Faculty/Staff

Clint Davis

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

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.

Tim Culbertson

Tim has developed curricula and taught students the ecology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics which govern the biological world around them. By integrating chemistry with pre-algebra, and physics with algebra, students have been able to make clear connections between the fundamentals of math and the manner in which that math can be applied to the concrete world they interact with daily. Designing his own curricula coupled with the small class sizes of independent schools has allowed Tim the flexibility to help students understand concepts deeply, and to alter lessons to best meet the demands and interests of each of his students; this in turn has allowed a very high level of learning and understanding of remarkably complex material in the context of their everyday lives. After attending his classes, students feel empowered to use a multitude of tools to help answer questions in and out of the classroom.

Tim enjoys spending time with children and enjoys their energy and curiosity and enthusiasm for their surroundings; it will be his goal to transform that energy and enthusiasm into stewardship. I feel privileged to have done so over a teaching career spanning 15 years.

Tim’s other interests lie in things outdoors, especially in learning and discovering plants and nature. He is an avid horticulturalist, growing an expansive garden and over 4000 orchids in my home. He is heavily involved in the orchid judging and awarding system of the American Orchid Society. In addition, Tim maintains a personal herbarium of over 2000 specimens, and collects professionally for the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.

Sarah Jones

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

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

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.

Chef Faustino Ochoa

My menu represents my lifelong passion for cooking and traveling. I have specialized in fine dining and elegant events for decades. During this period I have been blessed to work with several great chefs in Orange County, California, as well as abroad. My years as a chef have given me many diverse experiences and exposure to various styles of cooking from classical and contemporary French, Mediterranean, Mexican and Latin American, to traditional and modern Jewish and Californian cuisines.

My cooking has also been inspired through my travels to places like the West Coast of the U.S., Italy and Canada.

Traveling on a motorcycle, from Orange County, CA to Vancouver B.C. was one of the most incredible experiences I have enjoyed. The beauty of the West Coast landscape was only matched by the many amazing local foods tasted. From fine dining on a mountaintop, to the roadside mom and pop eateries sampled; each meal was a testament to the West Coast’s culinary richness.

Traveling through Italy from Milano to Sorrento was phenomenal. Each city offered it’s unique take on the best of Italian cuisine. And, with a keen eye and eager palate I adopted the rich flavors of Italy into my own cooking.

Toronto’s reputation as one of the most diverse cities in the world also extends to its restaurant scene. It is a city of neighborhoods that represent all parts of the world. Spending time there, I came to fully appreciate its distinct fusion of culture and cuisine.

In the last few years I have been learning traditional and modern Jewish cooking from my friends and that too has been such a joy ride.

Cooking is a lifetime journey and I look forward to each culinary experience with an open heart and an eagerness to learn and infuse the many unique flavors of the world into the dishes I prepare with love.

Bon Appétit!

Olga Koroleva

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 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.