cum Laude from the University of the Incarnate Word’s School of Education with minors in Reading and Special Education.  Mrs. Melgoza is certified in General Elementary Education K-6, Special Education and English as a Second Language.  Additionally, she is certified by Region 20 to implement dyslexia intervention to students K-12.

Mrs. Melgoza loves spending time with her husband and three children, and you might sneak a peak of them walking a trail in the area or on a rollercoaster at a theme park. Her hobbies include piano, basketball, reading and running.

Jackie Bankes received her Bachelors of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Texas San Antonio, followed by her Masters in Counseling from Wayland Baptist University. She has earned certifications in Early Childhood Education PK-K, Elementary Self-Contained 1-6, ESOL, and in School Counseling.

Aside from substituting, working in preschools and in the children’s ministry at church, Mrs. Bankes has 18 years of experience working in formal education. She has worked in both public and private institutions as an elementary teacher and as a school counselor. She successfully developed the elementary counseling program at her previous school.

Mrs. Bankes is happily married to Eric, her high school sweetheart of over 30 years. They have three amazing daughters. Mrs. Bankes enjoys traveling, her goal is to visit all 50 states. She also enjoys photography and spending time with her family.

Mrs. Bankes loves the look on a child’s face and the excitement they feel when they have mastered a concept. It is one of the best moments of being a teacher. She is excited to be a part of the Great Hearts family.

I was born in Mexico and moved to a small town up in the mountains of California where I lived for 10 years. I then moved to San Antonio, TX where I obtained a Bachelors Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Our Lady of the Lake University.  

I joined the Great Hearts Live Oak family in 2021 as a 2nd grade Apprentice Teacher. This year, I am excited to help struggling readers as a reading interventionist. 

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my family and pets, traveling, reading, running, and finding new places to eat!  

Ms. Canales received her bachelor’s degree in International Relations from TEC de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico and MBA from the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid in Madrid, Spain. She worked at Mexico Green Building Council as an Education Program Manager and at a startup in Madrid before transitioning to teaching.

Ms. Canales has been involved in education for 7 years and has worked with middle school and elementary students throughout her career. She worked at a private school in Monterrey before moving to San Antonio. This will be Ms. Canales’ second year at Great Hearts and first year at Great Hearts Live Oak.

Aside from teaching, Ms. Canales enjoys jigsaw puzzles and spending time with her family. She has a passion for traveling and has visited over 25 countries. She loves to learn about different cultures and meet people from all over the world.

Mrs. Marianne Orton is honored to be a founding faculty member of Great Hearts Live Oak. Previous to coming to Live Oak, Mrs. Orton taught private piano and voice lessons for the last 15 years, which
allowed her to stay at home with her 4 children.

She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Vocal Pedagogy from Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. There she had many cherished opportunities in the choral program and their budding opera program. Music has been an integral part of her life. Taught to play the piano by her mother, good and beautiful music filled their home, and she knew at a young age that music would be her profession.

After college she became a certified Kindermusik teacher, which helped
her discover her love of teaching music to young children. Mrs. Orton has also been blessed with many service opportunities in her church, where she is often playing the piano or organ, leading choirs, or teaching the young children scripture stories through music. She believes strongly that music teaches children to recognize beauty, and it will fill their lives with more compassion, gentleness, and goodness.

When she is not playing the piano or singing, she also enjoys reading, quilting, doing yoga, playing pickle ball, and baking cookies or pies for her family.

James Martinez is delighted to begin his teaching practice at Great Hearts in the pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.  He is the Music Teacher for 3-5th grades where he will share his passion for music with our GHLO scholars. This will be his first teaching year after spending 10 years in the workforce.

Mr. Martinez is a San Antonio native and comes to us with a strong musical background with expertise in percussion, drums, and piano.  He is an ardent admirer of live music and enjoys supporting the arts.  He acquired a Bachelor of Music degree from Texas Lutheran University, and it was there where his appreciation and understanding of a classical education began.    

Mrs. Alvarez received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Texas Pan-American with a minor in sociology and another in Spanish and is currently working towards her teaching certification from early childhood to 6^th grade. She is excited to teach Spanish to our K-2nd scholars!

She has had plenty of experience within the education field, ranging from working as an elementary school math tutor during her college years to teaching ESL online and substituting in bilingual and ESL classrooms.

Mrs. Alvarez considers herself a life-long learner and is always looking for the next book to read or skill to learn. During her free time, she likes painting ceramics, playing trivia games with her husband and two children, exercising, and traveling around the world. Mrs. Alvarez is thrilled to start this new adventure. Go Owls!

Mrs. Winstead is originally from Southern California. She is a 22-year Air Force veteran and a graduate of Columbia Southern University. Her military assignments included Military Police, Personnel Management, and Career Assistance Advisor. As a Career Assistance Advisor, she discovered a passion for educating, mentoring, and guiding people to make educated career decisions. Overall, her military career included 9 assignments and three deployments.  

After retirement, Mrs. Winstead and her family chose San Antonio as their permanent home. She has been married to her husband Scott for 19 years and have a 7-year-old daughter, Riley who inspires her to teach and see the world through her daughter’s eyes. Mrs. Winstead is proud to be part of the GHLO community and excited to be your child’s Spanish Teacher this year. Together we will learn, grow, and explore new things.

I look forward to an Owlsome year!

Mrs. Cortney Gonzalez comes to Great Hearts Live Oak after being at home with her daughters for almost 11 years. She had the privilege of teaching elementary physical education for three years in New Mexico before starting her family. She is looking forward to rejoining the mission, with her fellow Great Hearts educators, of teaching and guiding students on their journey to becoming well-rounded individuals in pursuit of learning.

Mrs. Gonzalez has a passion for Physical Education and considers it essential to a child’s development. She believes teaching children the fundamental skills and concepts of physical movement so that they can build and improve their physical abilities. Her goal is leading students to enjoy physical activity and motivate them to continue being active for their lifetime.

Mrs. Gonzalez earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with emphasis in Physical Education from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She grew up in a small town in South Texas and married her high school sweetheart, Jaime, two years after he joined the military. They have enjoyed the adventure of military life but are thrilled to be back in the great state of Texas. She has 3 beautiful daughters, Bella, Callie, and Lilly. Mrs. Gonzalez loves spending time with her family, photography, and enjoying the outdoors.

Mrs. Handa grew up in New Delhi and Mumbai, India after which she moved to the USA in 1996. Since then, she has lived in New Jersey, Virginia and San Antonio which has been her home for the last 5 years now. She lives with her husband and two sons, 15 and 9. Her oldest will be a freshman at Northeast School of Arts magnet program (NESA) and is also on the path to get his Eagle Scout rank. Her youngest will start 3rd grade this fall.

Mrs. Handa graduated from the School of Visual Arts, NYC earning her Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. She subsequently received her Elementary Montessori Teacher Certification from the Princeton Center for Teacher Education in Princeton, New Jersey.

Mrs. Handa has over 12 years of teaching experience and owes her love for teaching to her mother who has been an elementary teacher for more than 25 years. Mrs. Handa fell in love with the Great Hearts core values after her younger son started at GHNO two years ago and she saw a deep love for learning develop in him.

Mrs. Handa loves to cook, travel with her boys, and enjoys doing art projects in her free time. She looks forward to welcoming her young students as she guides them in laying their educational foundation. She loves being a part of the caring and student-centered community at GHLO.

Mrs. Lund aspired to become a teacher since elementary school. Her found passion for education formulated while attending The University of Texas at San Antonio from where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies – EC-6.

As a mother of an incoming second grader, she saw firsthand the joy and beauty in learning Spalding and Singapore math. This is when she found herself falling in love with Great Hearts philosophy and curriculum.

Mrs. Lund is from San Antonio, Texas. She enjoys spending quality time, bike riding, swimming, and taking nature walks with her husband and children.

Mrs. Chapa grew up in McAllen, Texas in the 1960’s, and moved to San Antonio when she was 10 years old. She has lived in San Antonio since 1972. Mrs. Chapa graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education and has taught all grade levels at some capacity. Her love for teaching comes from her mother who taught Kindergarten for 40 years.

Mrs. Chapa’s love for Great Hearts comes from the classical model which was part of her elementary education. She has worked for Great Hearts for three years and is one of the founding members of Great Hearts Live Oak.

Mrs. Chapa is married to her husband of 40 years and have three children and six grandchildren. She enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking, sewing and traveling with her husband.

Ms. Alison Palomino was born in Mexico and moved to the United States at the age of eight. Being an English language learner herself, she found a passion for teaching others. She is a college graduate of Texas A&M San Antonio where she earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies at A&M San Antonio and Texas certification ranging from Early Childhood to 6th grade. 

Ms. Palomino first joined Great Hearts in the 2019-2020 school year. This is when she found herself falling in love with Great Hearts philosophy and curriculum. She is thrilled to continue to teach Kindergarten, as her heart belongs with the little ones. It is an honor for Ms. Palomino to get the opportunity to instill an early enthusiasm for learning and help lay the foundation for education and discovery. 

In her free time, Ms. Palomino enjoys cooking and baking. She enjoys trying out new restaurants around the city and spending quality time with her loved ones. Ms. Palomino is looking forward to being part of your child’s education and providing a welcoming, safe and loving environment for your scholar.

From the age of 8 years old, Victoria Cisneros knew she was destined to be a teacher. Her dream never wavered as she continued to pursue a degree in interdisciplinary studies at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is also a Texas certified teacher ranging from early childhood to 6th grade. Mrs. Cisneros has had plenty of experience within the education field such as substituting, tutoring, ESL teaching online, and Great Hearts very own Athenaeum program. Mrs. Cisneros is excited to be pouring out her passion at Great Hearts Live Oak! She is ready to bring a spirit of excellence and carry the unique culture of Great Hearts!

Mrs. Cisneros is committed to being a lifelong learner. She continually challenges herself to grow as a leader. Spending time with her family and growing in her faith bring Mrs. Cisneros the most joy. She also enjoys reading, exercising, and eating lots of sweets!

Mrs. Day has a degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio in Criminal justice and started off working with juveniles in the Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department. Her dream is to help children achieve their goals and be successful by inspiring a love of learning that will offer them many future possibilities.

She is also a Texas certified teacher ranging from early childhood to 6th grade. Mrs. Day has had plenty of experience within the educational field such as Early Childhood Education with toddlers to age 3 with 3 prior years of teaching. Mrs. Day is excited to be pouring out her passion at Great Hearts Live Oak. She is ready to bring a spirit of excellence and continue the unique culture of Great Hearts!

Mrs. Day is committed to being a lifelong learner. She continually challenges herself to grow as an educator. Spending time with her new family and growing in her faith brings Mrs. Day the most joy. She also enjoys reading, swimming, and exploring the world around her!

Amanda Turner is excited to be a part of the Great Hearts Live Oak community. Ms. Turner has worked as a substitute for the Judson School District for two years. She graduated from University of Texas of San Antonio with her Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in English as a second language. She also recently graduated from Texas A&M International with her Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Reading.

Ms. Turner is ready to bring and use her skills in the classroom. She is looking forward to the third-grade history and science curriculum this year. In her free time she enjoys reading, playing video games, and gardening.

Joseph Schuster is truly thrilled to join the founding faculty of Great Hearts Live Oak as a lead teacher!  Mr. Schuster hails from Swanton, Ohio and recently graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville with a B.S. in Early Childhood Education, Intervention, and Theology.  From daycare to middle school, Mr. Schuster has engaged learners of many different ages and needs across a variety of educational settings.  He is very eager to apply his experience to the unique mission and classical pedagogy of Great Hearts schools.  Above all, he can’t wait to see his students grow in virtue and develop a life-long love of learning and of things True, Good, and Beautiful.

When he is not teaching, you might find Mr. Schuster spending quality time with his two sisters, reading one of his favorite children’s books, or learning a new piano piece.  He also enjoys musical theater, singing in choir, and drawing pictures. Go Owls!

Ms. Castaneda joins the Great Hearts Live Oak community as a new faculty member. She is ready to learn anything and everything to help make it a great year! 

Ms. Castaneda received her B.A in Criminal Justice in 2020 from the University of Texas San Antonio. While working for her bachelors, she interned with BCFS Health and Human Services with PAL. Ms. Castaneda helped educate youths in foster care about Preparation for Adult Living services. After a year and a half of working as an educator, she decided to join the general education field!  

She was born in Houston, TX and raised in San Antonio, TX. Ms. Castaneda loves gardening, crafts, home decor, and spending time with her daughter with family activities.  

Katharine Weaver is thrilled to be joining the Great Hearts Live Oak family. After residing in Michigan and graduating from Eastern Michigan University with her Bachelors in Elementary Education, Ms. Weaver moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she quickly found a home as a Kindergarten Teacher with a local charter school that focused primarily on the impact of the environment. She thoroughly enjoyed helping to create the curriculum from scratch and utilizing the gorgeous city park directly behind the campus. Taking her students on hikes and constantly discovering the beauty that nature has to offer was by far her favorite part of teaching with that charter.

After being a Kinder teacher for several years, Ms. Weaver took a break to become a mother to her two amazing daughters and later moved to Texas to be closer to her parents. Last year was her first year back to the world of classroom teaching!

When Ms. Weaver isn’t teaching you can find her spending time with her daughters and parents. Exploring the Texas outdoors and day trips are a favorite past time with her children. Ms. Weaver also enjoys live music and discovering intimate venues the surrounding cities have to offer.

Ms. Valerie Baca was born and raised in the “Sun City” of El Paso, Texas. She then continued with her educational career at Sul Ross State University in Alpine Texas where graduated with a B.S. in Mathematics with a minor in Political Science. Ms. Baca always knew that she wanted to pursue her dreams of teaching, so she made the wise decision of getting her degree in her favorite subject.

She then made the best choice of moving to San Antonio where she discovered Great Hearts Live Oak. Ms. Baca is extremely enthusiastic to start as a lead teacher this school year! The faculty and staff at GHLO have made the experience so magical and she cannot wait for the scholars to step into her classroom and make this dream into a reality. Ms. Baca is looking forward to starting her new journey and growing her love of learning with her students.

Outside the classroom, Ms. Baca spends her time weightlifting, enjoying her family and friends’ company, or exploring the beauty that San Antonio has to offer. She also enjoys visiting plant nurseries, listening to music, and lounging with her dog Emmy.

Kasey Mayfield is a San Antonio native and has lived here her whole life. She loves her city and all it has to offer. She can sometimes be found walking downtown finding new adventures and things to see. She also loves to find beautiful places in nature to walk around with her two dogs, Nora and Itsy. She has her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M San Antonio in Interdisciplinary Studies.

Ms. Mayfield was led to Great Hearts because of her love for students and education. She was a Great Hearts Apprentice Teacher for three years at Great Hearts Northern Oaks and loved every minute of it. Ms. Mayfield learned so much from her time there and is excited to join the Great Hearts Live Oak team as a Lead Teacher.